lo Mar., 191 1.] A Record Sliipment of Pears. 193 



The total cost of each package to London works out at 4s. lofd., the 

 details of which are as follows : — 



Travs 



Handling (in 

 Rail to shij) 

 Ocean freight 

 Agency 



cool storage) 



and insurance 



The above figures do not include port charges and commission In 

 London which amount to 7d. and 5 per cent, respectively. 



In addition to the pears (5,166 cases), 5,707 cases of apples, 10 cases 

 of plums, 6 cases peaches and 6 cases of grapes were also shipped. The 

 promoters of the venture would have preferred the shipment to consist 

 '^olelv of pears, but owing to insufficient response from the growers thev 



. I,'; ' I'l • /i\(; ' [I • 'M".':r. govern?.':ent cool stcim-^. 



had perforce to fill the n-maindtr of the space with a])ples. Arrange- 

 ments were made to have the apples placed in the ships refrigerator 24 

 hours before the pears were taken on board. The object of this was to 

 allow the a]iples sufficient time to cool to a temperature as near as possible 

 to that of the pears. 



The general all round excellence of the fruit was a notable feature 

 in ((jnnectifm with this shipment. Though well mature<l, the fruit was 

 firm, unblemished, and .so free from disease, that only three fruits affected 

 with codlin moth wi-re noticed during the packing of over 2,000 ca.ses of 

 pears. 



It was originailv intended that this consignment would Ix' .shipped 

 under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, and arrangements had 

 ocen made ff)r the eiigint-er in charge of the Doncaster Cool Store; (Mr. 

 W. French) to accompany the fruit to Lngland. An examination of the 

 arrangements on board the vessel, jiowever, coininced that ( tTicer that th- 



