74 



Journal of AgriciiUurc. [8 Feb., 1908. 



but should he desire to use a brand (such as shown in the illustration) it 

 will be necessary for him to register the same Application has to be 

 made to the Comptroller-General of Customs for the registration of brands, 

 and only brands which have been registered as trade marks under the 

 State or Commonwealth Act are eligible for registration with the Comp- 

 troller-General. When making application, it is advisable to quote the 

 number of the registration, so as to facilitate checking. It is urged that 

 different brands should be placed on fruit consigned to different ports, 

 or to or through different agents, otherwise mistakes are frequently made 

 at the port of discharge in parcels reaching the wrong agent or consignees. 

 For branding, the use of a neatly-cut stencil is recommended, so that 

 the brands will be uniform throughout. Do not paint the brands on with 

 a brush, or paste labels on your cases. These methods are crude and 

 unsightly. The neatest brand is that which is machine-printed on the 

 case-end by the maker. See that the word "Apples" or "Pears" is 

 plainly shown on the end of the case. The importance of this will be 

 seen when it is pointed out that pears are usually stowed under different 

 conditions to those provided for apples. It is therefore necessary that 

 the stevedores and others may see at a glance the description of the goods 

 they are handling. Many growers, who' have seen and appreciated this, 

 additionally mark the word " Pears " on the lid of each case. 



Loading at the Railway. 



The " louvre " or " U " tvpe of truck is the one usually provided for 

 the carriage of fruit. Until our growers, or their co-operative associations, 

 are able to run their fruit out from their own refrigerating-chambers, or 

 our railways provide cold storage depots and iced trucks, the louvre truck 

 will be the best means of conveyance of fruit from the orchard to the sea- 

 board. There is another known as the old " H " truck, which, although 

 very unsatisfactory as a vehicle for the conveyance of fruit, is nevertheless 

 far better than the open truck covered with black tarpaulin. Open trucks 

 should never be used for fruit carriage. The fruit becomes quite hot and 

 steamy under the tarpaulin, moisture follows, and the wrappers get 

 soaked. Consignments have arrived in trucks with water covering the 

 floor owing to the unsound condition of the tarpaulins. The result is that 

 the ship's engineer refuses to take the fruit, and the consignment is sent 

 back for local sale. 



Growers, at times, have complained that their fruit has been badly 

 damaged in transit by rail. This is nearlv always due to bad stowage in 

 the trucks. It cannot be too strongly urged that cases should be so stacked 

 that bumping of the trucks will not throw the top cases tO' the floor. 

 Stow them so^ that they will present a level face all over the bottom of 

 the truck ; or, if this is not practicable, build them up in " steps " from the 

 ends of the truck tO' the door. Ne\'er stow in high stacks in the trucks 

 without providing for possible falls. 



Stack pears as near the door of the truck as possible, so that they 

 mav be set aside at the boat for special storage. Consignments intended 

 for different boats should be kept apart as much as possible and the details 

 of each shipment noted on the railway waybill. When furnishing details 

 to the railway station officials it should be insisted upon that the quantities 

 of each fruit by each steamer should be noted on the waybill. For 

 instance, " S.S. Mongolia, 200 cases Apples, 50 cases Pears; S.S. 

 Somerset, 300 cases Apples, 50 cases Pears." If this be not done no 

 end of vexation, delay, and perhaps loss, will be occasioned. 



