14 



ANNALS OF HORTICULTURE. 



from the first: "In the year 1867, the experiment of shipping 

 green fruit by express from California was tried with no very 

 flattering results, as the excessive express rates, in con j notion 

 with the fact that the fruit did not arrive in very good condi- 

 tion, made the experiment a losing one on the part of the ship- 

 pers. In 1868, in the month of November, N. R. Doe, at that 

 time located on Vesey Pier, received one car of grapes and three 

 cars of pears. The grapes consisted of several varieties, but 

 mostly Tokays, and arrived in good condition, selling from $10 to 

 $15 per crate of forty pounds net. These grapes came through 

 by passenger train in a ventilated car, with freight charges of 

 $1,200. 



"The pears were Winter Xelis and Easter Buerre, and 

 arrived in very good condition. They realized from $3.50 to 

 5.00 per box. The pears came by freight train in ventilated 

 cars and were in transit twenty days, freight on same being 

 $600 per car. The result of these shipments afforded sufficient 

 encouragement for shippers to continue with increased consign- 

 ments, and the following year a total number of twelve cars 

 was received. From this time on shipments increased from 

 year to year until the present year, when over one thousand car- 

 loads of this product have been disposed of in New York 

 markets. 



Origin of the Auction System. — "Prior to and during 1887 

 nearly all the California fruit arriving in New York market 

 was disposed of by the firm of Dudley, Clapp & Doe (then 

 located on Yesey Pier) at private sale. Iri the year 1887 the 

 experiment of disposing of California green fruit at auction * 

 was tried by Messrs. Sgobel & Day, at that time agents for the 

 California Fruit Union, and the result proved favorable. This 

 method received the sanction of both shipper and purchaser as 

 the one manifestly fair method of handling this product, giving 

 the shipper the entire benefit of the market at the time his 

 product is received, together with the advantage of having his 

 goods disposed of promptly on arrival, thus avoiding losses by 

 reason of decay attendant upon the slower method of selling at 

 private sale. This system is also of benefit to the purchaser by 

 affording him the privilege of competition and open market, 

 and giving him the benefit of the opinion of his fellow-buyers 

 as to the quality and value of the fruit exposed for sale. The 

 year 1889 ushered in a venture on the part of the Earl Fruit 

 Co. In May, 1891, Porter Brothers Company of Chicago, well- 

 known and extensive handlers for many years of California 



*For an account of the history of the auction sales system, see 

 Annals for 1892, 40, 



