THE EXPORT OF APPLES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 760, 8 March 1910, Page 8

THE EXPORT OF APPLES.

• "■ I. V A COMING ; INDUSTRY. . Although .-New Zealand- is importing fresh and bottled fruit which she could very well grow herself, to the extent of ;.£7f,ono annually,' Mr. T. W. Kirk, head of the Orchards Division of the Department of Agriculture, is of opinion that the Nelson fruit-growers are acting wisely ,iri' endeavouring to open up an export trade. Speaking- at Brightwateij a fewdays ago,-, says a Nelson correspondent, Mr. Ivirk said it was well to remember how the export of- dairy produce had hot only brought enormous .wealth to the .country, but had also greatly improved the-local trade. There was a steady payable price and-the consumer had a better article.". ; . i ' . During his.visit; Mr., Kirk .delivered-two addresses to the growers, one at Nelson and the other at Brightwater. He took withvhim a case of Tasmanian apples with the boards on two sides removed and glass substituted so that the method of packing could .be plainly seen. These cases measure 18; iu'ches, inches by - Bj-inches, inside measurement, and hold just a bushel of apples. The Tasmanian and, Australian growers were now,-Mr.; Kirk said, shipping fruit to Bombay, .Cp* lombo, Stockholm, South Africa,. HongKong, Shanghai, Calcutta; 'Antwerp, Hamburg, - Canada, Singapore, Madras, Bremen, Genoa, Manila, Batavia, Monte Video, Rio,- do Janeiro. . Canterbury .used ,to send fruit to Rio d 6 Janeiro to the value : of yearly, but this was now; being brought across from Tasmania and transhipped into- the New Zealand direct .liners. ' This was an anomalous state,'of things.' ■ _ - .■ ; Speaking of the varieties which should be; exported 'Mr. -Kirk said that only apples known on the 'London market should be,sent. Some j years;ago'a : small New Zealand- consighment-was/offered for sale, and while 'those; varieties-.which were known fetched good'prices, the dealers, were.' shy .'of the others and they went for.'very 'little.' -Only s apples on the following list Were suitable for ■ export, and. of "these," .the first six or- eight would be probably the most important:— Jonathan,: Cleopatra. (or New-York' Pippin),' -Munroe's.-,.Favourite., (or Dunne 's: Seedling),'-Londoii Pippin (or; Five Crown),' Statesman (or ;. Chandler),'jHome , Beauty,' -NewtowhPippin, :• iEsbpus Spitzenb'erg,Eibston; Pippin," Stiirm»r Pippin, Cox's Orange,; Eeinette de Canada,-. Hyi-ner, Ben . Davis,'. King' of 'Pippins,'.yjaldwin, Bismarck, Sealed' Nonpareil, 'Annie Eliza-' beth,': King 'of- Tompkini? .County, Stow Pippin, Adams' PearinalVDu'lhelow's Seedling, and-KcntuckyrEed-Streak.-' >'(vAsv^ti^''lp':''tK£ :: circular, last year tlie guarantee/of a penny-per lb.', net;,on'.all- New.' Zealand-grown,apples "sdld : . inl l'Jurope , has- been 'renewed.. The conditions are -as follow':—(a) That sueli ~shipments .are's approved, by . the' Depart-; 'iilentaLs r officers*; (b); ;that c they... are packed 1 iii the Ta^mah'inii;or'Peacock- export case; ,(c); that'jthb 'tonsignmeiits are shipped in ..'cool:'storage';i : :(d).,rthat* the associations rnakeV.their- own arrangements with - the. shippiug, com'panies aiid 'for tho sale in : London . The Commissioner will .examine".-tlie apples on - their arrival iiv London and; jeport. on their condition; The' shipriieht 'rs > to, ; ''be picked up by the Paparoa.. on March>26. The : Tnsmahi'aii,. iCaSes"* of; ;aj)ples are packed-oii' : theiri sides,' each .box is lined applets' wrapped. -:ini r layer ' is' aSomis* ,'or corrugated 'japer- at-. topVah j* hoftorn, ' but 'others; were soj.exper.t th'eyicould' iill-.-itheir cases exactly;.; The Government is, importing a ; grading machine "'.for sorting out ."apples all'-of - one- : size,-, but' these' machines are going out'of.'.Use iabr6'ad' < 'as- most -of the big' grorfers v 'fihd'-hahd-grading; more- sat-, isfactory.' Still the machine will be there jfpi- erperimehtf, .' ApMes .for export should. "iTfi"'stored in; tne'-'she'd .'seyefiredays' aft?r . , Ixi : Kirk said, that -.'c«ol- - .' W of ,; imnjense "advantage,' bo'tli' , itf'prolonging, the seaso'iV 'for: fruits;-in' the local' market,' and in . holding' fruit' ulitil a" steamer, was avail-; able;: for-1 export'--"'-Experiments' ' by" the Department 'tad' clearly shown- the great advantages- of . cool "storage." : The 'Auckland Farmers-Co-operative'Freezing Com-" pahy:\h'aHs'erc'cted.,a - cool'", store 'for "fruit, and;. wa^'icharging: Jd. per > >; lb. l - for- '.the first month's'storage; and-'i'd.-.'per lb. for veach : was reason ,tb v believe that' when" tlie • quantities'. wete. 'largef these' chargts would' ;be ( reduced! Aske'd whether ' the-jGovernment would 'erect - stores;; or. :h.elp Jthem,:; Mr.Kirk /said'-.growers ;'would/'-'do .well ;firet "discuss -th'eVmatter' oyer tahibng 'theiri-selves-and' M'e' whoit'they could'; do.^ > " i llr. Ivirk said he thought the growers, could enormously assist industry, by., making tho fruitrgrowere'.-associatio'ns real e'e-operative' associations,■ and- affiliating, .theuv so.-a"s to Kave'.a.national federation. .Such an amalgamation would be able'to make ; the''most advantageous ..contracts for' the; purchase of,"supplies and ' could handle the", export .trade to ' the;'inost adHe -had no doubt that', before, many :, years .had gone ' past' the export' of apples'would' bulk largely/in the Dominion's oversea trade'.-,- ', , :; ■