AUSTRALIAN GRAPES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 24, 29 January 1908, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN GRAPES.

THE INITIAL SHIPMENT. AVERAGE PRICE OF SIXPENCE. A shipment of Australian grapes was inded in Wellington by the s.s. Wimlera to-day. This is the first lot of Australian grapes that has reached the Jew Zealand 'market for many years, 'iere having been a total prohibition, of uem, until last Friday, on account of ,io prevalence in Australia of phylloxera. In all there were 2t)2 quartor-case3 of rap9s in the steamer's cargo. Of this umbor, seventy quarter-cases were coni^ned to Christchurch and ten to Dunem, the balance was for Wellington, fiftyne quarter-cases being consigned to "ownsend and Paul, eighty to George 'hpmaa and Co., forty-four to C. A. friffiths and Co., and, sixty-seven to v*ons; She. The fruit was brought cross in the steamer's cool chamber, 'he general fruit shipment by the leamor was not large, this being what ". known as the "off season" for fruit a Sydney. Several crates of water iclons were amongst the cargo, the reTeinder being principally oranges, smons, etc . The grapes were subjected to a rigid xamination on the wharf by officials if tho Biological Department. At time of The Post going to press, Messrs. Townsend and Paul had not reeived their consignment, but that of Messrs. George Thomas and Co. had •eon sold. Mr. Haybittle, representaive of tho firm, reports that the conignmenfc was not of a irer-y good variety. ?hev wero small black grapes of the vluscat and Hamburg varieties, instead '•f the fine slurry grapes that were ooked for. There was a general feeing of disappointment caused bjr this. Cho shipment waa brought over in the nol chamber of the vessel, and a temlerature of 45 degrees was maintained, tut in consequence, it is stated, of deective packing, a good many of the .•rapes were landed wet. No doubt hesf» defect 3 would be remedied in fuure, foi the present shipment had been .ushed jvway at a day's notice, and there lad been no time for effective packing. Che shipment to Thomas and Co. was .rom West Maitland, N.S.W., and the mces realised ranged from 5d to 7d per b, with an average of 6d. Messrs. Griffiths and Co. report that Ihey had shipment? of black and white ;rapes. They wer6 small and poor. The black samples brought about 10s per sase (6d a pound), and tho white, which vere in bad order,' only fourpence. The prices above quoted will leave a 'mall profit to the grower, but the re:ults are not as satisfactory as they might lave been. Auctioneers estimate that, setter quality grapea would have brought 'rom 9d to 10d a pound to-day.