Fruits, Vegetables and General Interests. 



21 



expected when crops in excess of ordinary demands are grown. 

 With an increase this year of nearly 100,000,000 bushels in 

 production, the aggregate value of the crop is less than that 

 of last year by perhaps $20,000,000. It is a fact which our 

 farming population must learn, that the surplus produced 

 above requirements always acts powerfully in depressing the 

 value of the whole crop. This small fraction is made to regu- 

 late the values for the aggregate product." 



The Tomato is yearly becoming more important, and it gives 

 promise of becoming the most prominent crop of the vege- 

 table-garden. Not only is the consumption of the fresh fruit rap- 

 idly increasing, but the amounts of packed goods grow larger 

 year by year. The largest tomato-regions are probably those of 

 Maryland and adjacent areas, and southern Illinois. Tomato- 

 culture is gradually extending in all parts of the world, even 

 in Japan where the fruit has always met with an indifferent 

 reception. London markets have received consignments this 

 year from the Canary Islands. The fruits are packed in boxes 

 holding from three to four pounds, and they sell at from seven 

 to ten pence per pound. It is said that the production of Tomatoes, 

 tomatoes, potatoes, peas and other vegetables for the English 

 markets is coming to be so profitable in the Canary Islands 

 that some of the older types of farming are being abandoned. 

 The tomato crop of southern Illinois is the subject of the fol- 

 lowing editorial comment of the Fruit Growers' Journal for 

 August 15: "The tomato-season is drawing to a close in 

 southern Illinois ; about ten days will close the business for 

 this year. The acreage of tomatoes was so large, that with 

 only a moderate yield the total was large. Sixteen carloads 

 was the largest single day's shipment from this place [Cobden] . 

 The gathering-season has been one of strife and hurry. A 

 good peach and apple crop coming on at about the middle of 

 the tomato-season, and the raspberry and blackberry crops 

 coming with the first half, have together made this the most 

 exciting tomato-season seen in many years. The prices real- 

 ized for tomatoes have not been such as to discourage large 

 plantings next spring. Early pickings paid well, and the prices 

 gradually ran down to the point when the shipments were the 

 heaviest, when for three or four days Chicago shipments paid 

 very little above expenses. Heavy shipments to other cities 

 at once relieved the Chicago market of its burden, when 



