CASING OF FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 11, 13 July 1931, Page 11

CASING OF FRUIT

NEW ZEALAND TIMBER

AUCKLAND MILLS READY

(By TolDflrapli.) • (Special to "The Evening Post."). AUCKLAND, This Day. ■During the approaching apple, export season practically all the Auckland shipments will be packed in cases mado in Iho Auckland district. During the Jast four or five years most of the eases have been imported from Canada or ■Hio United States, owing to the inability of the Auckland sawmillers to supply suitable cases at a competitive price.

• Several .mills in the Auckland pi'ovinco have now installed improved /band saws, and planing machines, and aro seasoning the timber before the final process of cutting and dressing is carried-out. Samples hay been shown to .local orehardists of cases in 'which the cutting is equal to that of imported cases. The timber used, kahikatea and pinus insignis, is not as suitable as the imported hemlock,, but if tho pinus is well dried, free from knots, and kept clean, it provides a case ; suitable for the. purpose.

Last year the imported cases cost the growers abouj; 80s a hundred at Auckland, plus 2.88 cl a case duty, which was refunded oh. the export of the case. This season the duty has been increased to -nearly 5d a case. ■ Tho .local-, fy-inade .cases vary.in -cost' from-. 75s to Bps 3 hundred, less 5 per cent.,.according to ■ quality and tho district', of :manufacture. Supplies are being distributed from mills at Manunui, Frankton, Morningside, Helensvile, and JVhangarei. , •

■ Aa at least 120,000 cases will .be needed this season, it will mean that approximately £5000 will be spent in the Auckland province, tho greater proportion in wages.: ". j ■In^addition to cases needed for exporting apples and pears, large quantities of cases are needed for all fruit sold in ,tho Dominion, and the case trade is bepo'mmg a > valuable one to the sawinilling industry.