COLD STORAGE TRANSPORTATION. 



kNE of the most encouraging pros- 

 pects now before the Oniario fruit 

 grower is that of soon being able 

 to export to Great Britain in perfect 

 cold storage his choicest fruits. This 

 season our fruit growers have waked up 

 to the possibility of over production of 

 some of our finest fruits. Our magnifi- 

 cent Bartletts have been begging for 

 buyers at 25 cents a twelve quart 

 basket, beautiful Concord grapes at one 

 cent a pound, Lombard plums at 15 

 cents a twelve quart basket, and our 

 world renowned apples at 40 cents a 

 barrel ! 



At this stage, fortunately, the Domin- 

 ion Minister of Agriculture comes to the 

 rescue and offers to help us reach the 

 best markets of the world. 



At the meeting at Kingston, certain 

 questions were propounded by the Hon. 

 Sidney Fisher, viz : — 



1. Will cold storage warehouses be 

 required outside of shipping centres? 



2. What amount of space will be 

 needed on railways and steamships dur- 

 ing the year 1896, and what quantity of 

 fruit should be forwarded per week or 

 month, to make a fair commercial ex- 

 periment ? 



3. During what length of time will 

 cold storage service be required, and 

 about what date could the first regular 

 shipment be expected ? 



4. Will refrigerator service be needed 

 in winter ? 



To discuss these questions and com- 

 municate the result to the Minister, the 

 following Committee was appointed at 

 the meeting at Kingston, viz. : — 



L Woolverton, W. M. Orr, Geo. E. 

 Fisher, A H Pettit, E. D. Smith. 



Regarding the establishment of Dis- 

 trict Cold Storage Warehouses, Mr. 

 James Robertson wrote under date of 



Oct. 29, asking whether a number of 

 fruit growers in several different dis- 

 tricts would form themselves into Joint 

 Stock Companies, for the purpose of 

 erecting and operating district cold 

 storage warehouses for fruit. He said, 

 " I think a building sufficient to hold 

 twenty five carloads could be erected 

 and equipped with the requisite mechan- 

 ical refrigerating plant at a cost of 

 between $5,000 and $6,000. The 

 charges for the storage of fruit, when 

 the warehouses were at all largely used, 

 would yield a revenue sufficient to pay 

 the operating expenses, and a fair inter- 

 est on the investment. 



Would a guarantee by the Govern- 

 ment of say 5 per cent, on the cost of 

 the cold storage warehouses, for three 

 years, in case they did not earn enough 

 to pay 5 per cent, dividend, be a suffi- 

 cient inducement, or could aid be given 

 in any more effective manner ? " 



Now we would like an expression of 

 opinion from our leading fruit growers. 

 Shall first class, large cold storage ware- 

 houses be placed in our large cities, such 

 as Toronto. Hamilton, and London ; or 

 shall small ones be scattered among 

 our villages ? When the Committee 

 reaches a decision, we will publish 

 it. In the meantime we publish a 

 letter on the subject from Mr. E. D. 

 Smith, of Winona, one of our leading 

 shippers. 



Sir, — Vour esteeined favor to liaiul, asking 

 if ttie Government should form a scheme for 

 the transportation of fruit in cold storage to 

 Britain, would a stock company with a capi- 

 tal of §5,000 or Sti.OOO he likely to be formed 

 at Winona if guaranteed interest at 5% for 3 

 years. I scarcely think so until the success 

 of placing onr perishable fruits or. the British 

 market has been more fully tested. .My idea 

 is this : If suit.able storage warehouses were 

 erected in Hamilton and possibly another at 

 St. Catharines, and tests made for 2 or :i 

 years, to see if the British market will take 

 our fruits at profitable prices ; whether they 



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