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Mr. Attan.—Yes ; though they are getting into a better system of handling now. 
On the other side barrels are handled much more carefully than here. The only objection 
to a square package is that you cannot pack as tightly or well to keep them from moving. 
I would not advise the putting up of anything except very choice fruit in the small 
packages, nor in any package for that matter, because it takes as much labor and costs as. 
much money to pack and send across a poor lot of apples as it does for the best. 
Mr. Nicnot.—Have you tried rolling them up in tissue paper ? 
Mr. Atan.—I did try that a good many years ago and on that occasion it came out 
well, but to what extent that could be profitably carried Ido not know. You will find 
a good deal of fruit handled that way in Covent Garden. Something of that kind could 
be done with extra fine specimens in repacking. I am strongly impressed from the little 
experience I had three years ago that repacking of these poor cargoes might be resorted 
to advantageously. Boys and girls can be hired to do the work at merely nominal wages. 
and the only trouble is the loss of the poor and bruised fruit. 
The Secretary.—lI would like to ask you about early apples. Do you think it would 
be possible to get any of our early apples over ? 
Mr. ALLAN.—Yes, certainly. I think the Duchess would go but it must be picked 
on the green side. You could scarcely try Red Astrachan. All early apples must be 
kept in a cool atmosphere. I do not see the slightest difficulty in taking those soft fruits 
across in a cold air compartment, and I believe we could get higher prices for those early 
fruits than we can expect for our winter varieties. 
The SEorETARY.—Do you think it would be possible to get pears over to England ; 
Bartlett pears that are picked green 4 
Mr. Attan.—I think there would be no difficulty in getting them over with the same 
vessel arrangements. As to how it would pay that would depend altogether on the state 
of the American crop. If the British and European crop was short it might be expected 
to pay well. I would not advise the shipment of our pears to the English market except 
under those circumstances. 
Mr. Dempsey.—Does the pear crop often fail in the channel islands ? 
Mr. Atian.—I do not think so. If we could educate the English taste up to appreci- 
ate the fine flavor of our pears we might do better, but they have not got to that point 
yet. They are coming to it gradually, however. They now eat our apples, while a few 
years ago they thought they were no good except for cooking. 
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF TEN ACRES IN FRUIT OULTURE. 
Mr. Morven.—The first requisite is the right man, and that man must have the- 
qualifications of a solid business man. To make money in fruit growing requires business 
talent and it is a great mistake to imagine that a person lacking in business ability will 
ever make a successful fruit cultivator. Next to that business ability he requires 
a knowledge of the business he is engaged in. I will not dwell upon this, although it is 
a current idea among city people that every man is a born farmer and frvit grower. If 
you want to find a man who thinks he knows all about agriculture and fruit growing it 
will be necesary for you to go in search of him in the centre of some densely populated 
city. The men who have followed this business all their lives know very little about it. 
Although, as I have said, this is a very common idea it is a mistake. The fruit grower 
needs a practical knowledge of his. business in addition to business qualifications. He 
also requires pluck and must be willing to work and fight weeds eight months of the year. 
He must hate weeds with an undying hatred and manifest that hatred every day of the week 
except Sunday. Having got the right man the next thing is to locate him in the right place. 
In the first place I would locate that man near some source of fertilisers. It is necessary to 
put him near some town or village of considerable size, because to get the best results out 
of ten acres requires no inconsiderable application of fertilisers. I would also have him. 
