AUSTRALIAN GRAPES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 108, 30 January 1908, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN GRAPES.

T ' & THE FIRST SHIPMENT., A READY SALE. ■ rThc . first shipment --pfv Australian-grapes -m. arrived from Sydney by , the - terdp.y In.-all .there were-25(f cases,and ;: '1 each case contained 201b; ' Tlioy were brought -'i across m ;a cool;, chamber: at:.a.-,temperature i of. 45 : degrees.. .The iconsignment amongst tho.. first of-, the .Wimmera's .cargo<: unloaded, and early in.tho.forcnoon tho ( ! - inspectors. wero.. busy lin ■ their sheds - going. sw through an. odd case hero'' and * there for---^ t disease.', Tho grajjos wero . of,''the.:muEcat" variety, luscious, but small -in . berry- They vj oamo from West Maitlaud, New South Wales They ,woro badly jpaoked, and had | evidently • been consigned •; lb -a v hurry. The •' i Exhibition shipment camc packed '.in :granu-' latcd cork, which, absorbs.n|6isturo : and , 'prft-"' vents contamination wlierp j sonio of* the - borries are over-ripe; but m this mstanoe the bunches were simply, placed ;fono on :top-:of - 1 tho, othor;-Somo were bruised) 1 .- and several had <" sweated,"■,and- blood-red. juico lay on;--the bottom of the- boxes. yA oxamina-v vl ; tion failed-to roveal .any trace 8f phylloxera; o- . •and: m->a -little-, time lorries iiverVeartmg' ttie : • cases off to the fruit marked © At tho Fruit Markets. | / ' <j Here European and-.; Chinese ■; shopkeepers stood grouped - about, 1 as: usual,, waiting' for ' ■ the Sale to coiiimcnce. ■ Street bari-ow-men I wore: alsd present.<, More: than>ordina:ry i in- •- ! . terest attached to • tho •. little' square eases • as-',' I they arrived and wero. piled , up'waiting to .: bo • ottered Under- ; the • I hammer. . r Tho v auctioneers also were .curious ias to . tho re- ■ ception/ of this first: venture. :; Four or' r five' .', of tho'firms had-received consignments, but ; i one or two wero. waiting.-,for-the-Adelaide i JRpment; which is to arrive next* week:h-- - : Ono auctioneer knocked down his first case » at Od. per lb. Then; tho'.prico gradually . lowered arid fluctuated between.4d. and bd. - - 1 - "What's the good, of, us;buyingcried ' s . | an elderly man m the crowd.(government ! won't lot us get more, than 6d. in the shops -i for tliom 1 15 ' " You: can tako it fromimo.you're out of ■; <. it," retorted: the auctioneer.! You can ask : . , ■ aily,thing for them j ls.i. 6dJ if you hko.< - The i sooifcr.; you got that idea '.out of your head - i tho better." .- *y ■ ; WhepTW'w,'-'; whistled.' 1 thoi; man,;, and •. .i promptly.,bid for a case. I . 1 Tho grapes sold readily,-',though there, was not' the Seen bidding-;'expcctfd,Nof a. first-.. . j shipments The highest iguro obtained by ' ! ono firm wqs - 7jd.- per.' ll: t - anJr the ' lowest ,1 5d.: Another 1 auctioneer j got bids ranging ~-i -from Sjd. to Bd./and.aihird.from-4id. up. . { to Gd. - There was no cbubt the- shipment j was rushed at Sydney ;|tho boat' left two •• ,-i days - aftjjr tlie feccipt of-a cables announcingtho. removal of "the prohiitio'nj.andthj) ex-. porters would have little time to: secnroiany. ;. but stock on hand in thojfruit markets. Tha- • fruit, came packed as -it |\vas for tho Sydney : market; Some of tho^lpxes..wore stale and', i had probably,;been -onijhand l a.-few., days: ! Special; methods will; hart, to be adopted in regard to packing if ;thd grapes are to reach 'here iii '-a - condition W; attract ' the. public. ■ > Unless they comparo-with tho New Zealand .:. -. ■ grapes; people will prefjr. to pay the- higher r ! price and tako-., tho .lupenor.v.fruit. -„Tho ' fruit, firms, howover, stite that, the Adelaide ■ >■ shipment, a largo one. ivill compnso thß best grapes, and they: willj be properly, packed. •• It may; bo considered vihat; yesterday's shipmerit is not a fair-saiiple l of ,tlio Austrahan grapes to bo.-received |m the future, though certainly many of the ptlnches were very fine! ■'Some wore-.exceptionally. good; • and , soma were very pooc," was' the statement of one • auctioneer. No doulij, as the result'of this experiment,, tjie hrnp iat. this end will be able to send-somo villuable, hints to shippers as to tho requirements.hero and methods of 1 shipping. ■\ Prices and Profits. | ' i It, is yesterday's: experience, that .the grates,: irrespective of-their own cost and tho itost of paoking, can ba landed at a shade under 3d."per lb., so that the first : 6hipmeiitj'should. : 'pay;„>oll. The majority-of, "the- friiit - shops; in .< town 'were closed yesterday afternoon;-biit '." Australian > . Grapes. First shipment, 6d; per JW and 3d, Ser 1b.," was a placard observed in one ,"win- ; i ow.' This placaiil m.iy' be 'altered when barrow competitioh comes along,- and placards go up in pther shops , to-day. Ono barrownian, at> leistjhbought J >ly yesterday.- ■ -.-,- .'' -".'ij ; ;v"-V , Up to-the present' A'acklund. jiiid: Nelson . grapes havo . sold (at the local fruit markets at Is. 3d. per lb! : Yesterday morning some . capital - lots were offered arid.,could only bring B{d. and-.'9}d. Buyors wore/holding off in view of the Australian arrivals. This would indicate {hat the price of the NewZealand article liviU suffer in the competition. I . • One .lot of yesterday's consignment had to • be held over bj the friiit inspector at ,the wharf, owing to the absence of a certificate •, guaranteeing tjem freejfrom phylloxera.