ii'ept. 2, 190S.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. Ibl 



Apple Report, 



Offices of Agent-Cieneial, 

 123 and 125, Cannon-street, London, E.C., 

 Sir, 26 June, 1908. 



I have the honor to forward herewith a short review on the season's 

 apple trade by Mr. A. J. Brisley. This gentleman acts as sui-veyor of frozen 

 produce for a number of leading firms in London, and has the oppcjrtunity of 

 seeing the apples al■ri^'ing from all the States. 



I have the lionor to be 

 Sir, 

 Your obecHent Servant, . 

 The Honourable the Minister for T. A. COGHLAN. 



Agriculture, Sydney. 



I HAVE the honor to submit the following report on fruit sliipped from 

 Australia and Tasmania. The last fruit sliipped for the season has now been 

 delivered, and I regret to state that the net result has not been financially 

 satisfactory to shippers. The numl)er of Ijoxes sent from Tasmania was about 

 485,000, and from Australia about 110,000 boxes. This was rather less from 

 Australia as compared w^ith 1907, and more from Tasmania. 



The prices for apples from Australia averaged in this market all round 

 about Is. per box less than the Tasmanians. Apples arrived generally in 

 good condition, although in the early deliveries I found bitter pit prevail- 

 ing rather extensively, but later on this was not so noticeable. The 

 quality was not quite so good, nor were the apples so uniformly graded as 

 last year. This applies more particularly to those from Tasmania, and in my 

 opinion this is attributable to the fact that in their anxiety to get full freight 

 shippers sent apples that were not of sufficiently good quality for export 

 purposes. 



The fruit generally was well carried, at temperatures vai-ying in different 

 ships, from 35 to 12 degrees Fahr., but while I would not like to draw invi- 

 dious distinctions, I nmst say it was carried better and more carefully handled 

 by some lines than others. The packing is open to great improvement, at> 

 those on the top of the box when opened show the effect of undue pressure. 

 and present a bruised appearance. Australian pears generally arrived in 

 much better condition than those from Tasmania ; a number of the latter 

 were condemned. The few grapes that were sent vvere fairly good. Cork- 

 dust is the best packing for these. The passion-fruit was not a success. 



There is room for consiflerable expansion in the apple trade, but to make 

 it entirely successful none but the best selected fruit should be sent. It 

 should be very carefully graded aTid packed, and a popular price on the market 



