PASSION FRUIT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 287, 28 August 1908, Page 3

PASSION FRUIT.

A TRADE,WITH,LONDON. The fruitgrowers of New Zealand, which grows excellent 'passion' fruit, will be'interested in the following report received by the Now South'..Wales -Minister for Agriculture; from his Agent-General in_London regarding a shipment of<passion fruit sent to London early this yfl'ar:— ' " I have-the honour, to state that, as advised in your letter of May 18, the five cases of passion fruit ex Ormuz were delivered here on July 1, and while they arrived in far letter condition than the previous'.shipment, still they were not marketable.- - "In each of the five cases more than half of the shells of the fruit were decayed, and while the inside of even some of . these were of fairly good- flavour, it 'was evidently impossible to do'anything-with them commercially. I had tho five cases unpacked and carefully picked' over, -'and the .result # was that nearly two i sound-cases were obtained: Mr. Preedy con suited a - large ■ retail fruiterer, - Mr. Tiffen, of Cannon Street;' and others. Mr. Tiffen .gavo':-the- highest; offer;' and - said the repacked- fruit' • would be worth'los.' per case to him, but I thought it better to use it for exhibition purposes, and therefore did not sell. Mr. Tiffen, who: deUls' largely, in fruit novolties', says there'is always a sale for a few cases 'of this fruit among his clients, although' it is' difficult to get the general public to try it. He is of' opinion that it would generally fetch about 10s. per case of 400 on wharf, London, and that about 10 cases per week could be readily disposed of, while he thinks a larger demand would gradually be created. _ ■ ... "As regards the conditions under which :'the fruit was carried, the Orient Company advise me ; that all the recent shipments of e passion fruit have been carried under conditions as nearly alike as possible, and, as the condition of the fruit on arrival has been so unequal they feel confident thatthe cause of this must be: looked for further afield. In their opinion, when the fruit is of so delicate • a nature the manner of packing and the condition at tho time of shipment are factors which practically ' determine the ultimate quality. The f£ct that in the samo cases some fruit was sound and some unsound makes it very difficult ,to assign the causo of condition on arrival, which seems to depend largely upon the state the fruit is in when packed. The wrapping of the fruit in oil paper is not looked upon with favour here: but doubtless you have'made local tests, and found this is the best-way of keeping it."