When Every Eastern Market Was Swamped: The 1897 Fruit Glut That Broke Northwest Growers

The green fruit situation, judging from the results in the year 1897, is not a pleasant subject to dwell upon. California, at the beginning of the season, sent out reports that they would have but half a crop, and before the season was over they had shipped more fruit, we believe, than they had ever done before in any one season. Five new factors entered into the shipping business: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and Colorado, all with a big crop, and the consequence was that all eastern markets were glutted; too much fruit.

The market was simply unable to take the quantity of fruit that was offered, and cars of green fruit, especially prunes, were held for weeks on such markets as Chicago, Boston and New York, waiting for conditions to change so that they could be marketed for at least the price of freight and icing. The results were disastrous both to the grower and the shipper. A large number of the growers lost their fruit, and the packers who had guaranteed the charges to the railroad company are trying to collect from the shipper the shortages on the freight and icing where the fruit did not sell for enough to cover the transportation charges.

While Oregon, Washington and Idaho had formerly sent east a few cars of fruit, in 1897 there was such a volume from these three states in addition to Colorado and Utah and California that every market was swamped. Whether the results of 1897 will be repeated in 1898 remains to be seen. In our judgment, the Oregon and Washington grower should dry his prunes; he will then not be forced to throw his goods on the market, but can hold for prices that will justify him in raising fruit. Neither packers nor growers made a dollar, in our judgment, except in some few instances, in green fruit shipping to eastern markets in 1897. There is no question but what there is too much fruit shipped east green.

If the foreign markets will justify it, and improved transportation and refrigerator service by rail and water to England and Germany be provided, an outlet can be found for a great deal of this fruit green; but until these improvements are made and equal privileges accorded to all, it will pay better to dry prunes and other fruits. The refrigerator service on the steamships from New York is limited, and space must be contracted for in advance.

In December, Mr. A. F. Carpenter, of Spokane, and myself shipped from Orcas Island the first apples, we believe, that ever went east of the Missouri River from there. We placed cars throughout the east at such points as Cleveland, Chicago and New York. The apples from these islands are unquestionably very fine, but the package used should be made lighter and larger, and fruit should be graded; there is no question but that when the conditions of a short crop east will warrant the shipping of apples from the west coast, these apples, when properly picked, packed and graded, will meet with ready sale. The greenings were pronounced to be larger and finer than any raised east, and mention of these cars was made by both the fruit papers in New York, and out of the New York car, as an experiment, there were sent a number of boxes to London. The fruit was highly spoken of there and we received an order for 30 cars to be forwarded there, but owing to the lateness of the season and fancy stock having been cleaned up, we were unable to continue shipments. The fact that the apples were free from worms, which bother the grower so badly in Idaho and Utah and other shipping points, should, with the fine size that they attain here, in our judgment, make them a good seller in the eastern markets in competition with any western-grown apples.

The boxed apple has not been a favorite with the eastern market; it is hard to get the eastern buyer to change from his old standard of barrels, but there is no question but what a neat, attractive box will be the package of the future. Australia ships to England her apples in boxes, and they bring good figures in competition with barrel goods. With our fancy apples we should build up a market abroad for them if the inter-mountain and eastern markets cannot take them at satisfactory figures.

J. H. HUGHES.