224 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



that January and February will see an active demand for these goods, and 

 that prices will largely advance. The bleached unpeeled peaches of Cali- 

 fornia are more attractive to the eye, but are no better for ordinary con- 

 sumption; and we doubt if they are as good in a sanitary point of view as 

 the unbleached; but, nevertheless, the bleached sell anywhere from 50 to 

 100 per cent advance. The bulk of the bleached peaches are now out of 

 the way; and the bulk of the unbleached are now held in pretty firm 

 hands. With the renewed demand which we look forward to after the 

 first of the year, we think prices will again advance. New orchards are 

 being planted continually to the peach throughout California; but the con- 

 sumption, in the way of dried and canned goods, seems to keep pace year 

 by year with the product. It would certainly be difficult to find a finer 

 peach anywhere than is produced in California. 



Sun-dried Pitted Plums. — The low prices predicted and ruling on these 

 goods discouraged our farmers from drying, and the output this year has 

 been comparatively light. They are now gradually advancing somewhat 

 in price and in demand. There is no doubt but that we shall go out long 

 before spring with a bare market. The low price of prunes, no doubt, has 

 had some bearing in keeping down the price of pitted plums; but they are 

 really a different fruit entirely. One is sour, and the other is sweet. 



Sun-dried Nectarines. — One of the finest fruits grown in California, and 

 of the most delicate flavor, is the nectarine. It is unfortunate that tbis 

 fruit has not been advertised as thoroughly as the apricot; and as a result 

 it has not gone so generally into consumption. In itself, we believe it is 

 equal or superior to the apricot; and while the demand is gradually grow- 

 ing, yet it is still light; and it has been found difficult to place large blocks 

 of these goods, even though they have been offered at a price under the 

 apricot. We bope this state of affairs will be changed in the course of a 

 year or two, as we believe it will. 



Stemless Dried Grapes. — We note a very heavy increase in the product 

 of this fruit for the past season; and the bulk of it, in fact we might say 

 all of it, has been already marketed. The extraordinary demand which 

 has arisen, principally in the Western States, for California dried grapes, 

 has been somewhat surprising to dealers on this side. There seems to 

 have been practically no limit to the quantity which has been taken. We 

 suppose this has been largely on account of the fruit being low-priced, and 

 partially, no doubt, if we are correctly informed, for the reason that the 

 fruit is being largely sold West as California currants. In any event it 

 has proved a good thing for the growers of wine grapes in this State, as it 

 has enabled them to do considerable better by drying their wine grapes 

 instead of selling to the wine men. In other words, they have not been 

 subjected to any squeezing on the part of the wine makers. The Cali- 

 fornia dried grape is principally made from the Mission and Zinfandel 

 grape, although other varieties are at times dried. While formerly more 

 or less were shipped with the stems on, machinery has now been invented 

 wbereby the stems are taken off, in which shape they seem to be the most 

 desirable for the eastern trade. 



Sun-dried Apricots. — The output of this fruit this year has been exceed- 

 ingly light. Growers generally bleach their fruit; and we are glad to see 

 this, for the reason that the demand nowadays seems to run almost 

 entirely on bleached fruit of any kind. Dealers appear willing to pay 



