34 



Annals of Horticulture. 



few carloads of California fruit at the high prices, paying 

 spot cash for their purchases. The outcome of that season's 



who loaded up with high priced stock, and were compelled 

 to carry it over into the season of 1891, incurring a heavy 

 loss, owing to a sharp decline in prices. A carload of 20,000 

 pounds of bleached peaches at 20 cents per pound would 

 cost the purchaser just $4,000 f. o. b. cars. Now add $300 

 for freight to the east and other charges, and we find that 

 the eastern buyers parted with large sums of money that 



"The low prices and slow market of 1891 may be largely 

 attributed to the high prices and heavy losses sustained 



fruit:? a carloa d of fancy bleached peaches — crop of 1890 — was 

 sold in New York for 32 cents per pound, spot cash. The 

 market commenced to decline rapidly, and during the spring 

 of 1 891, that same car of peaches was resold down to 10 

 cents, and finally the remainder of the car was closed out at 

 9 cents per pound. The purchaser of that carload of Cali- 

 fornia bleached peaches lost $4,600. We cite this case to 

 illustrate how extreme high prices are damaging to the future 

 of our dried fruit trade ; for with prices at high pressure 

 there is sure to be a reaction, and when it sets in, the trade 

 is paralyzed, so to speak. 



"The green fruit crop of 1891 was very abundant, and 

 everything looked favorable for a good market and good 

 prices. Growers, mindful of the high prices realized during 

 1890, dried large quantities of fruit, naturally expecting a 



opened dealers were carrying large stocks of high-priced 

 goods, whirh they were unable to dispose of except at a loss. 

 The high prices necessarily demanded by retailers had largely 

 restricted consumption, and prices naturally suffered a serious 

 decline. Under these conditions eastern dealers did not care 

 to take further chances in the purchase; of California dried 



high-priced fruit of 1890 pass into consumption. Owing to 

 this waiting policy on the part of ^ the eastern buyers and 



