The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1910-08-04
Fruits AND Nurs

ION dollars nave passed through ports
of the United States during the last
ten years. Of this amount, 2S5 million
represents the value of imports from
| foreign countries, 1876 million exports
to foreign countries, 156 million ex-
ports to foreign countries, IL million
receipts from noncontagious territor-
| les of the United States, and mill.
ion shipments to those territories.
The value of fruits and nuts i'm.
ported into. and exported from the
country in the fiscal year which end
ed June 80, 1910, was in round terms
IS million dollars, of which about one
third represented exports. A compila-
ton made by the Bureau of Statistics
of the Department of Commerce and
Labor states the years imports of
fruits and nuts at SO million and ex-
ports at 10 million dollars.
A study of, the commercial move
ments during the last decade or two
develops the fact that domestic pro.
duction is rapidly supplanting certain
classes of fruits, formerly imported in
large quantities. This applies espe-
cially to raisins, prunes and oranges.
| Certain other lines, in which local
production is still insufficient to meet
home consumption, continue to in
crease in value of imports; notably
bananas, figs, walnuts, cocoanuts and
almonds. Comparing the imports of
the year just ended with those of one
and two decades ago, imports of
fruits and nuts as whole have in
creased from 81 million dollars in
1890 and 10 million in 1900 to about
So million dollars in 1910. Oranges,
which in 1890 showed a total impor.
| tation of million dollars, had by 1900
decreased to one million and by 1910
! to less than 100 thousand dollars in
value. Raisins in 1890 were valued
at million dollars, in 1900 at a half
million, and in 1910 at less than one
third million dollars. Prunes showed
in 1890 an importation of IL million
dollars; in 1900, As thousand dollars,
and in 1910, an even less value. Lem
ons were imported in 1890 to the val
ne of 3 1-3 million dollars; in 1900
were 3 2-S million, but in 1900 decreas-
ed to 3 million, or less than the fig.
ures of 1890. Onthe other hand ban
anas, valued alta % millions in 1890
increased to six million in 1900, and
nearly IL million in 1910. Almonds,
valued at less than one million dollars
in 1890, and 1900, showed in 1910 i'm
ports to the value of more than 3
million dollars. Cocoanuts in 1890
were imported to the value of S22
thousand dollars; in 1900, 703 thous-
and. and in 1910 were about 1-3 mill
ion dollars. Walnuts, first separately
enumerated in 1903, have increased
in value of imports from little over
one million dollars in that year to 31s
million in 1910.
On the export side far more rapid
growth has occurred since 1890 In
that year the total value of all fruits
and nuts exported from the country
was but four million dollars; in 1900
the total had increased TO nearly IL
million, and in 1910, about 10 million
dollars. The principal articles con-
tributing to this growth are apples,
prunes, oranges. raisins, apricots,
canned fruits and nuts. Exports of
dried apples have increased from one
million dollars value in 1890 to "a
million in 1900 and little over two
million in 1910; apples, green or ripe
from less than IL million in 1890 to
IA million in 1907 and million in
1910; apples as a whole thus having
increased from 2 to over million in
20 years. Oranges of domestic pro-
duction increased In value of exports
from quarter of million dollars in
1900 to over million in 1910; dried
apricots, from 7S thousand dollars in
1902, the earliest year in which shown
to l million in 1910; prunes, from 2-3
million dollars in 1900 to million in
1910 and canned fruits, from 2-3 mil
lion dollars in 1890 to million in
1900, and less than million In 1910.
The exports Of nuts were $4,000 in
1890. and in 1900 were stated at only
156 thousand dollars, compared with
about 400 thousand dollars in the year
just ended OF, the latter class pea
nuts. Is Fthe chief factor, the exports
in the last Eve years having amount
ed to nearly 20 million pounds, valued
at ! 1-3 dolears.
OF foreign fruits consumed in the
United States, bananas supply about
onetthird. The imported bananas
come chiefly from Costa RIGA, Hon
dgras and Panama in Central Amer
ica; the British West Indies and Cuba.
italy supplies practically all the lem
ons imported into the country. OIL
currants. the Xante variety. produced
In Greece. supplies most Of the Inn
ports. Raisins. formerly coming in at
the rate OF million dollars per an.
mum, chiefly from Spain. and Turkey
In Asia have practically disappeared
az an article Of Importation and, as3
above indicated, are now becoming an
important article Of EXPORT.