NEW ZEALAND APPLES AT SAN FRANCISCO.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7382, 7 August 1889, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND APPLES AT SAN FRANCISCO.

The San Francisco correspondent of the New Zealand Herald writing under date June 29 th says:— The s.s. Zealandia brought from Auckland on her present trip another small lot of New Zealand apples, twelve cases being consigned to Mr Hugh Craig, of the New Zealand Insurance Company, and ten cases to Allison Gray and Co., fruit commission merchants. The reports of the two consignees upon their shipments vary considerably. Mr Craig received two boxes as a present, and these were almost entirely sound. He states, however, that out of the ten boxes scut for sale there there was only one box and a half of sound fruit upon their arrival in San Francisco. These realised 30s, or at the rate of 20s per box, while the expenses amounted to £6 6s, or at the rate of 12s 7d per box of fruit shipped. These figures were given to mc by Mr Craig himself. Messrs Alliscn, Gray and Co. told mc that all the ten cases consigned to them might be considered sound, though of course there were some bad ones, and one or two varieties were worse than others and had better not be shipped. The lot sold at 1-s per box, while the expenses were only 4s 2_d, or 10_d per box. There is a wide margin between receipts and expenditure in the two consignments. Mr Craig made a better salesman with his box and a half this mouth than he did with the consignment he received by the Mariposa. But his expense account has become as extravagant a3 the income in fact proportionally more so. Of the two, the figures given mc by Allison Gray and Co. are the more reliable both as to receipts and expenses. The freight paid was higher by 30 cents per box than the rate now fixed by the Oceanic Company. Deducting this from the amount of costs per oox, as given by Allison Gray and Co., and the total cost per box on the ten boxes would be just 75 cents, or 3s. In my first letter on this subject, two months ago, I started that the cost on a large shipment should not exceed 3s per box, and my estimates are proved correct. Messrs Allison Gray and Co. say that in a consignment of 1000 boxes or more the expenses will be less than 3s, Including their commission of 8 per cent., Customhouse, drayage, freight, &c. The fruit, they say, must not be wrapped in newspapers. It was of good, even size, aud fine quality, and, iv their opinion, there would be no difficulty iv disposing of 1500 cases by each steamer to arrive here in March, April and May. The fruit attracted much attention in the retail markets. I priced some of the apples that I saw in a fruit store opposite the Palace Hotel, and they ■were selling at 6d each—two New Zealand apples for one shilling 1 As a great favor I was given one very small apple for 5 cents. Speaking upon this subject the San Francisco Evening Post says:—" It may almost seem like 'carrying coals to Newcastle' to bring Australian fruit to California, but it has been done, and successfully, too. The first importation was of apples, made upon the suggestion of the Post, and the experiment has verified the prediction made by us some months ago. The Australians have a decided advantage in seasons, being enabled to send fruits here at a time wheu they will have practically no competition, and consequently without working an injury to Californian growers. Of course only " apples and oranges can be brought over, as other fruits would not stand transportation. Trade will grow in this direction, to the benefit of the colonial grower, the steamship company, and our cwn people, who will thereby enjoy this class of fruit all the year round." ■