The San Francisco call., 1910-03-06


braced prunes to the value of S33OS,-
200, weight $4,000 tons, and apples to
the value of $2,046, 500, weight 1921
tons.
The American trade in the foregoing
is especially important as respects i'm
portations of fresh apples and the va
rious classes of dried fruit. However,
while the importations of apples have
increased steadily from 132433 tons in
1905 to 1S0,017 in 1908, the share of the
United States in this business has pro-
gressed in the opposite directions, as
follows: In 1905, 1906 tons: 1906.
10,502 tons; 1907, 9,23s tons; 1908, 1925
tons.
These figures contain facts in sufii-
cient detail to show that the fruit mar
ket of Germany is one of immense i'm
portance, one which the United States
is particularly qualified to supply. and
at the same time, one in which Amer
lean shippers have held their ground
only as respects certain qualities such
as they alone could furnish and in
which they have positively lost great
deal of ground within the last five
years.
COMPLAINTS OF IMPORTERS
Within the last few weeks 1 have re-
ceived communications, written and
verbal, from a considerable number
of the best known importing houses
who merely repeat themselves in stat
ing the inconveniences resulting from
the unsatisfactory organizations of the
American fruit trade and the presence
in the business of many weak firms
with speculative tendencies. The COM
plants chiefly dwelt upon are these: D
Failure to deliver fruit contracted for
on rising market; CD deliveries of
old fruit when fruit from a new crop
is expected; CD moistening of dried
fruit to gain weight; (D shipment Of
incompletely filed boxes; (5) inaccu-
rate marking of cases.
The firms consulted have expressed
great satisfaction with my suggestion
that they formulate their complaints
and make suggestions for the better
ment of existing conditions, and 1 sub
nit herewith extracts form their re-
sponses.
apricots, pears, peaches, raisins and
evaporated apples; and from New York
evaporated apples and chopped apples.
But the business increases its volume,
mand for dried fruits in the United
States. Germany imports plums from
Bosnia, Servia and France. The French
plums are preferred to those from Can. ;lio
than the American fruit, because of
their excellent preparation. These
fruits are. offered and sold many
business is, therefore. speculative in
character and consequently hurtful to
those who operate on another basis
Nevertheless. in trade so important,
speculation is necessary and is con-
trolled by the amount of money on the
market; that is to say, when money is
cheap importers buy large quantities
of dried fruits for future delivery, and
when money is dear the contrary is
the case.
1t is complained that, as respects
American a.pricots. there is an insult
STANDARD choice extra choice" and
fancy" qualities. What one buyer
purchases as choice and receives as
such, another buyer receives and de-
livers under the trade term of extra
choice"
Complaint is made. also that cheap
offered as Santa Clara plums, and of
late not infrequently old crop plums
have been palmed off as fruit OF the
toward short packing the cases.
We hear good many complaints of
evaporated apples which contain too
if it adds to the shippers weight. leads
to trouble for the importer on arrival
in Germany.
One way of overcoming these diff
of your trade. so that fruits. like grain,
might be accompanied by official GER
tificates, stating the exact quality of
contents as officially ascertained the
true place of origin, the actual year
of growth, the sound and merehantable
condition. and, as to plums, the num-
ber per pound
FIRM MAKES SUGGESTIONS
The following extremely interesting
suggestions and opinions are furnished
by German firm:
The principal thing to be considered
in respect to the fruit trade and our
troubles is some method of correcting
nresent conditions To achieve thiS
result it will be necessary for the
countries of origin to control the cen
tral markets by wisely considered leg
islation.
Turning TO evaported apples from the
eastern states and aprieets, plums. etc.
from the western states it seems to us
desirable that in the central markets,