The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-07-15
s HIP R A I ES AID PACIFIC
 TRADE
Cost Lower Than Rail Rate, Coast Fruit Growers Take Advantage and Compete
 With Europe.
By HARRY l.. ROGERS, News Service Staff

Correspondent.
 Washington, July 12-Deve1opment of the fruit trade from the Pacific Coast through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic Coast and points in Europe, practically to the exclusion of the au-rail route, is foreshadowed in official reports from the Canal Zone.
 This trade, already considerable in volume and expanding rapidly, is be- ing developed along three different routes. Apples from Washington and Oregon and citrus fruits from Cali fornia are being transported through the Canal to the Atlantic Coast, Northern apples and California citrus fruits are moving to the United King dom and Europe, and Chilean fruits and vegetables are being shipped to New York;
 Shipments thus far have been largely experimental, but they have demonstrated beyond all doubt that the Canal route is practicable and economical The freight rates on ex- perimenta1 cargoes were in the neighborhood of seventy cents per hundred pounds, as compared with .s1.6615 by the all-rail route, and the percentage of decay is said to be neg ligibIe in comparison with that ex perienced in rail shipments. With the feasibility of the water route proved, Iru1C growers OI lHS Northwest have Joined those of Cali fornia in organizations for the marketing of their products and are now said to be in a position to con- tract with steamship companies for cargo or part cargo lots. One steam ship company is said already to have closed a. contract with the fruit grow ers' organization for $500 carloads of perishab1e fruit to be delivered in | Atlantic or Gulf ports at rates ma teria11y under those quoted by the railroads. Of this total the Washing ton apple growers agree to furnish 4OO0 carloads. Their plan is to ship apples to Seattle and store them, to be loaded as refrigerator space is available, and to encourage this method of shipment the Seattle Port Commission has reduced it's charge for the storage of apples in transit from l S2 to $1.60 a ton.
 Mediterranean Competition. | The average time required for ship ments by the water route from Los
 Angeles to New York is nineteen l days Direct movement of apples | from the Pacifific Coast to Europe has been successfully carried out, total | of 175 carloads being shipped. As a | result of these experiments heavy | demand for steamer space for th1s
 years crop has already developed | Nine steamers are now scheduled for | the Pacific Coast-European service
 with cold storage eqquipment for
 handling fresh fruit through the | tropics, affording carrying space for
 about three-quarters of a million
 boxes About five million boxes of | fruit are expected to be available for
 export.
 1 An experimental shipment of ten | carloads of oranges and one hundred | boxes of fancy lemons passed through | the canal in March bound for London.
 The fruit is reported to have arrived | in good order, and it is expected that a considerable volume of this trade
 will develop, despite the fact of the competition of Mediterranean citrus | fruits in the European market. | The first shipment of fruit from Chile to New York was made in April with successful results. The South | American line, a Chilean Company, is reported to be building three large refrigerator vessels for this service. The fact that Chile, being south of the equator, has seasons exactly the reverse of those in the United States is an important factor in favor of this trade.