The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-08-30
MUCH MICHIGAN FRUIT.
Millions of Dollars for Product and
End is Not Vet


Benton Harbor. Mich, Aug. 30
The Lord has certainly smiled upon
the Michigan fruit growers this year
Never has the famous fruit belt pro
duced so great yield of every kind
of product of the orchard, vineyard
and field as this year. This taken on
top of the failures of the last five
years is causing every fruit grower in
this section of the state to smile
broadly.
one woman, who~will be able to buy
n new dress This fall, put 1t this way:
ut seems this year as if every time
we needed rain we got II and just
enough of il and when we needed a
hot sun we got that, too. our crops
are heavier tnan they have ever be-
fore been and every fruit grower will
place snug sum i'm the bank this
fall"
In consequence OF the conditions the
fruit buyers from all over the United
States have been hard at work for
weeks past buying up orchards. The
fruits have begun to move heavily,
but the real big movement will not
come until the first of September But
early as II now is, the streets of Ben
ton Harbor and st. Joe are lined with
heavy wagons laden with the choicest
fruits imaginable. The railroads are
sending i'm refrigerator cars by the
hundreds. The boats ere going out
every night loaded so there is hardly
breathing room with the savory fruits
of Michigan.
Commission men are estimating
that the peach crop alone I'm Michigan
this year will run to 100000 bushels.
for which the growers are receiving
a dollar bushel. There is $4,000. 900
from the peach trees alone and the
farmer is not even asked to pick them
The commission men are glad TO take
the fruits as they hang upon the
trees.
The Pere Marquette freight agents
figure II is going to take not less
than 1000 refrigerator cars to handle
the peaches while for all fruits II is
figured 10000 refrigerator cars and az
many more other cars will be neces-
sary to handle the great crop. The
Armour company is figuring II will
take not less than $4,000 cars to han
dle the crops.
Right at this time $4,000 packages
of fruits are being shipped out Of
Benton Harbor and st. Joe each night
by boat while not less than six cars
night are going out also.
The freight agents figure it is going
crop of Michigan. about 100 cars for
plums, nearly 1000 cars for grapes,
and berries have already taken $50
cars.
The sight in Berrien county is worth
seeing right now. Every orcnard Is
overladen with fruits. The peach trees
bending TO the ground with their
weight of fruit. Pear trees are load
ed. In the apple orchards every tree
IS strongly propped up to prevent the
breaking off OF branches. but In spite
Of this precaution great limbs. half as
large as a mans body, may be ire
auently seen snapped off from the
weight of the fruit
Acres upon acres of grapes hanging
In great purple clusters may be seen
from any interurban line One man
said he expected 10 pick 5000 baskets
of grapes from his six acres OF vine
ward and would sell them at to 13
cents basket
Apples are being sold on the tree at
$3.50 n barrel for firsts and the Sec
onds and cider apples are finding
ready sales. Many of the trees In this
section are bearing as heavy as 20
barrels to the tree. II Is manifest
therefore what great fortune Is to
he poured into Michigan this fall for
her fruits. hut the money has been
coming In all summer because OF
heavy crops of berries Which are