150 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



consignment of apples was in good condition. The Vicar of Winkfield 

 and Winter Nelis pears, in large cases, were in good order, l)ut a few 

 cases of another variety were wasty and unsound ; a few cases of grapes 

 also were not in good condition. A number of cases of ap])les, cliietiy 

 of the Ribston Pippin variety, were very much affected by the dry 

 brown spot, known in Australia as bitter pit, which I referred to last 

 season as black spot, this seriously depreciates their value, the fruits 

 being otherwise large and well-grown. This dry spot extends 

 from the skin inwards, frequently almost reaching the core. I have 

 been informed that a peculiarity of it is that there may be only slight 

 indications of it on the skin when the fruit is gathered and jmcked for 

 shipment, but the disease increases and extends afterwards, so that 

 the apple is very badly affected in the course of a few weeks, and so 

 loses in value by the time it is offered for sale on this market. Some 

 of the Ribstons sold this week, if sound and free from this disease, 

 would have realised from los. to 16s. per case, but only brought from 

 6s. to 13s. Fruit buyers here recognise at once apples affected with it, 

 and sales can only be made with difficulty. Growers having their 

 orchards affected with this disease in apples should make special 

 efforts to prevent, if possible, its recurrence next season, otherwise 

 their consignments may result in a loss to them. 



Prices realised for the Omrah consignment were, on the whole, 

 fairly good, especially for the good dessert apples, such as Cleopatra, 

 Jonathan and Munro's Favorite. The Tasmanian apples, being the 

 first shipment of the season, with some of the fruit not fully grown 

 and developed, realised prices very much under Victorian. These 

 were from 7s. 6d. to 12s., only small lots of choice fruit reaching 15s. 

 per case. Prices per case for Victorian fruit were as follows : — 



Apples. 



Present indications are, with a considerable quantity of American 

 apples yet on the market, and the knowledge of heavy shipments 

 of Tasmanian during the next ten weeks, that prices cannot rule high, 

 and that any apples shipped, which are not of first quality and 

 condition will realise values which may not prove profitable, to 

 the grower. 



