NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 128, 4 June 1929, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

THE'FIRST OF THE SEASON

(Frwn "The Port's" Repr«i«nt»tlv«.)

LONDON, 12th April. Owing to'weather conditions in New Zealand during the past season, it is evident that the apple crop will not arrive in England this year in the firstclasg condition, they were last year. Some disappointment was caused by the bitter pit to be found in the first shipment by the Port Hobart. ft is now possible', however, to report an improvement in .the iriiit by '.the Port Caroline AMaV/Jh -both these cargoes thei-e /was sligfit fwastage and a little bitter: pit,;but certainly not so. much as inthe Port HoTjai-t apples. ;Most of thb ; '\bitte'r"pit, Ji^ to bij found^jn,;' the; Cftxes, but all. other varieties are affect-! edrto:B6me:extent. ■".;• ;.U■;';-••• .. :' •.

'.-'.. Unfortunately:,, the.: fruit;market.,.at the present: time is geiiefally' depressed. Apples, "oranges,- bananas,- lemons; grapes,, pears,'and onipns'fare'.all affected byvthis'^epressiori.KJlird' piie' sgemsVto be able; to explain .theicausa o£ it.- Jn spite of the slump one:inay. see in the better shpgs New Zeaiandvapples;.beingsold at 2-jd and 3d eac.hj,' and American apples at 5d a lb. .>■■:■£■• ;-:r v: '

Coxes from the Port Caroling ''and Port Alma shipments are- selling Wfrom 18s to 255. All the other varieties—Dunns, AlfristonSj Worcesters, Gravensteins, and a few ; Jonathans—are being sold at about the same range of prices, 13s to 15s. The latter price is rather difficult to obtain.

By the Port Caroline , there, also arrived 104 packages of .Beurre d'Amanli pears. The smaller .ones were -in- half cases -wired, together/ andj. the'-larger ones inthree trays wired.together. This fruit arrived in first:rate "condition,- and the packing was excellent. Moreover, the prices were g00d..: Tho: smaller, pears were sold, at :frpm v7s*to' Bs'per* half: ,ease,,..and/thelarger"o^es/at .'f ronCss to 7s per Way. ""'

It was hoped that it would be possible, for publicity purposes, to have an official opening of the fruit season at New Zealand House. The-intention was to invite Earl> Jellicoe to perform the ceremony > but owing, to the Easter holidays: and the-fact that tho first shipment was not quite up to the mark, the official ceremony had. to be- given iip. The show window lit New Zealand House, however, has been smartly decorated, and the public thereby are being informed, of the opening of the'seasou. Besides the very attractive baskets. of apples, there is a mechanical-device which shows a stream of apples coming from New Zealand, orchards to .thojb.a'skets of the housewives in the- Home Country. This is naturally attracting a great deal of attention. .