96 REPORT OP STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



SCARCITY OP FINE FRUITS. 



The last Fruit Trade Journal, of New York, says: "The 

 exact situation regarding the apple crop is still a question of 

 doubt ; even those who are well informed on this subject ex- 

 press themselves as being at a loss in judging conditions this 

 season. While there is undoubtedly a large crop, its quality 

 seems to be constantly deteriorating. Adverse reports are 

 still being received from all sections. The fruit is dropping 

 badly, and where picking is in progress, the yield appears to 

 be lighter than anticipated, and the quality somewhat inferior. 

 Fruit Trade Journal has believed that earlier estimates were 

 far in excess of the jDrobable yield, and its reports have been 

 more or less to that effect, which present information tends to- 

 con firm." 



It will be seen that while there will be plenty of apples of 

 ordinary quality, there will be no surplus of fine fruit. Pears 

 sold at auction in Chicago realized, for Doyenne du Comice, 

 $2.85 ; Bartlett, $2.50 ; Beurre Clairgeau, $1.85 ; and Winter 

 Nellis, eighty-five cents per box. Prunes: Italian, $1.25 ; Pe- 

 tites, $1.65 ; and Silvers, $1.60 per crate, which certainly are 

 most satisfactory figures. It will be observed that the Doy- 

 enne du Comice brought the highest figures, and they gener- 

 ally do. This pear does not receive the attention it should, 

 as it is unquestionably the finest pear grown today ; the tree 

 being a healthy, vigorous, upright grower. 



Notwithstanding the "bearing" of the market on the part 

 of evaporated prune dealers, there seems absolutely nothing 

 to warrant it. We know that Europe will have to import, 

 instead of exporting, as heretofore, and that the Eastern mar- 

 kets are depleted ; hence the figures offered seem very low. 



ORIENTAL MARKET. 



When I stated a year or more ago that we should reach out 

 for this market, the advisability was called into question, but 

 that there is a market there for fruits is evidenced by the fact 

 that importations of fruit have been made in 1898, towit : 

 British East Indies, $12,346 ; British Australasia, $260,611 ; 

 other Asiatic possessions and Oceanica, $147,151 ; Hong- 

 Kong, $67,718; rest of China, $23,761; Japan, $22,713. 

 Here are markets which should be cultivated and developed, 

 and are i^ractically our own, especially for our fine apples and 

 Italian prunes. The evaporated product of this prune is too- 



