THE DRIED-FRUIT TRADE. 591 
_in addition are distributed from points of production to these of con- 
sumption ; these may amount to as much more. Dried blackberries 
are an exception to this, however, as nearly the whole of that trade of 
the Northwest centers at Chicago. The California dried peaches are 
much the most valuable, while dried apples from that State are not at 
all in favor. 
The general trade in dried fruits is not increasing, the demand being 
supplanted within afew years by the great increase of canned geeds 
of all sorts, and, in addition, the States of lowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, and 
other portions of the West, formerly large consumers, are now producing 
enough, or more than enough, for their own consumption. 
The trade from California and Utah is being distributed in larger pro- 
portions than formerly through direct points for the West, thus saving 
something in transportation. 
From the report of the Chamber of Commerce of Cincinnati, for the 
year 1877, the following facts relating to the trade at that point are 
obtained : 
The crop of green apples having been very large in 1876, the supply of 
dried fruits of this kind has been correspondingly large. The market 
in September and October was filled to repletion, the dealers not know- 
ing, with the abundance of green fruit, what was to become ef the ac- 
cumulation. An export demand sprung up in the winter, relieving 
to some extent the market, and preventing prices from going as low as 
_ they would otherwise have done. Still, prices were low, and so remained 
throughout the year. Southern apples were at one time as low as 3 @ 
3} cents per pound, and northern fruit about $ cent higher. The aver- 
age quotations for the year were 4@5 cents per pound, compared with 
10 @ 18 cents in 1875 and 1876. 
The year closed with large supplies of old fruit, with stronger feeling, 
predicated on a light crop of green apples. The new southern apples 
which have appeared have commanded 3$@4 cents per pound. The 
steck of dried peaches at the commencement of last year was light. 
The crop of 1876 was a slender one, and the markets sparingly supplied. 
Still, prices dragged the year through, affected by the poor quality of 
the peaches and by the relatively low prices of foreign fruits. Peaches 
in limited quantities were brought from California and Utah which were 
fair in quality, some of the fruit being singularly sweet and palatable. 
The average quotation for the year was 11 @ 18 cents per pound, com- 
pared with 12 cents in the preceding year, and 8.68 cents in 1874~75. 
The receipts of dried fruits for the year have been 146,501 bushels, 
in comparison with 102,329 bushels in the preceding year. 
Notwithstanding the general business has labored under somewhat 
unfavorable features, the receipts have been exceeded by only two years 
in the history of the business. 
_ The trade in Baltimore, where the first substantial improvements were 
made in the methods of drying fruit, is very considerable. Messrs. 
Wilson, Burns & Co., leading merchants in that city, in a letter to the 
department, state that the amount of fruit received for the season of 
1877, of all classes, was about 4,000,000 pounds, and came from the fol- 
lowing States, viz: 
Pounds. 
NOTING. 5 - scons ona sadn ee eer .seeeel scan eases) ac cSyaccelece cic vt ceuu 500, 000 
Nii CarONn nay cou ee eee ee ees aoe. St cat leewcae cuusae 1, 500, 000 
SROMMESSOE: cin ac atone tek cclemmena> saa aaeinemcate tanepaed Cabwsuecece ena as 1, 500, 000 
Geerpiine 2. Soon eonce ser ks oe ee oe aes saeecatea tee cate eaten cugued woes 500, 000 
POUR ee 26x nanigeeeeckeonnuarniy asa eusataeaaareen ss gad among verern 4, 000, 000 
