THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10219, 13 December 1893, Page 2

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT FRUIT EXPERT. At a well-attended meeting of ihe Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association, held lash evening in the room? of the Agricultural and Pastoral Amioclat 00, Mr Blackmore, tho Government fruit expert, delivered an add;e*i u;o > nett r< rei«t - ve. to thofrait inlusory in Now Z-aland. Ho spoke of the storage and i-hipmeat of fruit and its conveyance to England. It 'bad been suggested that an experimental shipment should ne made to sue if it was.possible to 1 send fruit Horne without carrying it in the cool chambers of the steamers. The chief requirement; were dry tie (stand the exclusion of lightand heat. Fruit th«t had been cooled down would always sweat if brought into warmth again, but if kept continually cool it would keep for an unlimited length of time. The essential principles necessary for the preservation of fruit were that it should not be exposed to variations in temperature, and that it should always be kept perfectly dry. Ventilation was a secondary consideration in comparison with coolness. The chief difficulty of shipping fruit outside of a cool chamber was the maintenance of a uniform temperature. The fruit had to be kept in one condition the whole time, or it would suffer. It must not be subjected to any change of temperature, as such quickly induced decomposition. If the fruit sweated at all and it was allowed to stay in that condition, decay would quickly pet ia, and it would sweat it .cooled first and ihcu allowed to come into r. warmer temperature. Cooling works had been established for the laat ten years, where the fmit wa'a thoroughly dried and all the latent heat extracted. The fruit - thus prepared was placed in chambers of the same temper ature and transported to the market. When unloaded it was carefully restored to the conditions of the outside temperature. Ho left tho matter to discussion, and he was authorised to say that the Government ‘would give assistance to a reasonable extent to any practical scheme for the advancement of tho fruit industry. He would mention the matter or tho import, of fruit into the Colony, which be dared say the Association would discuss. In 1892 the sum of -£67,610 had been sent out of the Colony for fresh fruits, £11,237 of which had gone to Tasmania for apples; -24304 had been sent away for bottled and cinned fruits, and £9863 for dried fruits, exclusive of raisins and currants, and £132 for fruie pulp, Mr Wilding, who occupied the chair, explained the matter for discussion, and asked if any gentleman present had any scheme to propose which, with the assistance of the Government, could he carried out. It cost 7s a case now to land fruit at London. Tasmania had this season 2,000,000 bushels of apples, and only 9000 bushels were destined for the London market. > Mr Blackmore mentioned that the London market had been spoiled last year by bad fruit being placed on it, Mr Sis?on eald it was a most peculiar thing that New Zealand struggled to send her fruit to London while she imported such large quantities from neighbouring Colonies. Why not apply our energies to keeping the Colonial market to ourselves? Mr E. T. York said he considered that the Colonial market should be protected. We could not compete with Tasmanian apples, and we should keep our fruit here and try to protect it. There was now a growing market for apples in the cider manufactories. Mr Blackmore said that Now Zealand could grow apples of just as line a quality as Tasmania, Mr York moved—" That the Government be petitioned to place a protective duty upon bananas and apples.” Mr Gimblett eald that Tasmania had practically seized the London market. Ho thought that Id per pound duty upon all imported fresh traits, including bananas, and la per case on oranges, would have a beneficial result. This would give £14,000 revenue and would only really cost the consumer about £2OOO, as the shippers -would have to pay the rest. He spoke of the codim moth being introduced into the Colony, and exhibited a grub which, he had obtained out of an apple contained in a case from Sydney. The Chairman said everyone was thankful to the Government for its offers of assistance, but it was evident that the meeting considered that it would be better to find a market within the Colony than to attempt to export the fruit. The whole subject of duty, if relegated to a subcommittee, could he discussed and the proposals put into intelligent form. A resolution was carried expressing the opinion that the duty upon imported fresh fruits should be increased. A Bub-Committee, consisting of Messrs Murphy, Siesoa, • Gimblett, York and Wilcdng, was appointed to take the matter • of a protective duty on fruit into consideration, and reduce their ideas to writing. A discussion tcofc place concerning blights and pests. Mr Murphy spoke of the various matters that had been mentioned during the meeting, and discussed the question, of cider manufacture. The Chairman referred to, the cider businesses now being carried on in Christchurch, and spoke of the proposed acquisition by a company o£ the Stjx Cider Factory. Plant would cost about £7OO, and no property would have to be acquired. The Company would expend some £ISOO or £2OOO during the first year upon the purchase of apple juice from the orchardisfcs, it being proposed that they should grind the apples in their orchards and sell the juice to the Company. A discussion took place, some of those present, however, considering that the Company should undertake to crush the apples. Mr Murphy moved—" That a Committee, consisting of Messrs Wilding, Sisson, York, Taylor, Wilson and Murphy, be appointed to enquire into and investigate the proposals, and report to a general meeting.” Tho motion was carried, and a vote of thanks to Mr Blackmore terminated the meeting.