Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-12-06

IS noticeable scarcity of beans in Bos-
 ton recently, due to the fact that last years crop had become pretty we'll ex-
 hausted, while the new crop was late in
 arriving from the west. The wholesale
 price went up $1 bushel, thereby
 greatly lowering the margin of profit
 on ten-cent plate of this favorite dish.
 But there is no danger of famine,
 as plentiful supply is assured for the
 coming year.
 In that section of the market district
 where the raw beans of commerce con
 stitute a large and important staple of
 trade, wholesale dealers in them say
 that the new crop, while not large
 enough to be classed as an actual rec
 ord breaker, is good sized one and
 far ahead of that of 1907, which was very small.
 Boston draws the supply of raw ma
 teral from it's baked bean output very
 largely from New York, Michigan and California, so that the season E bounte-
 ous harvest in those three states means
 much to this city, the great bean met
 ropolis of the world. Where the con
 sumption of beans is the largest on earth, running up into the millions of quarts annually, with thirty-fve quarts as the established quantity eaten every year by each of the men, women and children making up the nearby popula- ton of 6s0,000.
 Large as is the crop of beans usually raised in this country, Boston s share of it is not nearly large enough to meet its constantly increasing needs As the demand for baked beans is steadily keeping pace with the growth in pouu- lation of the city, it is necessary to draw on Europe every year for a sup ply to help out the domestic contribu- tion.
 Boston imports beans in large quan- titles from France, Austria and Italy, particularly when the American crop is short. Last year the American crop was considered failure, so that Bos- ton was forced to import more than half it's needed supply from Europe. The duty on beans is 45 cents a DuNutt, anu it IN OHiy WHtn tHe Dldf- ket price rules high here that it pays to import them When beans are sell ing at s2 and above per bushel whole sale in the Boston market. they can be safely imported at a comfortable profit, but when the market is below $2, then it does not pay the dealer to do any importing.
 Five hundred thousand bushels of beans are received and consumed here each year. This is equal to l6,000,060 quarts. But these figures are for the raw, uncooked beans. For a quart of beans put in the oven in its pot will | swell to such an extent during the pro i cess of baking that one quart will actu- | ally make two quarts in bulk.
 Taking the sale of beans by the wholesale dealers, the price paid for l them by people who bake beans in their own homes, the money put out | by the bakeries and the big bean-bak- | ing establishments that supply hotels, and restaurants, and the price laid down | for a plate of them by those who in dulge their appetites in this frugal fare in patronizing the purveyors of baked beans at eating houses, and it is fig ! ured out that the yearly baked bean bill of Boston is close to $l0,000,000. | That seems like pretty large sum, but it is considered a moderate estimate of the amount of money that the Hub spends on baked beans every year.
 An tho la .,. ba ett turu nnt 1 baked beans every day as part of their regular business, and in addition there are three or four establishments devoted exclusively to the business of baking beans, and on these hotels, res taurants and quick lunch places depend for their supply. One or two of these establishments put out six thousand quarts per week.
 The dwellers in Little Italy in the North end and the Jewish population of the West end take as largely and as kindly to baked beans as ever did native son of New England, and they are large consumers of this staple Bos ton article of food. In fact, baked beans possess charm for all nation alities who come to the home of them and get taste of the genuine product. No matter from what country of the earth man may hail, when he plants himself in Boston he soon becomes a loyal deyotee of the bean pot. That is why the demand for baked beans is on the increase here, and instead of $10,000,000 Boston will ere long be spending $2O,OOO,Oo year for beans.
 Down in the heart of the North end is bakery thAt turns out from 800 to ,O00 quarts of beans day, mostly for Italian consumption. At this bak- cry, and in fact at almost every large bakery in the city, where beans are baked, the beans are placed in the ovens about O clock in the morning and re- main there until 3 in, the evening, when they are taken out, and the rush of peo- pie for the bakeshop starts. They carry the beans away to their homes in one pr two-ouart pots