NEW ZEALAND APPLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18625, 5 August 1922, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND APPLES

THE ZEALANDIO CONSIGNMENT. ARRIVAL IN POOR CONDITION. A DAMAGED REPUTATION. (Fbou Oub Own Corbespokdbnt.) LONDON, June 30. New Zealand apples this season acquired a fine reputation. The Westmoreland consignment was so good that no further advertising was needed. Then followed othw shipments which were not so good, nevertheless there were no complaints serious enough to reduce the popularity which the fruit had attained, until this last week, when th e Zealandio arrived with 25,000 boxes on board. Certainly, the fruit has landed just at the height of the strawberry season, when' apples are not so popular, but apart from that it is not in good condition, With the hot weather of a week ago the soft fruit came in with a rush, and the demand has turned for the time being to strawberries and cherries. Firms handling the New Zealand apples had in some cases already sold their lots before the Zealandio arrived, and their clients had taken the fruit at a certain price subject to itj being up to the proper standard. The intention was to store th e fruit for a week or two until the public had had enough of strawberries. One firm sent 5000 cases direct from the steamer to their buyers in various ports of the country, but not any of the fruit was fit to keep, and the’ 6000 cases come back to the merchant. It lias been a great disappointment, as the sales had been made bn the basis of the reputation the New Zealand produce had already gained. Had it 'been up to standard the price obtained would have been about 17s a case. Something has certainly gone wrong. Stunners on the whole are in fair condition, but even these are a very mixed lot. Even in the same box are to bo found very ripe fruit and green fruit. For these from 10s 6d,up to 15s wae obtained yesterday at auction, and it is hoped that a higher price will be obtained by those firms who are selling privately. OVER-RIPE FRUIT. One firm reports that Rymers tarns in fair condition; another firm groups- them with the ‘‘very bad.” Rome Beauty seem to have been lair, but the rest of the fruit is not good. I have inspected a good many Cases in various storerooms to-day, and all except Stunners had numbers of apples which were either completely rotten or partly rotten. London Pippins, _ Delicious, Jonathans, Washingtons, and King David wer e all very wasty, and at auction yosterda- and to-day 6s and 7s 6d was received for this unsatisfactory fruit. No more than 8s will probably be obtained few -a large percentage of tne fruit sold privately. The comparatively few‘coses of Brownless Russets which came were wasty too. Complaints are also made of the poor ■ timber used in some of the cases. Although this deficiency is not general, there are some coses with such thin timber on the sides that the apples not only next to the wood are bruised, but apples all through the case have suffered. Wood wool has been used for placing at the top and bottom of some of the oases. Merchants suggest that the brown paper is better, as the wood wool .is apt to become heated. j It is suggested that most of the fruit was packed when too ripe. On the other hand, there are rumours of its being delayed in shipment. In any case, the consignment has done considerable damage to the reputation of New Zealand apples, and.’ when the season opens next year merchants will probably wait until they see their consignments before doing business with their clients. .

MR J. C. WILLIAMSON’S INQUIRIES. Mr J. C. Williamson (Wellington), who is interes'ted in the fruit trade, has been making inquiries for himself at Covent Garden. “Several weaknesses in the packing have been pointed out to me,” he says, “wfiich all go towards the lowering of the prices obtained, and in consequence a decrease of profit to the grower. One of the principal faults is the use of thin wood for the sides of the packing cases, in many_ instances this being but an eighth of an inch in thickness,. The obvious result is that the sides of the case give witht pressure, even after arrival at the docks here, and the fruit, not only that next to the side, but nearly every apple from side to side, bears a bruised mark which, of course, materially detracts from its selling value. This thin wood should be harped if our fruit is to arrive at Co vent Garden in good marketable condition. I saw five cases of apples opened at the High Commissioner’s Office before one cose could be procured fit for exhibition in the. New Zealahd Office in the Strand—due entirely to the defect mentioned. “Another factor which militates against the readier sale_ of our apples is the unattractive and indistinct marking of the cases. Not only is the end of the case, in many instances, unplaned, but the stencilling is carelessly done, so much so that the variety of apple in the box has sometimes tp be guessed at. Matters such as these may seem unimpprtant, but where so many thousands of oases have to be handled in quick time nothing which makes for accurate and steadv disposal should be omitted. It was a pleasure to turn to- the products of one New Zealand grower, whose oases were strikingly marked by, an attractive label in colour on the end of the case. ‘This.’ said my guide, ‘is the class of stuff that we like to' handle.’ ”