AN INTERESTING DEMONSTRATION

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 10

AN INTERESTING DEMONSTRATION

LOCAL AND CALJFORNIAN FRUIT. COMPARED. A number of gentlemen interested in the fruit-canning industry assembled in Messrs A. Moritzson anl Co.'s premises on Wednesday afternoon in order to hear what Mr W. Jacques, the Government expert, had to say on the subject. The factories and the wholesale warehouses were represented, and a large proportion of the retailers of Dunedin were nres&nt. Mr A. Moritzson briefly introduced Mr Jacques, -mntioning that that gntleman, after giving some demonstrations in the north, had, at the special request of persons in Dunedin interested in fruit-canning, come south to-, explain matters connected with the industry. Mr Jacques then proceeded to address those present on the subject of the canning of fruit, using for the purposes of demonstration samples of fruit canned in Calefornia and New Zealand, which were displayed on a table He then proceeded to compare the local with the imported a.rticlo, and pointed out where an impaovement might bo effected in the latter. He said he had. after giving demonstrations in Wellington, which had been very well received, been, asked to give them in Auckland and Chi-istchurch, and. later, in Dunedin. With regard to pears, h& had, unfortunately, not the sample packed in the North Island, as hij> visitors in Wellington had taken a par- - ■ ticular faiicy to them, and had kept th&m. He then proceeded to take the samples h& had seriatim, first dealing with apricots canned in California, and those canned in the colony, the best class canned here being . equal to the second highest grade of the imported article. In this connection he asked those present to remember that we were only at the commencement of the industry, while in California " they had been at canning for 40 years. The fault of the New Zealand article was that it had not been properly graded, but that was a matter that could easily be remedied, and he bade them lemiember that experience bought was better than experience taught, and this experience showed that certain varieties must be arown if they wanted to compete successfully with California. Coming to peais. he repeated his remark about the sample that had been appropriated in Wellington, which he paid v.as very nearly equal to the highest grade of CaliTornian pears canned. He made a comparison to show that other pears were not so suitable for producing a first-class canned article as Williams 's Bon Chretein. With regard to tTie difference between the local peach and that canned in California, they would see the latter was a cling-stoned peach, but it was only a matter of tune when we would have a oliug-stoned peach grown in New Zealand in suffioient quantities for canning. He was assured that when it was known what was wanted it would be quite easy to grow ppac-hos equal to the American ones, and when they did that they would be able to hold their own against any country in the world. With reference to one inferior grade of apricots that came into the colony, they ought to be able to stop it, because with proper handling the high grade New Zealand apricot that could be Put on the market would compare more than favourably with the article- referred to. He thought that in a short time w-a should be able to produce a canning peach equal to the best grades from California, and in a year or two we ought to be in a position to equal tho best Cahforniaa

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pears. As a matter of fact, we did that now, but not in marketable quantity. He could assure those interested that the merchants of London would, welcome canned fruit fa-om New Zealand. With reference to oodlin moth and other diseases, these could be ove-rcome if the same attention was given to fruit growing as to other businesses. As years went on the colony's position in the matter of fruit-growing' would become strengthened, and ho expected to see long expanses of country given up to it. At present the Government was being urged to give 6maU experimental orchard sections, and by means of these it uould be possible to demonstrate what could be grown and canned with profit. Mr Jaques then invited questions, and subsequently those present sampled the fruits before them. Mr Moritzson, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr Jaques, said that Government to foster the fruit industry had already conceded to fruit-growers and fruit factories thp free carriage of timber to the nearest railway station. The sugar for the factories would be carried at a minimum rate of railag-e, and Government contemplated charging railage on canned fruit at the same rate as fresh fruit — namely, 6d per case. Thin concession would be granted to both factories and merchants. Further, thero was no donbfc that the Government had had to take this step simply owing to the forward policy pursued during late years in sending its pomologists all over ihe colony to introduce the fruit-growing industry, and. seeing that the production of etone fruits was far in excess of local requirements when the glut was on, the only way to get rid of that excess was to establish the canning industry firmly in this colony. That this was the correct step to take had b&cn proved by the fact that this year the Teviot fruit had commanded higher prices right through than in previous years, owing to the enormou6 quantities that were canned on the spot, and there was no doubt the same result would 1 taka place in other parts of the colony. There -was no doubt the same effect that had resulted from lectures on the dairy industry would affect the fruit industry right through the colony, and Mr Jaques had already proved that th© step taken by the Government was a wise one. The vote to Mr Jaques was carried with great heartiness, and those present then dispensed.