lo Oct. 1908.] The Apple Export Trade, Season 1908. 631 



l)een quoted in previous articles in this Journal. It would appear as 

 though the researches into this subject would start at the very beginning, 

 that is, in the orchard itself, and atteintion should' be given, as is done 

 in the United States of America, to the causes which influence the consti- 

 tution and keeping qualities of fruit grown under various conditions. 

 Experiments should be conducted in the way of pruning with a view- 

 to equalizing, as much as possible, the output from the trees each succeeding 

 season and thus prevent exhaustion through the production of abnormally 

 heavy crops. It should be borne in mind that the keeping quality of the 

 fruit is impaired when the trees are weakened, apart altogether from the 

 question of disease. Immature fruit apparently deteriorates and decays 

 much more rapidly than vigorous well -developed fruit even without the 

 presence of disease as a contributing factor. 



The " Bitter Pit " problem is one that also requires solution as it 

 appears to be about the worst enemy with which the exporter has to contend. 

 The offer of a bonus for the discovery of a xemedy would undoubtedly be 

 politic under present circumstances. 



It seems a pity that some means could not be den-ised whereby the 

 shipping companies could be compelled to rigidly pay the strictest attention 

 to the matter of fluctuations in temperatures, &c., during the time the 

 fruit is in transit. If it could be made a stipulation that each boat carry 

 a self-registering thermometer, showing every fluctuation during the voyage, 

 and that a strict account be rendered to the Agent-General at the other end 

 of all the conditions which have obtained during transit, it would probably 

 be found that a great deal of the deterioration and waste which now occurs 

 would be avoided. There seems to be no room for doubt that the fruit, 

 as a whole, is carried at too high temperatures. 



Provision should also be made for chilling fruit before being placed 

 on board the exporting vessel. Every hour at which fruit is kept at high 

 temperatures after being picked hastens its deca\-. If fxuit were chilled 

 before being placed on board a \essel for export many fluctuations in 

 temperature could thereby be avoided. For instance, a vessel may load 

 some thousands of cases of fruit in one port and after some davs call at 

 another port and place amongst the fruit which is already chilled, cases 

 which are many degrees higher in temperature. This has the effect of 

 raising the temperature of all the fruit in the refrigerator and retards its 

 keeping qualities. 



Something in the way of reduction in freights should also be attempted, 

 as the grower should be enabled, under proper conditions, to realize a 

 profit when obtaining any price above 6s. in the European markets for his 

 fruit. There are, apparently, so manv aspects of this question of suc- 

 cessful fruit export Avhich demands attention that united action on the 

 part of the growers or the Government, or both, seems imperative. The 

 scientific and business sides of the question both require to be carefully 

 attended to, and a plan of campaign mapped out before united action 

 is taken. 



Regarding inferior packing and grading, it mav be safely said that 

 Victoria offends less in this direction than anv of the exporting States. 

 There seems little room for doubt that much improvement could be effected 

 and the difiiculty could, perhaps, be met by the insertion of provision 

 in the schedules of the Commerce Act Regulations for the standardizing 

 and grading of fruits. The matter seems to be rather a difficult one, as 

 it would appear that a standard would be required for every variety of 



