FRUIT EXPORT PER TAINUI

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8812, 27 February 1892, Page 3

FRUIT EXPORT PER TAINUI

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —If this young industry is to become permanent and profitable to our land, a few hours' inspection of the fruit being shipped by the above steamer has shown me tnat muoh greater care in several ways must be exercised by the shippers. In the first place, most of the cases put on board to-day were quite unfit to carry the fruit safely, being nailed together so slightly thit on being lifted several of the lids fell off, being only tacked on with l;J-inch shingle nails, instead of 2-inch stout wire nails, such as all lids nailed to the end of the grain should be nailed with. These cases were not being handled roughly, in fact every care in handling was being exercised, yet in about an hour five lids fell off, and the contents damaged so as render them unfit to ship. lam informed that these cases were supplied by the timber companies ready made up. I would draw the attention of the manager of those companies to these remarks, namely, that while the timber of the cases is all tnat could be desired, they arc put together in a manner uncreditable to the company and quite unfitted to the purpose for which they are intended.

So much for the cases ; now with regard to the fruit that rolled out. The most casual observer could not help seeing that this fruit was notr such as would be considered firstclass by any means; indeed, I must say that the fruit that came out of one of these cases was quite unfit to export, there being apparently no attempt to grade the fruit to anything approaching uniform size ; and, worse than that, about 0110 out of every three of the apples I saw from this case of Reinette du Can&das was badly blemished by the bronze beetle and in other ways, such as loss of stalk, rubbing against branches on the tree, and so on. A great doal of unnecessary paper also seemed to be crammed into the cases. London buyers expect a case to We full of apploe, and not to find the space that should be occupied by half a dozen apples to contain only paper. I know well how difficult it sometimes is, with a lot of well-graded fruit, just to exactly fill a case, and how, with a half inch to spare at one end, a bit of paper is useful to wedge all tight; but with ungraded fruit such as I saw, with care small apples can always be fouud to fill the small spaces that large fruit do not readily adapt themselves to. I do not know how the shipper of this fruit could expect ie to realise a satisfactory return ; but I must say, and regret to say it, that if much fruit like the sample that oame from the case in question is sent to London, it will very soon seriously dam&go the good name that New Zealand fruit has already made for itself. Growers and packers, sec to it that you ship only first-class fruit; the expenses on a case of poor fruit are just as great as on a case of good. Now a word to the carters and lumpers, and I am done. Do not. like good fellows, handle this fruit roughly, by letting the cases drop or jar in any way that you can help. Do not say to yourself or anyone else, " What the d Ido I care; it's nothing to me;" bus just think for a moment (you can all think, I have no doub' that this fruit export is like a new-born babe. it needs a lot of tender care and nursing ; if bruised and knocked about while in its infancy it will be cripplod for life, and that life will be a shore one, but if treated with care it will grow huge and strong, and give you days and weeks, aye, months and years, of good honest work. So, men, do your share of the nursing, and handle these oases of fruit like you would new-born babies. Trusting that these remarks may help, in their small way, this young industry,—l am, &c., L. Hanlon.