APPLES FOR EXPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2370, 3 August 1899, Page 8

APPLES FOR EXPORT.

(Southland News.) Fruit-growing in the neighbouring provincial district of Canterbury long since reached the point at which production of apples equalled, if not exceeded, the local demand. As a natural consequence, outside markets Mere looked for, and trial oversea shipments made, with results which, although hopeful-, were inconclusive. One year a consignment might fetch prices yielding a fair return to the grower, the next nothing at all— and so on. Tho variety, appearance, and condition of the fruit and the slate of the market, which, in the nature of things, ia liable to periods of scarcity and glut, were factors in this unsatisfactory state of things. Some of, if not all, the drawbacks to success were obviously remediable, and thosia interested set themselves to work out patiently the problem. A Fruit-growers' Association was formed, and systematic, observations taken of conditions of packing, transit, temperature, of fihip's, hold, and divers other matters connected with the prospectively possible regular trade. With so much of explanation, we may proceed to note the salient points of a detailed report of the sale of a shipment by the association, just named, the bare outlino of which was cabled some weeks ago. On tli© whole, it is stated, the apples arrived in fair condition although some, of a popular dessert variety (Cox's orange pippin), upon which great reliance had been placed, proved to have beon over-ripe at the time of shipment. _As regards other kinds, a- singular cause militated against the best results. Many of the sorts were, h is affirmed, utterly unknown by name to the London market where, despite the well-known saying about the rose, name counts for a good deal. Buyers, wo are told, being unaware of the particular qualities of the brand, were distrustful, and held aloof. In other rases, &tr!ingo a* it may seem, the names of the varieties were wrongly given, and as buyers at once found that the apples wore not of the kind they purported to be, and as they did not know what they really might be, they naturally guarded tliempplves by bidding the minimum price. Four causes are enumerated as accounting fair the fact that the net return to the grower did not exceed Id per lb. These were (1) ovor-ripe-I ness of some of tho fruit; (2) slight damage by the absence of proper side packing ; (3) : tho use of unknown names ; (4) the misnaming •of v other . varieties. These. -Are manifestly 1 sources of depreci&tionr^that may bo either wholly or in part removed. The difference of names need not recur, seeing that it should bo an easy matter to obtain named samples from tho London fruit dealers and conform to their nomenclature, _ while as to the ovorripeness it is still easier to avoid. A remark by the London correspondent of a, contemporary, that " of oource, when compared with Australian fruit, that from Now Zealand suffered ; Victorian apples came to hand much more attractive-looking in colour. Possibly this i 3 caused by the Jarger measure of sunshine in Victoria than in Canterbury," demands a word or two of notice- and challenge, for although the particular bhipment may have been deficient, in colour or showiness there is nothing in the suggestion that climatic j influence must always give the advantage to ' Australian or Tapmanian grown fruit. Asa matter of fact wo were shown but tho other day locally samples of a well-known variety (Emperor Alexander) the colour and clearness of skin of which might bo equalled but could .scarcely bo surpassed. There wore with it one or two other seedling variets'os of much excellence and perhaps excelling it in the qualities that constitute a desirable culinary apple. As this district is some three or four degrees further south than Canterbury no further refutation of what may be termed a " conjectural error" is necessary. The fact is. however, suggestive of one or two important considerations. The consignment to which reference lias been made wan shipped at the end of March or beginning of April last — reached Home in the last week of Maj r and was sold at Covent Garden Market on June 3, portions of it in an over-ripe condition. Yet, here in Invercargill, more than six weeks later, local growers are able to supply similar fruit in prime condition. Th» inference is irresistible that if growers were to dovote their attention to one or two kinds that are established favourites in the Home markets — and Emperor Alexander is one of them — an export trade of permanent character might in time be established. The varieties of American and Canadian apples »o largely in demand in Britain are, we believe, very limited in number, while tho characteristics in. regLuagtj large sizej high colour, and. good.

quality for either cooking or dessert purposes, are those possessed by the variety named, and which years of experience have shown to be entirely suitable to our soil and climate.