THE SOIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 9 March 1912, Page 3

THE SOIL

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY. TAS.MANIAN EXPORT TRADE. (Wl'itton for the "Mail.") Ihe 1 asmauian apple export trade with Homo, is worked in a manner a> near perfect ;-s possible. Taking the work in order from the very beginning, the first duty of the grower is to u-pp.y for spai'f to a shipping agent, giving the number of eases he intends to send that reason. The agents arrange for tiie ]inei« to ciil at Hcbart for the fruit at different time*, commencing the Ist of February, and enanii; sometime iii April. The period between each Bailing is 110 m a wetk to ;v fortnight. The glowers' .shipment is distributed between the boats calling throughout the season, and v.ach grower is ad\ ised <u the space allotted to l.ini in er.eh i:h;pmeni. ll the glower inu-iids to .-rend large consignments of tarlv varieties by the first boats calling, he can arrange with the agent to allow him more space in those boate, or make any such arrangements that suit his requirements. The picking and packing is done carefully. For the English shipments—especially the first two or three boats —the grower round the trees, and only picks enough fruit from his trees to lit! the space allotted to him in the first boat. The fruit picked being. of course, the best. A fresh picking is done for each boat until the crop i 6 matured. The rest of the crop is left on the trees to mature and improve. In working the season's shipments in this way. each boat takes a consignment of fruit that is perfect A week or a fortnight makes a wonderful difference in :ruit at that time of the year, and the ipples that are left on the trees benefit u''>m the thinning The fruit is taken to the apple-hcune. .nspeeted by the Government inspector, who gives a certificate of soiindiicss, *tc.. wrapped and packed. The caees are branded with the name of tLe variety, and "one bushel of sound appiee" is branded on the top, also branded where grown. The inspector's certificate must accompany the fruit, for without ,t the fruit cannot be shipped. It will be seen that in this method of working the English shipments a grader would be useless, and I ver\ much doubt if they are of any use at ail te to the private grower. The Tasmanian orchardist (not the speculative buyer) grades and packs his apples at the same time. The wav most of them work it is this : The trees are stripped of all fruit left after the Engli.-h shipments are away. The apples being picked into buckets and carted to the apple house in case 6. lidded and stacked readv for grading and packing. The lids "being only placed, not nailed. The apples are then tipped into a bin. The bin being made of sacking with a strong wooden frame, with a fide shelf attached long enough to hold three box°« lone wavs These shelves may be attached to all sides, the bin being made square. One side to each packer. For the "n-w -•hum" a tester is made of leather or cardboard with ho'cs in it. the same size' as the three grades, but with a fewhours' practice a packer becomes as expert in grading with the eye as a, carpenter is in telling the length of nails. First and second grades are packed, hut thirds are only shaken down and lidded. The refuse "jams" are thrown into sacks. Each grade is nut in differ ent stacks, and every box is lined with paper before packing, and only hret grade applet are ever wrapped. The advantages of the above method are readily seen. The orchardist dots jll his own work (or has it done unde? h's supervision), fcr which he has plenty of time, as at that time of the year there is nothing els-e to be done. His ls picked ar.d graded to his own satisfaction. The crop at the time of the car.v shipments not ciuite ripe, consequently he can select the most forward and best fruit for each shipment. The flavour of apples that are shinned when perfectly ripe is not as gocd a s the slightly greener apple when it arrives at the London market. The ripe fruit lose a certain ■imount of their flavour on th e voyage, while the greener fruit ripen and im prove 011 the way. The best time to snip apples from New Zealand for the Home market is the end of Januarv or early in February. Later shipments do not command the same prices usually, as they am\e in London"the same time as the early varieties of other fruit arrive from the Continent. „ _ HAMPSON CALDEItS.

MARKETING FRUIT. GRADING AND PACKING. One of the meet important questions connected with the fruit industry, that of grading and packing, is-- .dealt with bv Mr W. A. Boucher, .Assistant Director of the Orchards Division of the Agricultural Department. in his late-st leaflet dealing with the orchard and fruit gaiden. In view of an export trade in apples and nears, at. any rate. Mr Boucher says the general adoption ci of uniform shape and capacitv is most desirable. The degree of perfection attained in the_ handling- of " u '' in other fruit-exporting countries will 110 doubt bo emulated by the growers throughout the Dominion : for it is obvious that, if the best values are to be obtained, the methods of handling the fruit prior to packing, tie grading, packing. and the appearance of the cases when opened up for ?a e, must be equal to those of other fruit-export.ng countries, with tho produce of whici our fruit is likely to com*, into competition in the world's markets, Hru.sine of fruit, either before or whwe packing, is always undesirable, but especially so when the fruit is destined for long-<listance transit in cool storage, for, in the case of 60ine varieties paiticularlv, everv bruise. however slight, becomes a dfstinct blemish, which, even if it does not cause actual decay, detracts considerably from the market value. the best class of trade declining to handle bruised or blemished fruit In th'-- o-athering and packing of fiuit for roof sToraue or export -it 'f , 1111 ' 30 '' 1 ". ant to note that net on.v sliou d e\ei> care be taken to avoid brins'.rn:. but that the fruit should be carifu.ly selected. It mav be as wo 11 to point out . (1) That immature fruit shrivels. (2) That fully ripe aiid over-ripe peaiv have proved a complete failure in ccol app'os. which when ripe are of .-.oft texture, should be eatheicd for cool storage before bceoinmg f ' ll ;- V ' R pe n In the case of the W'l.iaTTw Bon Chretien par dcrlmed for the cool chamber, this variety mrst be Picked green at Ml pb<e«d m the ~ hal^.) tj r f, 6 ,ut„„ as possible alter b-ing gatheld. With regard to apnles :t may be a-xe 1.cd as a irenera! rule that the Ix-t suits ar-.i derived when the fii.t .- < 1.-wed to mature and colour well, bi.t i 'fathered a shade on the greon sde not fully ripe.—"Dominion.