2®° The Canadian Horticulturist. 



NEW YORKICITY AS A FRUIT MARKET. 



^x^^ E have received a very interesting and ably written article 

 from Mr. Francis Wayland Glen, of Brooklyn, on the 

 above subject, which, however, we cannot publish in 

 full, because it advocates political union between Canada 

 and the United States. At the present time we believe 

 that the majority of Canadians, of whichever party, are 

 ^ry^%'y truly loyal to the British flag, and have no desire either 

 J^ for independence or for a closer union with our neigh- 

 boring republic. This, however, will not prevent our shipping our fruit to New 

 York or Chicago markets, if the prices are better than those in Great Britain. 

 We quote a portion of Mr. Glen's able article, referring to New York City as a 

 fruit market : — 



" A few days since, I walked from Broad Street through Exchange Place 

 and at the corner of William Street an old apple woman had just opened a 

 barrel oi prime Northern Spy apples. She was selling them at the rate of 6 cts. 

 each, or five for 25 cts. They were from Vermont. From there I passed up 

 William Street to Wall, and at that corner a man was selling some very fine 

 Easter Beurre pears at the rate of two for 25 cts. He is an old fruit dealer, and 

 told me that he could sell a great fjiajiy of them at 5 cts. each. 



I then crossed from Wall to Fulton, and there purchased 2% prime Florida 

 lemons for 25 cts. and 20 very fine bananas for 15 cts. On the same stand, 

 fine oranges were selling at 16 for 25 cts. 



Near my home in Brooklyn, a grocer had just opened a barrel of very Jine 

 Baldwins. I asked the price and he said $1 per peck. I remarked that the 

 price was very high. He replied that he could sell ten times as many of the 

 same quality at that price as he could get. 



There is not less than 300 good Easter Beurres in a barrel, at 5 cts. each 

 — $15 per barrel ; 300 Northern Spy, of prime quality, at 2)^ cts. each— $7.50 

 per barrel ; 300 Baldwins, at 2 cts. each, is $6 per barrel. This certainly is far 

 better than raising wheat at even $1 per bushel. It will be a long time before 

 the average price of wheat in Ontario will be $1 per bushel. 



Our farmers must study and learn the cost of distribution, as well as the 

 cost of production, not only on this continent, but in all competing countries. 



The reduced prices of farm produce are compelling the consideration of 

 cheaper modes of distribution. Deep-sea canals are to play an important part 

 in reducing the cost of transportation, in the near future. We probably will 

 never see the cost of moving a ton of merchandise 100 miles by railway reduced 

 below 50 cents, whereas it can be moved by water for 10 cents, or less. 



If we take into consideration human power in distribution, as well as animal 

 power and steam power, distribution costs as much as production. In this 



