9 Dec, 1907.] The Afple Trade with Great Britain. 745 



THE APPLE TRADE WITH GREAT BRITAIN AND 



GERMANY. 



Prices obtained. 1907 Season. 



Ernest Meeking, Inspector under the Commerce Act. 



The apple export season for 1907 was remarkable not only because 

 the total quantity shippeu far exceeded that of any previous year but 

 also on account of the high prices realized on the London and European 

 markets. The lightness of the American apple harvest was partly 

 responsible for this, but the opening up of new markets on the Continent 

 and elsewhere, causing the fruit to be more widely distributed, un- 

 doubtedly contributed in bringing about this satisfactory result. This 

 emphasizes the necessity of our fruit exporters giving immediate and 

 close attention to this side of their business and pushing it for all it is 

 worth. 



The necessity for this immediate attention ma\ not at first seem very 

 obvious, but it should be considered that the improved methods of har- 

 vesting, handling, storing and transporting fruits have of late vears 

 considerably lengthened the period over which apples may be kept after 

 harvesting. This is causing the marketing of American apples to extend 

 over a longer time each year. In addition, the areas under cultivation 

 in Cape Colony, Natal and the Argentine are every year on the increase. 

 These countries are situated much closer to the European markets than 

 •we are and by reason of their fruit season occurring at the same time 

 of the year as our own, threaten to become serious competitors in the 

 trade. It behoves us therefore to "get on early" and capture as many 

 markets as possible, remembering, that the old adage concerning posses- 

 sion applies with equal force to business as it does to law. The principal 

 foreign market patronized by Victorian exporters so fai^ has been Ger- 

 many. The quantity shipped to that country last season was far in 

 excess of any previous year. The appended list of prices will show that 

 the results well repaid those who were venturesome enough to ship to 

 German ports. That this direct trade might with advantage be established 

 with other continental countries has been clearly proved in the case of 

 America which, within the past few years, has opened up a large and 

 profitable trade with many European ports until recently untouched. 



The great drawback to Australia copying this example is the want of 

 a supervising agency to search out new markets, to furnish reports of 

 the coming output and demand (to both growers and buyers) and to 

 control distribution according to requirements. The necessity of cold 

 storage at each distributing centre and an extension of transport facili- 

 ties to other than the present centres (Eondon and Hamburg) is becoming 

 more pressing year after year; in fact there is, in addition to what is 

 here outlined, many other questions in this connexion which demand 

 urgent attention. 



It IS unfortunate that for the forthcoming season the Victorian apple 

 crop will probably be a light one, particularly in view of the fact that 

 prices on the London and European markets will doubtless be again 

 high owing to the exceptional lightness of the American crop. Last 

 year the United States and Canadian crops yielded about 75 per cent. 

 of the average. This year according to the latest advices 49 States 

 expect to average only 44 per cent., while Canada, in eight out of the 



