OOLONIAL FRUIT AND THE ENGLISH MARKET.

Colonist, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7763, 17 October 1893, Page 3

OOLONIAL FRUIT AND THE ENGLISH MARKET.

The toil of the Australian fruitgrower in 189!) and 1893 must. I fear, have brought but a poor reward, so much has fate bean against this industry this year. Not that the colonies have not made real progress, the packing alone will prove this, but the extraordinary eeasoa of drought and temperature in Europe, exemplified by the fact that in the Buburbs of London the writer gathered a. ripe Devonshire Quarrenden on the Bi,h July, fully a month earlier than ever before recorded for 40 years. Imp.or>d fruits of cherries, apples, etc., from tb,e south of France and Portugal have been arriving, to the negleot cf New Zealand and other colonial apples, whilst there was still a considerable quantity of late keeping fruit imported from America and Canada. Australian boxeß were offering as low 88 3s. and 4s. eaoh. I should like to offer ! a suggestion or two, as an old fruitgrower, to our oolonial friends, in order to aid them if possible, in the sin lied efforts they have alnady made to supply this country with apples, etc Starting with the fact (bat they must ba fine to bring a good price, London will alwaya pay for anything tbat is superlative Have any of you tried that finest qf all flavoured apples, the '• Cornish Gilleflower ?" From our laok of sunshine in tbis olimate it never produoea a orop with us, and thiß year I have only five appleß on a" IB year ' old pyramid tree ; this variety requires plenty I of Eun to rifen the blossom buds which are alwayß produced at Ihe extreme ends or tips of the la* t years growth; hence in this ouuu~ try they are Beldom ripened to blossom sufficiently stroDg to oarry friut. This, I think, would be o vet c- m < in your olimate. Again, " Cslville blanthe 'd biver " is another variety worth trying iv New Zealand. 1 have seen fruit of this Bpple 7ozd. eaob, and as handsome as a wax model. Most other good varie-

the best of all " the Stunner pippin." Shippers have no doubt found' this out by the prices realised for this. I now come to the very important and crucial question, will this ever be a large and paying industry? " I fear not," unless tbe shipowner reduces hig freight, and gives you a more cool chamber, mind only cool (and not cold), as from tho various samples I have tested, I mast unhesitatingly say all your applet 'hav^ been much deteriorated whilst on hoard ship , there is a woolly texture in all' that betokens the fact that instead: of i being kept in a just sufficiently warm temperature to bring out the sweet and sub-acid flavor so desirable in a good apple, Mey have been chilled, retarded andspoiledon the voyage.' Again, the fact that the finest flavored late keeping fruit of' American and Canadian growth 'perfectly ripened ia generally •weU supplied to this market during the e*rly spring, a$ prices fora 15a to 25s per barrel— these it wo faots will, I fear, be • bar to any large t*ad3 at high priaes. I do not know if any of yon have tried to grow floe keeping pears, as these, I think, wool! sell well if really fine fruit was Bfnt, ths '/Glou Moroeaus" is a Ituit, that doos not deay if matured in a good climate, but xhtivels np after after it becomes ripe, hano« it is a valuable variety for transit The ••Easter Bearre," and '« Ohaumontil," »ra Beld m or ever well ripeheol in this ooantrj, and oould, I think, be grown to profit by you for shipment toEogland ; graftud in the qulnon stock tbesj varitips >ould /ruiit the first and second year. I have seen fino apepimens of these Bod ia the spring at Gi ani 9d eaoh, but there is seldom any quantity to be bad. Mabcus H. Voas. Slreatham, London;

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