lo Nov., 1911.] The Fruit Export Trade, Season igii. 751 



German Market. — The German market has shown a jiiarked expansion 

 during tlie season under notice. This market is also remarkable for the 

 all round good prices which have been obtained. The principal German 

 port to which our fruits have hitherto been shipped has been Hamburg ; 

 but some of our exporters intend, next season, to open up direct shipment 

 to Bremen. Some difference of opinion exi.sts as to the advisability of 

 diiect shipment to the latter port. It is contended, on tht^ one hand, 

 that the buvers do not, at present, go to Bremen, and in all prcbability 

 cannot be induced to do so. On the other hand, some exporters confi- 

 dently state that this is not sO' ; but that direct shipments to Bremen would 

 find a ready sale. These advocatt-s in favour of such direct shipment 

 state, moreover, that Bremen is fully as good from a distributing point 

 of \-iew as Hamburg, having good communication with such cities as Ber- 

 lin, Es.sen, Dusseldorf, Cologne. Frankfort. Mannheim, Hanover, Magde- 

 berg, Leipsic and Dresden. This math^r. of course, must be left to the 

 judgment of the shippers, and will, no doubt, be decided by the advioe^> 

 they may obtain. 



Speaking generally, it may be conceded that the reason for the better 

 jirices obtained in Germany, over those of the United Kingdom, is due 

 to the superior system of marketing which obtains in the former country. 

 The spacious auction rooms in Hamburg give buyers opportunities to ex- 

 amine a far larger percentage of consignments than is possible in Covent 

 Garden and other London miarkets. The general merits of our fruits 

 have, therefore, a better chance of being displayed in Hamburg than they 

 have in London. Speaking of the latter centre, it may be remarked that 

 advices show that the prices obtained from private sales of fruit seem 

 much better than those received from sales by public auction. 



New Centres.— -It seems a pity that better facilities do not exist for 

 direct shipments to many large distributing centres in the United Kingdom 

 and on the Continent. Many of these, such as Hull, Manchester, Glas- 

 gow, Bremen, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and others cannot be 

 reached except by transhipment, and the experience of exporters, w-ho 

 have tried to ship direct to clients in these centres, has not been of a 

 nature to encourage a continuance of these ventures. This, in thr opinion 

 of the writer, constitutes a serious drawback to the expansion of the ex 

 port trade. Those interested in this matter are reconuiicndtd to read the 

 very able report bv Mr. U. \'. Ilillis and published in the Journal of 

 l;;st March, on the i)ossibilities of Manchester as a port to whicii our fruits 

 may be shipped direct. This city and Hull seem to be the two ports 

 which could be at present cxploitrd with most advantage. It should be 

 rememliered that the latter ptrt aninially imports more than three times 

 the value of tlie t<ital \ahic ol fruits exi)orted from Victoria, and that 

 during the time our fruits arriw' in tlu United Kingdom the population 

 (nunil)ering more than ten millions) of which Hull is the natural distri- 

 buting centre, is dependent fm London and Liverpool for its su]iplies of 

 fruit. 



During the season, se\eral shipments were forwarded to ports hitherto 

 untried, the most notable being lUienos Aires and Vancouver. Concern- 

 ing both these places, reci'iit advices state that large and profital)Ie markets 

 exist if faciliti«'S for reaching them were available. In May last, tin- 

 Department of Agriculture shi|)ped lo the nider of a leading firm in Van- 

 couver 300 cases of carefullv sel<(ie<l ai)|)lts. .\lthough no cool storage 

 accommodation was avail. ibli' during the trip, and the consignment was 

 shipped as ordinary cargo, the fruit .irrixcd in good condition and brought 



