IMPORTATION OF GRAPES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 10

IMPORTATION OF GRAPES.

' The shipment of grapes which arrived 1 by tho Marama last week consisted of 653 cases. The steamer arrived at the Bluff i on the 3rd about the usual time, and left in time to reach Otago Heads at an early tour. Unfortunately, she miss&d tne first tide, and had to remain at Port Chalmers until the afternoon, when she steamed up to Dunedin, berthing between 4 p.m. and 4.30 p.m., which Was too late to land the : grapes for Tuesday's sale. About 70 cases, . however, were landed, all of which were at once distributed, the balance being sold the following morning. Messrs A. Moritzson and Co. report a* follows:— "The sale of Adelaide* grapes to-day passed off to the satisfaction of the shippers, except two ' consignments. The following varieties were landed: — Malaga. " Muscats, Ladies' Fingers, Walthom Cross, Gros Colman, Bela Blanco, and Red * Prince, .also the first of a new variety for " this season named Santa Polo. The last- ' named variety is a very fine, large, ovel . berry, and remarkably fine keeper. It is 1 one of the few varieties shipped from Australia to England,' Germany,' and Vancouver. Other later varieties which ara also shipped abroad and which will arrive , here next week are the Dorradillo and the j white' and the black Dorra. One of the Adelaide shippers experimented in sending; his grapes without packing 1 in punnets, and these arrived in a condition not fife for human consumption. Another consignment, which arrived from Victoria, was paoked in half -cases, also without packing, and these too arrived in an indifferent condition. All the grapes which were in good order were sold at 6d per lb. Out-of-condition grapes will leave a loss to the shippers. Mr T. James, who took his depature for northern ports in the Marama, and who is superintending the various shipments in the northern ports, assures us, as we have stated in a previous review, that the South Australian shippers are prepared to supply the New Zealand public with grapes of the finest dessert varieties at 6d per lb, provided the New Zealand Government will- remove tho Id per lb duty, as promised by the late Mr Setldon when a deputation of growers interviewed him when in, Adelaide. These grapes could then be sold to the trade at 4d per lb. As matters stand now 5d is the lowest price at which they can be sold here wholesale, the charges being exactly 3d jjpr lb."