Evening star., 1924-03-12
COMPETITIONS SEEN
81 |NFRU|T TRADE
Michigan Also to Fight for
Part of California Vege-
table Sales.
BY j. G. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, March 12.-Michigan
producers are whetting their knives
for bitter battle with California
growers for markets throughout the
country for several varieties OF fruits
and vegetables. The consumers and
dealers in various parts of the land
are prepared to watch with consider
able enjoyment the progress Of the
battle.
Southwestern Michigan nurseries
are selling hundreds of thousands of
grape vine seedlings. and the spread
OF grape growing is extending into
scores of districts in southern and
western Michigan, where the indus
try heretofore has never been intro
duced. Last year Michigan grapes
were sold in thirty-tour states and
119 markets. About half of the out
put of the state was consumed in
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and IL
linois. The railroads carried about
1000 carloads away from the Paw
paw district. the total amounting to
nearly 100000 baskets.
Rates Important Factor.
Some Of the growers are worried
over the California competition in
view of the increase of output ex-
pected this year. But there is a diff
ference in freight rates of approxi-
mately S35 a ton between California
ing around Chicago. The motive be-
hind the increase primarily, how
ever, is that the strcter enforcement
of prohibition will drive more people
to making their own wine.
The below-zero temperatures which
have occurred this winter have not
damaged the Michigan vines, and
growers, in consequence, look for
ward to heavy crop. The west
Michigan field reports also declare
that 1924 should show a bumper crop.
as this follows a comparatively light
year, and the Michigan vines usually
alternate in light and heavy produce
Iion.
No Worry in California.
The California growers show no
symptoms of anxiety over the Situa-
tion. There was shortage Of refrig-
orator cars during the peak of the
1928 California grape season, but this
shortage was far lighter than in 1922.
and the Southern Pacific road is
counted on to improve this season the
remarkable record of efficiency hung
up last year when it's freight cars
averaged forty-two miles a day. or
twelve miles farther than the goal set
Tor the railroads as whole.
Michigan produced 6,532.000 bushels
of beans last season. This is es-
timated to be 40 per cent of the white
navy beans produced in the country.
California also is one of the leading
Michigan Bean Jobbers' Association
now estimate that 10000 acres are
devoted in the state to bean raising,
and that by scientific cultivation an
increase of about two bushels an acre
has been added in the last few years.
The association is endeavoring to
lind mfans of getting beans to the
princip4 eastern markets. Boston and
New York, In competition with Cali
forn1a beans. which over a combined
water and rail route pay 80 cents a
bushel freight, while shipments from
Michigan to the same points pay so
cents bushel
Competition in Beet Sugar.
The wide entry of beet sugar into
the far eastern sections of the coun-
try has brought the growers of the
TWO states into competition on that
commodity also. Californias crop
comes on the market earliest, but
much of this is consumed in the west.
Michigan beet growers now have ar
rived at settlement of the contract
price with manufacturers on a basis
OF 1925 ton for 1924. This COM
pares with price of 81 n ton last
year and s12 in the short sugar years
OF 1920 and 1921.
The contracts in Michigan, however,
are not on the same basis as those in
California. The Michg gar agreement
provides for "fifty-fifty' split of
the difference between the contract
price and the price the sugar brings
between grower and manufacturer
The beet growers of the far west, in
general, work on sliding scale pro-
viding that certain sum goes to
them from each advance in the price
of sugar over certain figure.