WHY FRUIT RETURNS ARE UNSATISFACTORY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 67, 19 March 1915, Page 9

WHY FRUIT RETURNS ARE UNSATISFACTORY.

SOME POINTS ON MARKETING. | A walk -through the markets any \ morning would bring home to perhaps ' 50 per cent of onr growers the real truth j as to why the returns they get for their I fruit are so often unsatisfactory, says a i writer in the " Sydney Daily Telegraph." Orchardists must realise that the two i most essential points in their business are to grow good" fruit and to handle it in such a manner as will obtain its true j market value. The first is not very hard to do —even an amateur, with a I little previous experience, can manage i that partj but the second is a different matter. Growers who have been consigning for years still stick to old methods rather than give in to the newer ideas. Although time and systems have I changed, and the buyer*-, demand the most for their money, these growers i have not allered their methods in the slightest degree. The first care with regard to successful marketing commences in the orchard when picking starts, and knowing w-hen to pick. Although the latter may seem absurd to some growers, it "as surprising ! to see the enormous amount of fruit ; sent to the tips weekly through the fault of picking at the wrong time. Stone ' fruits suffer more in this respect than the pip varieties, intone fruits should he .picked when well coloured, but firm. It must be handled very carefully, and not dropped into the picking boxes, as is done in a great many orchards. The sooner growers realise this necessity the better, as fruit which is bruised immediately it leaves the tree cannot possibly reach market in a satisfactory condition. After picking come grading and packing. This is w-here most of the trouble arises. Complaints are heard on every side, both from buyers and sellers, about the care lessness of the growers in not grading . their fruit. Plums, apricots, and other small fruit would certainly take a little i longer to prepare for market if thpy j were to be graded, but the extra time ; is a mere detail compared with the re . suit. Recently a consignment of apri cots was sent to a local agent, which. I when opened up. were so mixed that the best price offered was 3/ per box Upon being graded by the salesman, two | boxes containing the small ones were sold at 2/ each, while the remaining seven boxes realised 7/ per case. This is only one example of what grading means to the growers. There are dozens . of similar consignments being sent in i daily, which the salesmen have to sell , for what they can get. as they have not | the time to grade them for the growers. Windfalls should be kept by themselves, and sold as such. When they are mixed with freshly picked fruit they show up conspicuously. and the result is that the fruit in that particular box will all he classed as windfalls, and sold as such. This is another reason why j some gTowers cannot obtain full market prices. iNo stone fruit will carry as well i ag pip fruits: therefore, extra packing precautions are necessary. The fruit 1 must be packed firmly, and on no account allowed to roll after the lid has been nailed on. It" so it is sure to buruisc as the carters from the boat or rail are not as careful as the grower is with re- i pard to the handling, the capes at tne 1 same time receiving severe treatment, j As a safeguard a little wood wool placed in the bottoms and tops of the boxes gives good results. ' (Another point overlooked hy many growers is the strength of the cases. In nearly every instance, after the oases have been received from the maker* it is necessary to put in a few extra nails j to prevent them from bursting open i while being handled. No matter what ' class of fruit is being sen* to market, no i case should leave the orchard without j first being lined with a piece of plain ■ white paper. This shows up the fruit to j the best advantage, and third grade fruit should receive just as much attention in this direction as the first quality. The use of old newspapers, as is custom ary with many growers at present, must be strongly condemned. All new boxes are now being used, and the use of newspaper does not in any way improve the appearance of the fruit. Large quantities of peaches and nectarines are now arriving in half-hushel cases, many of which -when opened are found to be from on" to two inches below the surface of the box. This mere detail, as some growers are likely to call it. is a serious matter, as it takes off at least 2/ of the value which would be received if the fruit had opened up flush with the top. A simple way to rectify this mistake, i* to nail on the lid, and remove one side of the box. Place the fruit in rows: if any packing is needed it may be put in behind the rows as they are placed. When full, press firmly. , without bruising the fruit, and nail t.ie side on. If this is done, the boxes must open up satisfactorily. Although not . sold by the pound, the weight of a case of fruit goes a long way in helping to dispose of it. The "false" pack ha.> : had its day. and if a buyer is caught ; . once he is careful not to be caught by that brand again, and also warns his i friends t,o look out for it. So growers ' I when they know this, should be careful. It is easy for a hrand lo get a had name, i . and once it gets it the fight is* to get ' back the confidence of the buyers. In some cases a small space is left at j either end of the boxes when packed. Do not place a smaller grade of fruit.to till this up. as it the appearance of dishonest packing. If anything is re quired at all. a small piece of packing should be used. Truit which has to travel any dis I tance is all the better for being wrapped Jin thin tissue paper. This prevent* , bruising to a certain extent, and gives : the fruit a better appearance on being opened up. Pears should he so packed ' that the stalks do not stick into and injure the fruit beneath. This may be . averted by packing on a slight angle; \ the stalk then rests almost flat, and does not pierce the under ones. If packing j ' bushel cases it is necessary to fill them so that the top layer of fruit is about ' half an inch above the top of the box. \ This is gently pressed before the lid is ■ nailed on, and prevents the fruit from rolling about in the boxes. On no a<---1 count rub the natural bloom off the fruit before packing, as it spoils its ap--1 pearance. and unless the fruit is covered C with spray do not attempt to wipe or polish if.