SHIPMENT OF APPLES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 4 October 1927, Page 4

SHIPMENT OF APPLES

PER CANADIAN BRITISHER TO CANADA. AN EXPERIMENT. The New Zealand Fruit Expert Control Board received by the last mail, through the Department of Industries and Commerce, a report on the shipment of apples consigned to the Montreal Fruit Exchange, Ltd., of Afontreal and Toronto, at the latter end of the fruit shipping season. The co-operation of the British Trade Commissioner and the Department of Industries and Commerce of New Zealand was secured, and the shipment was entirely experimental, and the information gained should be of assistance in future years in developing this market. Altogether 792 cases were sent, made up of the following varieties: — Tasma, Dougherty, Statesman, Rome Beauty, Stunners—the shipment went forward on the Canadian Britisher which discharged the consignment at Afontreal, the Toronto portion being railed to that city. The fruit was admitted at tariff rates of 20 cents per box, which is a concession by the Canadian Government as compared with the tariff on the United States fj’uit of 30 cents per box. Of the varieties shipped, Tasma and Rome Beauty were the most popular, as will be seen by the following prices;

It will also be noticed that much better prices have been secured at Montreal than at Toronto. From the account sales forwarded, quite a range of prices in each variety is noticed, but no information is given as to the reason for this, but further information is being sought, as it is anticipated that the size has been one of the principal factors in this variation in price. The above prices are c.i.f. Montreal. Commission and landing charges at-Alontreal are approximately 2/- per ease, excluding the railage cost to Toronto. Commission Hi the Canadian markets is charged at the rate of 10 per cent. The Afontreal Fruit Exchange in a letter to the Department of Industries and Commerce, advised as follows :— ‘Your apple industry can be made a marked success, but in order to do this, the fruit should arrive' about six weeks earlier than this present consignment. We had to encounter imports from the United States from sections as far south as Maryland and Virginia and also fornia had boxed Gravensteins on the market at the same time as these apples arrived. We may say that the Tasma variety would be the most popular. Next in popularity we would state would be Dougherty and Rome Beauty. The Statesman and Stunners wo would not recommend as these varieties showed general weakness and poor colour.” it was recognised in New Zealand when this shipment was being forwarded that the best results could not be anticipated owing to the date of dispatch, namely, 30th May from Wellington the boat finally sailing in early June from Auckland, also owing to the lateness of the season no consignments of Delicious or Jonathan were sent, but from the reports received, it would appear that these two varieties are of the class required on the Canadian markets, and experiments will probably be made with these two varieties next season.

Montreal. Toronto. Tasma . 13/7 10/9* Dougherty ... . 10/5 7/1 Statesman .. 6/8 7/1 Home Beauty . U/7/1 Stunners .... . 6/7i —