MANCHESTER AS A FRUIT CENTRE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2758, 23 January 1907, Page 10

MANCHESTER AS A FRUIT CENTRE.

When an Australian visits the cottonopohs of England, the ' Manchester men whom he meets there invariably tempt him to pay a visit to the Royal Exchange, and if the call is niado at midday on a 'Change day— Tuesday or Friday — the eight that meets the eye from the gallery is undoubtedly one that will linger in the mind of the visitor for some time. The Manchester people are pardonably proud of their magnificent Exchange, the floor of which at " High 'Change " is densely packed with men connected with th'j cotton and textile industries. Here we find cotton merchants and brokers, yarn and cloth meichante, cotton spinners from the numerous mills in Lancashire and district, and men engaged in the many tributary branches of the cotton industry. Notwithstanding the throng and the immense amount of businees which must be transacted on the Royal Exohange, there is a remarkable absence of the noise and bustle which pervades the Stock Exchange located a few blocks away, although the buzzing sound arising from the general conversation of those present produces a remaikable effect. Not far from the Royal Exchange the corn, grocery, produce, and coal exchanges are to be found, and on the market days these exchanges are well worthy of a visit. The Commercial Saleroom, which is the centre of the fiuit trade of Manchester, is located in Deansgate, and a visit to this place on Sale days — Tuesdays and Thursdays — will convince the most sceptical that Mancheoter occupies a. foremost position amongst the fruit market* of Great Britain. The Fruit Saleroom, which was opened in 1894, was constructed by the Manchester Corporation to cope with the growing requirements of the trade, and was mnxjssitatcd by the opening up of a fruit trade to Manchester by direct steamers from oversea ports. Many eloquent speeoheewere made at the opening oermony, and a prosperous future* for the undertaking wae predicted, but it is questionable whether the majority of those present imagined that the business would reach the proportions wh 4 ch it has attained to-day. The room was filled to its fullest extent with buyers, not only from Manchester and the surrounding districts, but also by men who had come from many of tho one hundred and seventy-6even. inland towns in Lancashire and Yorkshire, for which Manchester claims to be the best distributing centre. At yesterday's 6ale (November 27) there were buyers from 100 miles 6outh of Manchester, and others from an equal distance north. The seats, which ri&e tier upon tier in semi-circular form, and also the standing room epa.ee in the rear, were occupied oy men representing the largest buyers of fruit in the North of England, and there was a keenness about the manner in which the buyers scanned first the catalogue and then the auctioneer which could not fail to appeal to the onlooker. In the " well" of the room are located tho lifts, which rise from the cellars beneath with samples of the fruit on tale ; and, owing to the recent construction of the building, the equipment of the whole establishment is on the mor>t up-to-date and practical lines. Standing in the rostrum is a salesman armed with a small hammer, and, with great rapidity, he disposes of lot after lot. stating the advantages <^f each parcel ja terse and graphic

terms. Not a moment of time does fee lose, his 4 object obviously being to get the best price obtainable, and at the same time dispose of as much fruit as possible within the specified time allotted to each salesman. As the fruit is sold, forwarding orders are rapidly passed into the hands of the Ship Canal and railway authorities, who have a staff of officials in attendance. Thence the orders are conveyed by frequent messengers to the Manchester Docks, and very often before a buyer leaves the saleroom the major portion of his purchases is loaded up into railway trucks for despatch to destination, it being realised by the dock and railway companies that prompt despatch is an essential factor to the success of the trade, and be it here noted that not only is the cost of cartage to the railway junction which is incurred at other ports saved at Manchester, but, also, as the f ruie goes direct from steamer to truck, all the deterioration caused by extra handling and cartage is avoided and the oondition of the fruit preserved. The following details of the fruit offered for sale on Tuesday, November 27, may be of interest : —l3,ooo barrels American apples, 2650 barrels Canadian apples, 4565 barrels Western State apples, 10,802 cases Valencia oranges, 90 cases Valencia mandarins, 9460 cases Valencia onions, 1030 packages Messina lemons, 201 boxes Jaffa oranges. Manchester has a population of 2,000.000, i within a distance of 10 miles, and is the nearest port to a population of 10,000,000 buyers in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the Midlands, -who na-turally prefer buying af Manchester as it is nearer their place of business, and saves cost and time travelling to markets further afield. Prices obtained for fruit at the Manchester auctions compare favourably with those at other large centres; and it is said that from 3d no to even Is 6d per barrel has been frequently obtained in excess of prices realised at the same time at Liverpool, and this to some extent accounts for the' constant and substantial increase of all olasses of colonial and foreign fruit, and many shippers who formerly were shy of Manchester are now sending regular consignments, with results which have given them confidence to continue their shipments. The following figures are an eloquent [ example of the growth of the green fruit trade in Manchester, showing imports from the date on which the canal was opened. Green Fruit by way of Ship Canal to Manchester: — I

Australian and Tasmanian fruit merchants and growers would do well to tap this market, as the example given by the Am-prioan, Canadian, and Continental shippers shows there is great vitality in : Manchester, as it is not only capable of absorbing large quantities of apples, but has shown decided signs of growth, which is a sure indication that there is a great future before this trade. Manchester is peculiarly favourably situated for the auction of Australian and Tasmanian apples, not only on account of the large number of buyers, but in respect to the saving effected by the exporter in Australasia and the buyer at the sales at the Deansgate Auction Rooms. Apples shipped direct to Manchester can be put on tho Manchester market at a saving in co3t of 34s 6d per ton, or about l(Ud per box, which represents the t expenses incurred in the transference by rail from London. On the mother hand, the consumer who buys at the Manchester auction rooms saves "per ton" for conveyance to the towns as under — viz. : -7s 2d to Birmingham, 28s 5d to Bolton, 10s Id to Bradford, 14s 5d to Leeds, 28s lOd to Rochdale,— as against what he would have to pay if he bought at the London auction rooms. | The double form of zinnia will repay the grower, and delights in a rich soil, where the growth is quickly made, but is rather tender in its early stages. A sheltered position should be selected, as the stem* are , rather brittle. Zinnias are very showy in a mixed border, whero the bright colours have a background of green foliage. A 'sunny aspect suits it admirably, and tho warmer and drier the summer the more brilliant do the flowers appear. Zonal pelargoniums are oa&ily cultivated, a-s they can be grown in almost any soil, and may be had in flower at nearly all seasons of the year. Tricolour chrysanthemums have the merit of being hardy, and if tho seed is eown in the spring, will bloom in the summer and autumn. There is a great variety of colours, and their rapid growth and abundance of flowors constitute them favountos, whilo for cutting purposes they j are imaluable. I

)uring Year 1894 .. 1895 , 1896 .. 1837 „ 1893 . ., 1899 . . 1900 .. During Tons. Year .. 17.723 1901 .-, .. 33,061 1902 „ „ 27.137 1903 .. - 28,595 1904 . , 21,117 1905 .„ .. 22,666 1906* ... . . 28,669 * Approximate. »• Tons. 31,369 46.935 56,148 65,309 87,211 112,00!)