Fruit Export.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5211, 19 March 1895, Page 1

Fruit Export.

Some valuable information for fruitgrowers is contained in a pamphlet prepared by Mr Ge6rge Neilson, and issued under the authority of the Agticultural department of Victoria, regarding fruit exportation. The : Leader thus summarises the information given :— Exporting should take place during February, March, April and the first two weeks in May. Apples will be the principal fruit. The pear ia a favourite fruit in England, but there has always been a greater difficulty in shipping the pear than the apple, the skin ia. most varieties being more tender and more liable to abrasion. Still, with care in- the selection of the varieties most suitable for shipping purposes and careful handling in gathering and packing, pears can be shipped with a good average of success. In the first place, only the vaiieties most saleable in the English market should be shipped, a line of any of the popular varieties being preferable to a mixed consignment. The successful export of fruit very ' muoh depends on gathering or collecting. It Bhould be handled with the greatest care from the trees, placed gently in the basket, and taken to the score room, where it should be allowed to remain for two or three day3 before wrapping or packing in the casep. Fruit should not be quite ripe ' before gathering for Bhipping purposes. Experience will soon be gained as to the proper stage. The gathering should, therefore, be done earlier than for the local market. Apples keep longer when gathered before they are quite ripe, but such fruit never possesses the same flavour as fruit matured on the trees; still, there is a stage at which fruit can be gathered that will not materially alter the flavour. The time occupied during transit assists in maturing the ripening process. It is possible that many of the failures reported in our fruit export may be attributed more to the over ripenets of the fruit when packed than to any defect in the packing or the packing materials used. Fraitß over tipa-whea packed cannot be expected toTceep sound for any lengthened period, decomposition having probably commenced before their being placed on chip board. In packing clean cases Bhould be in readiness, and made to contain not less than 401 b net. The ordinary fruit case iv use generally in "Victoria, and made of Bplit timber, measures 28 xls x 8 inches outeide measurement. . The Oalifornian cases are made of clear pine, and measure 18 x 12£ x 17 outside measurement, ends $ inch, sides i inch thick. A standard case has been lately adopted by Goulburn Valley growers, 26 x 14 x 7 outside measurements, ends and divisions .•£ inch, Bides top and bottom i incb, sott "wood to be in ono or two divisions. Whatever timber is used it should be made smooth inside. The case Bhould not be made quite air tight ; space should be left in the or aide for ventilation and the escape of any moisture arising from the sweating of the fruit. Two thin laths should be nailed on one side of the cases, so that when stowed on board there may be a space between each tier for a free circulation of air through the casea. Packing Bhould be done under cover. Each specimen should be carefully wrapped in tissue papar, laid in layers and placed firmly together, yet not sufficiently close to bruiss each other. A. few white paper shavings (coloured shavings are objectionable) can be placed in the bottom of the case, and should these ba any interstices it can be filled with a few of the paper shavinga. When the case ia filled a Blight shake can be given to settle the layers, and it is preferable to leave the case unclosed for a day or two. Should any space appear vacant before nailing down the lids it should be filled with Borne of the paper shavings. The case can be lined with a sheet of whitey brown paper, but printed paper should be avoided, as the fruit absorbs the inff. When the casfs are nailed down they should be branded with tha name of the variety of the fruit, and also the grower's name or brand. Whan inconvenient for the grower to attend to the shipping of the fruit some agent Bhould be authored to attend and boo the fruit safely placed on board, a. stipulation should be made that the stevedote3 should use sheets to hoisb the fruit, and not the Blings, as is frequently done. A communication received ia Melbourne, from well -known Covent Garden fruit salesmen expresses every confidence in the possibility of establishing a remunerative trade, providing a good quality of fruit is sent. Although America lest year had a good crop of appleß, they saw no reason why there should not be a good market next spring for Victorian apples. The following ports would do well in England: — New York Pippins, King Pippins, Five Crowns, Scarlet Nonpareils, Stunner Pippins, Stone Pippino, London Pippins, Northern Spy and Dunn's Seedlings. No apples of lees than two inches in diameter should be sent to London, and it was advisable to ship the softer kind 3 earlier and the harder sorto later. Eibstones, for. inBtance, should go by the first three boats. A shipment from Melbourne by the fir3t steamer in March would be quite early enough to commence exportation. The fruit would be very bad if sn average of from 10s to. 12a per case was not obtained. They recommended that the measurement of the packing cases should bo 8 x 12 x 27. This description of oaee was preferred by buyers, and it waß more convenient for packers, as four goodsizsd apples could be comfortably packed acroßE the width of eight inches. Every apple ehould be wrapped in tie bug paper, and pae&ed firmly, but not too tightly. The fruit maybe packed with the case lying flat, thus converting what aro usually regarded as the sides of the case into the top ; but they preferred the fruit to be packed so that the narrower part formed the top. Whatever. system was adop'ed fie brand or mark ehould be so placed that the top of it poitffcad to the lid which the packer desired to ba opened. Good fruit, well graded and firmly packed, would always fetch a fair price.