The Orchard.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1060, 23 June 1892, Page 7

The Orchard.

NEW ZEALAND APPLES IN LONDON. London, April 29. The Tainui’s apples arrived in a far superior condition to those in the Ruapehu, and for colour, flavour, and state of maturity, were in advance over any cargo of either Australian or New Zealand apples this season. Several boxes of desiccated or evaporated apples arrived in the Tainui in excellent condition and satisfactorily packed, but the price at which they they will have to be sold must cause considerable loss to the owners. The very finest American dried apples, excellently packed and well desiccated, are Belling from 32s to 36s per cwt, or about 4d,per lb, and it is reported that New Zealand exporlers expect to obtain double this price, or they will not consider it a successful venture. The Duke of Westminster has arrived, and about 450 cases have to-day averaged from six to eleven shillings. Itisveiy disheartening to salesmen and agents here to find that the exporter will send so many common and altogether unsuitable varieties of apples. The standard kinds that find most favour here are king pippins, ribstone pippins, New York pippins, stunners, &c. These are all very suitable for eating, and any varieties that there may be in New

Zealand approaching these in flavour, colour, and size, will always find a good market. Perhaps there is no quality more valuable for securing a good sale in London than colour. If an apple be ‘ pleasant to the eye ’ it has many customers. So much of the fruit that has arrived t his season is in a green and unripe condition that no one can expect to hear of high prices As an instance of the wisdom of only fending excel lently selected and carefully packed fruit, a consignment of Spanish oranges sold here this week well illustrates the value of sending the finest fruit only. While Valencia ordinary oranges were realising half-a-guinea a box, a number of boxes of Murcia oranges of very fine quality were eagerly bought at prices ranging from 27s to 49s Today a few cast's of plums from N«w South Wales were sold in Covent Garden for an average of 24s a case. If only the very finest kinds of plums were sent, and those carefully packed, a very lucrative trade might be carried on ; but what New Zealand ohippers must do is to see that only the very choicest are sent, aud those must be such as will stand the vovagr. Some day perhaps the shipping companies will be able to guarantee to keep their cool chambers between 34 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, aud then colonial fruit will not be handicapped as it is at present b 7 coming in an unsuitable temperature. The codlin moth has committed serious ravages with a very large portion of New Zealand apples, and while some of the Duke of Westminster’s apples were being sold by auction to-dav the maggots or worms caused by this destructive pest were seen crawliug about the cases. — London correspondent N.Z, Herald.

FRUIT EXPORT. Auckland, June 18. A meeting of and other interested in the fruit Industry waß held yesfcerday in tho rooms of the Chamber of Commerce. An address was given by Mr Hanlon, the Government fruit expprfc, who urged that cool ebambora for carrying fruit to London should be so constructed that a current of fresh air might circul .to between the esses. It was resolved to make repressntations to the shipping companies on the subject.