The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-08
FRUrTs OF soUrH AMERICA.

Tor Du1tnee9 many INDUSTRIES Wnlcu
have hitherto been more or less DOR
mant in South America will be stimu-
lated into activity. The United States
furnishes q profitable market for
many products Of the southern CONT
nent. and with easy and rapid trans
portation facilities supplied this mar
ket will extend to perishable a. well
as the more stable products. One OF
the most profitable industries for
which some. of the South American
countries are especially well adapted
is that of fruit growing. In q recent
article in the monthly bulletin OF the
Union Mr.. w. f.
Wight Of the United States depart
ment Of agriculture writes:
South America probably has q
range Of climate ard variety OF condi-
tons that will admit Of the successful
cultivation Of every known fruit. Very
nearly all of resent Importance have
been introduced into one locality or
another. In the tropical or sub-tropi-
cal regions are those adapted to such
a climate. namely. the sapodilla, mann
NEE apple. mango, breadfruit. banana.
pomegranite. avocado, To-
quat, olive, fig, orange. and lemon. In
addition to those native. In temperate
regions nearly all of the deciduous
fruits grown in the United States have
been introduced"
In Argentina the grape is the fruit
which has attained the greatest COM
mercial Importance. and the Mendoza
country seems to lead all other sec
tons. According to MT. Wight, unde-
veloped land in the vicinity OF Men
doza is considered worth from $40 to
$3.50 per acre. Planted in vines 1t Is
valued at $3.50 to $1,000 per acre. The
net profit from vines in good bearing
condition is said to be about $40 per
acre. One grower, a native Argentina
stated that the table grapes trained on
an overhead trellis yielded him q net
profit of $40 to $1,000 per acre. and
that he had received as high as 1920
for single selected clusters in Buenos
Aires. The area in vines for the whole
of Argentina is stated at 2bS.OOO acres
in 1910. and the production OF wines
as 92,674,O0O gallons, valued at more
than 25 million dollars. In the same
year California produced nearly
45,5OO,OOO gallons. valued at a little
more than IS million dollars.
Leaving Mendoza and passing over
the barren heights of the Andes at an
altitude of more than 10000 feet. the
traveller arrives in Chile. One seems
to have reached another California.
but with a climate possibly even more
60 81 u
larities, and all Of the fruits grown in
California are produced in Chile.
probably in equal perfection, but with
far less care, and the industry has not
as in North America. Here.
too, the grape is the most important
fruit, the annual production being
about 100000 gallons Of excellent
wine The section about Valdivia is
also noted for its fine apples. those
from one well-known grower having
frequently sold in Buenos Aires for
vidual fine specimens have retailed
even in Santiago for % cents each.
Leaving Chile and going northward to
Peru, Bolivia. and Ecuador. one
reaches countries that lie wholly with
in the tropics, and yet in consequence
of the high altitude Of some sections
they present a range OF climate as
great as that of any country on the
continent and as well suited for the
cultivation Of deciduous fruits. In
these regions apricots ripen from De-
cember to February; cherries from
to February; peaches from
December to March; plums from jan
uary to March; pears from February
to May: grapes from January to May
or June. In other words. just when
the native fruits Of the United States
are out Of season here. they are in
season in the southern hemisphere.
Last year the United States import
ed something over $32,0OO.O00 worth
of fruits from foreign countries. These
consisted almost altogether Of tho
quantities or not at all in this country,
such as bananas. crrrants. dates. figs.
olives, etc. Apricots, peaches, pears,
plums, cherries and the many other
fruits to which we are accustomed.
would ind a splendid market here in
the winter season. II they could be
had fresh. It Is this demand for our
native fruits in the OF season which
will develop the fruit industry in the
west coast countries Of South America.
for with refrigera or steamers they
can be shipped via the Panama canal
from Callao. Peru, to New Orleans in
seven or eight days, and the fast fruit
trains of the railways will have them
in Chicago and eastern markets in two
or three days more. Fresh ripe
peaches in New York in December ana
January at reasonable prices will be
one Of the results Of the building of
the Panama canal.
DUTY AT RAILROAD CROSSING.
The deadly grade crossing, writes
Mr.. Ray L. Swift in the July Case and
Ia -