THE TASMANIAN FRUIT EXPORT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1106, 12 May 1893, Page 9

THE TASMANIAN FRUIT EXPORT.

The premier has received the following letter from the Agent-General on the subject of fruit export. Sir Edward Braddon says :- 'I has not been easy to obtain from the fountain head such information as to methods as I wished to get. These methods are regarded as trade secrets. But from the leading firms in the preserved and evaporated fruit trade the following hints have been gleaned :

' 1. That there will be considerable difficulty in profitably competing with the Californian trade with the English market, which has only been made to pay after years of experience. The Australians are said to have attempted this competition, but, commencing on too large a scale, they flooded this market and broke down.

' 2. They say that it is idle to give any general rules for drying, canning, and preserving fruit, inasmuch as these must be largely influenced by circumstances, and constantly varied according to the condition and requirements of the fruit to be treated • the time of boiling depending entirely on the ripeness of the fruit. It is a groat point to know when it is sufficiently ripe and how it should be received at the time it is required to be put into the cans. 1 3. Several of the best London firms

cordially welcome the idea of Tasmania vieing with California in this market, or even ousting her from it, and express their willingness to advise us as to the sale and distribution of the fruit when ready for the London Market. They point out the following essential points :

(a) That the fruit used is of uni form quality and ripeness.

(b) That it should not bo tackie, and, as far as possible, whole fruit or complete halves should be used. (c) That the syrup used in preserving be of the very best quality. (d) That attractive labels be adopted. N.B.—The tins used are generally supposed to contain—extra, fruit, 31b; standards, 2Jib.

'4. The most saleable fruits are apricots, pears, and peaches ; the stones being taken out of the stone fruit and and all three usually cut into halves. The core is some times taken from the pears, but not as a rule, this fruit being liable to become mashy if too much handled, and requiring to be shipped in the soundest condition to stand the long journey. Egg plums, damsons, and quinces are not in any great demand here.

' 5.' As regards the Australian shipments referred to in clause 1, it is said that large quantities of apricots, peaches, pears, apples, egg plums, damsons, &c, fairly well put up, were shipped from Melbourne for the London market under the bonus system ; but the Victorian Government having withdrawn the bonus because of the large quantities shipped, the shipments declined, and have lately been of little importance. ' After all, the question seems to me to be whether Tasmania cannot do better with some of her fruit—apricots, peaches, and such as will bear carriage in the cool chamber—by sending it here, carefully selected and packed, in the green state than by drying or preserving it. Neither California nor any portion of the Northern Hemisphere could compete with Tasmania in that line.