GUIDE TO GROWERS

Western Star, Issue 1292, 27 February 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

GUIDE TO GROWERS

Fruit to Export, And How to Export Them From the Agricultural Gazette of N.B, W. We here give a short diacription of the fruits that are recommended for export. At the present time we are not in a position to export any quantity of fruit from this Colony to the English, Euro-; pean.or other markets, as we have no fruits available that are suitable for exporting to these markets, as all the fruit grown at present that i« at all fit for exporting meets with a ready sale in our colonial markets—in fact, it is insufficient to supply our local requirements. The fruit of which we have a surplus is entirely confined to inferior varieties, which are totally unsuitable for exporting. It is very essential that our fruit-growers thoroughly realise the importance of exporting nothing the very choicest fruits, as the markets we have to supply require nothing bub the very best, and the expense of getting the fruit on to those markets, is so great that no fruit, except it be of superior quality, will realise a sufficient price to cover the expense of shipping and marketing, and leave a fair margin of profit for the grower. It costa just as much to pick, wrap, ship, and sell a case of inferior fruit, which will never realise enough to defray expense, besides injuring the reputation of our fruits, as it does to send a case of choice fruit, which sells readily at a remunerative price, and tends to establish a character for ourfruits that will result in a profitable trade. , I cannot impress, our fruit-growers tpo strongly with importance of exporting nothing bat the choicest fruits, as it is the primary and absolutely essential condition for establishment and maintenance of a successful fruit export trade. It is the key-note of all the advice that we , have received from the great fruit houses of, Loudon and elsewhere, their invariable' advice being : send nothing but choice fruit, grade it evenly, an<J pack it honestly, and we will have no difficulty of disposing' ■of 1 it at a‘ profit j but inferior, badly graded, and badly packed fruit we do not want at any price, it is hard to dispose of, in j uros the reputation of the whole colony’s fruit, and only results in loss to the shippers. ‘ In order' to establish and maintain a profitable export trade in fruit, it will therefore be necessary for our growers to lay themselves out especially forthis trade, and to do this it will be necessary, in the first place, to grow only such fruits as are suitable for the markets to be supplied, and, secondly, to place the fruits on these markets in such a manner that they will sell most readilv and fetch the highest price. It is absolutely necessary to limit the number of varieties of fruits to be grown, aud no grower who lays himself out for export trade should grow more than six varieties of any kind of fruit, and in most cases three varieties would pay much better than six. Limiting the number of varieties simplifies the trade both for the grower and the buyer, as buyers always prefer to purchase certain recognised standard . varieties, which are known and asked for by the fruit-con-suming public, to kinds that the general public know nothing whatever about, as known varieties retail readily,/ and for more money, than varieties that are not generally known, and the public are chary of baying anything new in the way of fruit till the quality of the variety has become fairly ectablisbed. The following and details relating to the export of fruit, which are derived from a large number of sources, and are the result of the actual experience of growers, shippers, and dealers in all parts of the world, must be strictly adhered to by our growers , and shippers if we are to establish a profitable export fruit trade, that will prove a source of wealth to the Colony, and any neglect to comply with the advice given, which is baaed on experience, is bound to result in failure. . ~ .■*. 1 , „ ■ 1, Allow the fruit, to become fully devoloped, but not fully ripe, on the tree before gathering ; too ripe fruit will not carry. The best stage at which to gather varies considerably with different fruits, and with different varieties of tne same fruit, so that it can only be determine! accurately by actual experience. 2, Gather the fruit carefully, avoiding all bruising, as a bruised fruit is a spoilt f ru t_ in fact, a cull and consequently is unfit for export. Gather when dry, 3, Sweat the fruit before packing by allowing it to remain in the picking boxes for a few days. This will tend to get nd of the superflous moisture of the skin, and to toucdienthe skin, thus rendering the fruit less liable to injure by brusing during shipment. , , . 5 Wrap each fruit carefully, using a soft, light, but tough paper. The fruit must be corapletly covered by the paper, and the stem end should be so protected that when packed there is no chance of the stefe of one fruit puncturing the fruit packed next to it. Use attractive wrapping paper which should be stamped tfftha brand of the grower or the shipper. 6 Pack firmly, evenly and neatly, so thatthere is no chance of the fruit shifting but not so tight as to bruise the fruit and crush it out ot shape. Only one size and quality oi fruit must be packed in a case, which must be branded accordingly, as a single undersized or inferior fruit will spoil the sale of a case, or what is of more importance the sale of the whole shipment of the same brand, should it so happen that the containing the faulty fruit is the one to be opened when the consignment is being sold. Packing should be done in a manner that no matter which side of the case is opened the fruit will open so as to show to the best advantage. In the English raarketthe case is always opened from the side, not from the end, as a larger quantity of fruit is thus exposed to view, and any dishonest packing is readily detected, If there are any small spaces between the fruit, never try and cram in a small fruit, but fill the space with white paper shavings, a layer of which it is an advantage to place in the top and bottom of the case as well, as it forms a cushion for the fruit and minimise the danger of bruising, Never use newspaper n any forin, either for lining the cases or to fill up any spaces, as the printer s ink is readily absorbed by the fruit to which it imparts an unpleasant flavour. ■ 7. Use light, dry, clean, cases having cleats on one side so as to allow for ventilation between the cases when stacked. Line the case with strong white paper, and after packing leave the fruit for a day or two, if possible, to settle before nailing on the lid. The dryness of the case is. of the first importance, and my opinion much loss is now caused by the use of green timber for cases that are used for exP °A Brand every case distinctly ; first to show the kind, quality, and number of fruit it contains ; and, secondly, with the brand of the grower or shipper, which should be either a litho, or a stencil. Whatever brand is used it pays to have it attractive, and in addition to being attractive it should be distinct and readily dis-