Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 282, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1913 — CHINESE WERE TOO EAGER [ARTICLE]

CHINESE WERE TOO EAGER

How Too Much Haste Spoiled Their Trade In Walnuts With This Country. Tien Tsln. —The principal decrease in the trade of this port with the United States was in the item of Manchurian walnuts, exports of which decreased by over $120.00 in 1912 as compared with 1911 i The reason for this is interesting. Inquiry for these walnuts from the United States began in 1910. The demand In 1911 was very heavy—so heavy that orders from the United States could not be filled, and In the beginning of 1911 the merchants In Tien Tain sent Chinese buyers throughoutout the reglbn of production to purchase the crop before it was ripe for delivery. The Chinese, eager to realise the decreased prices, threshed the nuts down from the trees while the kernels were still in. the milk and threw them on the market as early as possible. As the nuts yrere not ripe, in many cases the nulls adhered to them

ans had to be torn off by hand. This left stains on the shells and some chemical preparation containing sulphuric acid was used to bleach the exterior. This found Its way at the joint between the two halves of the shell and often injuriously affected the kernels. Then, many of the kernels being in the milk, dried up, leaving nothing but the black skin in which they had been contained, while those at a greater stage of development decayed. The net result was great losses on the part of the merchants who had engaged in the trade without taking proper precaution? as to the quality of the nuts which they were shipping, while the buyers In the United States, bitterly disappointed and suffering severe losses, abandoned the trade..