^6 Journal of Agriculture. [8 Feb., 1908. 



they would suffer little from competition. Expensively-grown hothouse 

 fruits are used on the tables of those who can afford to pay fancy prices. 

 Cork-dust, so far, has proved the best packing material ; it is absorbent, 

 dry and verv light. Experience has shown that the best method, yet 

 adopted, is that of packing the bunches in cork-dust, well shaken down 

 between the berries. In a report furnished by a London firm of fruit- 

 agents, the use of barrels containing from 40 to 50 pounds of fruit has 

 been tried and found very effective. The best grape for export purposes 

 is the White Almeria or White Daria. Some measure of success has been 

 met with in forwarding Doradilla, Raisin des Dames, Waltham Cposs and 

 Red Prince. 



Passion Fruit. — The recent successful landing of passion-fruit at 

 London should prompt our growers to send more of this most delicious 

 fruit. Trade should commence in a small way, with say, two or three 

 consignments in the first season. As the fruit is not yet too' well known in 

 the United Ivmgdom it will require writing up and pushing to work up 

 what is bound to become, in time, a big business. Those experts who 

 have tasted our Victorian passion-fruit state that they are unequalled for 

 flavour, size and appearance, and compare favorably with any grown in 

 any part of the world. These fruits wdll carry in ordinary export cases. 

 Each fruit should be wrapped to prevent the spread of any decay, but for 

 trial shipments, growers should pack in different ways, in order to find 

 out the best methods of carriage. 



Citrus Fruits. — Citrus fruits sent to London from this State have, 

 so far, had no success worth speaking of. Xe\-ertheless, the success of 

 the Italian and American growers in landing oranges and lemons on the 

 Melbourne wharf after a journey of several thousand miles shows that it 

 is possible to carrv citrus fruits in perfect order. Similar fruits have been 

 received, from China, in trays and ordinary cases in perfect order. It 

 seems from observation of these consignments, that the essentials to success 

 are: — Send onlv prime, thin-skinned, well-cured fruits, wrap each in dry 

 tissue-paper and pack in boxes or trays so that the contents will not be 

 shaken about. Experimental lots might be also sent to the United States. 

 In Mav last, oranges were selling up to T4S. 6d., and lemons 21s. per 

 case, at San Francisco. Oranges should arrive in London from about the 

 middle of August until the end of October. Lemons are not so likely 

 to be pavable as oranges, because of the regular supplies of stored fruit 

 in large quantities and at low rates. 



Soft Fruits. — Soft fruits, such as peaches, apricots and plums, have 

 not yet been exported in sufficiently large quantities to enable us to assert 

 that their carriage is bevond the experimental stage ; but some remarkable 

 results have been gained by the use of the patent cases before-mentioned. 

 During the season of 1905 peaches sent to Vancouver and Seattle, in 

 Brartiev's cases, realized iid. per pound; plums brought rod. per pound 

 and William's pears were sold at i6s. per case of 22 pounds weight. 



Conclusion. 



See that the highest standard of quality is maintained throughout 

 every season ; remember that one inferior consignment will do more damage 

 to a growler's reputation than a whole season's effort will efface; ship 

 consignments under as few brands as possible (one preferablv) and do not 

 change your brands; co-operate and thus save expenses at th''; end; con- 

 centrate and save exoenses at the other end. 



