90 



PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



same number was disposed of to-day. We have made an effort to get the consensus of 

 opinion among the trade as to the competition of Almeria with California grapes. 

 Without a single exception we have found that the dealers much prefer the California 

 product, if in good condition. This has always been our opinion, and we have recently 

 advised the shippers of California Tokays that although receipts of Almerias were heavy, 

 good California grapes have always, and will continue to have, the preference with the. 

 trade. Many of the large dealers here have informed the writer that consumers gen- 

 erally have shown a great preference for California fruit." 



From Pittsburg: "Replying to your inquiry as to the effect of the sale of Almeria 

 grapes on California grapes, we would say that after studying the matter over carefully 

 we have come to the conclusion that the trade here prefer good California grapes in 

 good condition to the Almeria. We regret to say, however, that much of the offerings of 

 California stock this year 'have run to fruit in poor condition. People on this market 

 in our opinion much prefer the California grape to the imported one, and this state" 

 ment is borne out by what the trade will pay for Californias in good condition in com- 

 parison with what they will pay for the imported goods, and if the condition of all 

 California grapes being offered was as good as the Almerias being sent here the imported 

 article would not have as much standing on this market as it enjoys at the present time." 



From St. Paul: "The trade here will not take Almeria grapes as long as there are 

 good California grapes on the market. We believe there never have been so many 

 Almeria grapes on this market as there are at present, and there have been fewer sold 

 up to the present time than any previous year." 



From Boston: "California versus Almeria grapes. It is our opinion that while the 

 trade here prefer Tokays, as well as Cornichons and Emperors, in good condition, to 

 Almerias, it is nevertheless true that on account of the long time in transit, which 

 makes Tokays, especiall}', arrive in such poor condition, a great many orders from 

 interior New England points, which would have been placed for Tokays, have been 

 switched over to Almerias. Many California grapes that have arrived here lately 

 have been in poor condition. They are not fit to go away on orders and have to be 

 absorbed by the local trade. If the railroads would get these cars to Boston in from 

 eight to ten days instead of from fifteen to twenty, there is no doubt but what the Cali- 

 fornia grapes would receive the preference at all times and there would be very little 

 demand for Almerias, and there would be less and less imported as time goes on." 



Now these expressions, as I said before, are typical ones, and they all 

 go to show that if we are to expand our distribution beyond the require- 

 ments of local markets at places of receipt we must get them there in 

 the very best condition. 



I have no hesitancy whatever in declaring that if our grapes could 

 have been transported this year on a seven-day schedule to Chicago and 

 a nine-day schedule to New York we would have received $250 per car 

 more than we did receive for the product shipped ; and while the time 

 on many of the shipments has been gpod, on other shipments it has 

 been very, very bad, and on the long-time shipments relatively the 

 greater amount of money is lost or not received on account of the con- 

 dition of grapes on arrival. 



The average time on grape shipments this year from shipping points 

 has been about twelve days to Chicago and common points and sixteen 

 days to New York and common points, while we have had cars fifteen 

 to sixteen days to Chicago and twenty-one to twenty-two days to New 

 York. 



When grapes go forward in first-class cars and are well iced and given 



