STORAGE OF FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 81, 6 April 1933, Page 13

STORAGE OF FRUIT

ENGLISH DISCOVERY

EFFECT ON NEW ZEALAND

English chemists who. were, recentlycarrying out research work designed to facilitate the storage of fruit in.transit from outlying parts -of the -Empire to England, made a discovery, which if applied, is likely to have a serious effect on the apple export trade of New Zealand, according to Mr. B. D. Martin, an English business man wl\o is visiting Christ-church (states "The Press"). ..." ..,,. * ' When the research workers in England were experimenting with the cool storing of fruit some of the results ol»----tained suggested that it might be possible to store English-grown apples for long, periods, said Mr. Martin, who has grown fruit as a hobby for many years in Essex, and who can be regarded as something of an expert. This would mean that home-grown apples of the best quality, and of the most popular varieties, would be available at a time when the New Zealand apples were arriving, Mr. Martin added, an^ in fact, would assure practically an all-the-year-rbund supply of tho best local apples for the English market. The findings.of tho research workers had not yet been published, he said, and after that it would remain to be seen ■whether the discovery was applied; but it would probably be some time— perhaps ten years—before such a scheme could be working on a scale large enough to interfere with the present apple trade. SUGGESTION TOR GROWERS. Mr. Martin said that it had been suggested to the English growers that they should give up growing the keeping varieties of apples, which were not popular at any time on the Home market, and concentrate oa producing the nicer varieties, such as Cox's Orange Pippin, which could be kept in storage without loss of quality (if tho hopes held out by tho recent discovery were realised), and placed on the market when tho demand arose. The fruit industry had greatly extended in recent years in England, and there was still room for extension, MrV Martin said. There was plenty of suitable land in Essex, Kent, and Worcestershire, with a fair climate, and good soil, which could grow any amount' of tho popular varieties. These included Cox's Orango Pippin, a now apple, Monarch, James Grieve, Worcester Pearmain, and another variety known as Charles Ross. Three of these (the Peannains, Pippins, and Charles Ross varieties), would probably be the most suitable for use in tho long storage schemes which had been suggested.