FRUIT TREE PRUNING.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 63, 15 March 1911, Page 6

FRUIT TREE PRUNING.

(By A. E. McComas, in the Motueka Star.)

PACKING FRUIT FOR EXPORT

It has been pointed out before that the man who will make the most (financial) success of fruitgrowing must attend to the "commercial" as well as the "practical" part of the business. It is not enough to know that you ©an grow good fruit, if you do not dispose of it when grown to the best advantage. It is not intended, however, in this article, to deal fully with the advantages of export as a means to that end. Surely no grower would advance an argument against it. Look at the gigantic fast increasing apple export business that Tasmania has established. A similar example has been shown us by Australia. It has proved the most successful "safety valve" and profitable source against overproduction and glutting of local markets. Knowing this, can New Zealand growers afford to. lose these advantages? Should it not be the aim and object of every grower of any consequence to help and do all in his power to assist, by this means, in making fruitgrowing one of the primary industries of the Dominion. What other part of New Zealand can equal for quantity of land planted (in apples and pears) crops produced and quality of fruit the Nelson and Marlborough districts? If so, it should be from that direction we must ex-pect-the support which is to pioneer a movement which, without doubt will increase and succeed. Seeing that export has been such a "leading feature" in Australia and is at pre-; sent "in the air" here I am inclined to afford my readers information respectine; the methods and conditions generally observed there in this article. It is not intended to "lay down any law," or interfere in any way with the practices prevailing here. To make a success of any work there are certain points we must know, and then observe them. Tt is with these matters I, am going to briefly deal. THE KEYNOTE. Pack nothing but tEe choicest fruit, grade evenly, pack full cases and pack them * honestly throughout in the endeavor to establish- and- maintain a profitable oversea market. Inferior, badly graded', diseased and loosely packed fruit, even only to a degree, often ruins a shipment and injures the reputation of others. It is obvious that it costs just as much to pick, pack, and export inferior fruit, as it does to handle the best. The necessity for growers paying attention to even the smallest points cannot be ,too strictly observed.

VARIETIES. Those suitable for export have, I believe, been already recommended by the authorities; but it will generally be found that those of the best flavor realise the highest price. Which are the best varieties to ship or recommend may be an open question ; but as the district grows Jonathans, Stunners, Cox's Orange and Munroe's Favorite to such perfection, and these varieties have realised such profitable prices in the Enelish and Continental markets of late years, they would be perfectly safe in selecting those as far as apoles are concerned. Judging by prices realised, it has Ibeen found that the sweeter varieties are not favored by the Continental consumers and on that account the Rome Beauty has not been a success there.' With regard to pears, which have of late years realised such profitable and extraordinary prices when exported, there has been shipped among others Vicar of Wakefield, Winter Nelis, Winter Cole, Josephine, Keiffers, , Beurre Slairgeau, Capiamont Bosc and William Bon Cretien; the three latter, however, on account of their soft nature, require special packing and treatment to ensure their arriving; safely. On account of the W.B.C. _ having realised such high prices, it is intended to sEip large quantities to various markets from Australia this season. ,

PICKING, COOLING, GRADING, AND PACKING FOR EXPORT. Picking.—The exact time of picking such fruits as apples and pears can only be determined by actual'l experience. In a general way, it-may' be stated when the pips have changed i from their original light tint to a brown color: but that is not always sufficient. The fruit should be fully developed, but not fully ripe. Some amount of color should be allow.cd to develop in the red varieties of apples, such as Jonathans for instance. Undersized fruit should be left on the tree to develop for later shipments. Gather the fruit in the early part of the day before it becomes warmed1 by the heat of the lun. Fruit should not be gathered unless dry. Avoid all bruising as such is useless for export. Do not shake or drag the fruit from the trees; break it off at the spur-^by pulling, it is often damaged, the stalk torn out and an opening made for the germs of decay to enter. See that from first to last the fruit is handled with the greatest care. , Cooling.—Before packing the fruit should be cooled off and "sweated" "by keeping it a few days in the cool shade of your fruit shed or storeroom. This will give it a chance io get down to the proper temperature, Dry any moisture, toughen the skin and add. to its chances of successful carriage. The importance of this observance cannot be too highly esteemed. Fruit picked warm, wrapped warm, rushed off to the steamer, or allowed to stand exposed to the sun's heat and then suddenly cooled down will start the condensation of moisture and naturally affect its appearance when opened on arrival at its destinatiin. Grading.—Those who have to deal with a large quantity may find the use of a grader necessary; but while these are satisfactory enough, as far as grading is concerned, still the motion of the machine causes a certain amount of damage. (In many parts of the United States and m Canada, the two largest fruitgrowing and exporting countries, grading by machinery has been abandoned in favor of hand grading), When larq;e quantities have to b<* dealt with and time is the essential consideration, a specially constructed slomns; table is the best, so that the fruit will travel towards the operator as he packs. The main points in grading a?'f :—Size, color, and fr^dom froni disease. Uniformity of size and oualitv rieTit tli'xsupb pverv c?se, shnnld be aimp^ at. No "toi>■purr ur>" and no filling in cor«ors wi+h small frnit. The rocker himself is thp only pprso" deceived hv such T>rpctic°s. Grn<lers of am>l<>s am m^tiv denPirdent. on tn« variety beino: <Wlt with. Tho English nmr.^■ftkvmos+iv nvpf^-c; a rroo,^ cl»an. ■•■^edinnv-rfzed fruit. Lr.rge f ru it is

not desirable, but when such varieties as Spitzenberg, Rome Beauty or Munroe's Favorite are" being shipped ■ they may be packed in three sizes 2£, 2f, and 3 inches, while '2£ inch might be packed in the smaller , classes of apples. In pears, usually % nothing less, than 2| inches, except : in such, small kinds as Winter Nelis j are shipped. ' . , Packing.—Each fruit should be j wrapped in tissue paper. A ream i of this paper cut to 10 x 10 inches ; will do about 22 cases. Line each | case with clean white paper. Place I little shavings of wood wool at the bottom and pack the fruit in rows \ lengthways firmly; but not so tight- j ly as.to bruise. Keep every layer uniform in size throughout the case. For convenience tilt the case slightly up while packing, and when the case is- filled the fruit should project slightly above the top of the case. Then put a bag or padded board on top of the fruit and "dump" it gently; this will cause the fruit to settle. Cover the, top with paper shavings or wood wool, fold in the ends of paper lining down over the padding and put on lid by nailing down one side and then gently pressing the other till it is Bat. Pears in trays must be packed sufficiently tight to prevent any possibility of their rolling about so that the stalk of each pear does not damage its neighbor. Other matters, such as cases, branding, loading, etc., are all of useful consideration to exporters.; but as such is, I believe* in the hands .of experts this season, it is nn-> necessary to deal with them.

Three male infants were born on; the voyage of the Ruahine before arrival at Capetown. The first was bom oi 'the-morning of February sth, but died from natural causes three days later. The, second arrived on the afternoon of February sth, and was christened "Robert Ri-ahine." On the following afternoon the third infant came on the scene. While at Hobart three third-class passengers quaffed1 the merry cup not wisely but too well, and were so disorderly that they were placed in irons on boardl the ship. A boy fractured a-wrist-bone during the voyage, and a third-class passenger slipped and broke one of his legs. The Ruiahine berthed at the King's wharf,' Wellington, on Saturday.