NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



in Liverpool is interesting. The total 

 number of barrels in 1892-3 was 799 

 thousand: in 18934, 1 10 thousand; in 

 1894-5, 857 thousand ; in 1895-6, 438 

 thousand ; and in 1896-7, 1599 thousand. 

 The lowest average for Canadian Bald- 

 wins was in March '97, viz. 9/, and the 

 highest in March '95, viz. 30/. 



The First Experimental Shipments 

 of tender fruits in cold storage to Eng- 

 land, of this season did not meet with 

 the hoped for success. The tempera- 

 ture on steamship was ton high to carry 

 Crawford peaches and Bartlett pears 

 without change of condition. On the 

 Merrimac, leaving Montreal, Sept. 9th 

 the temperature rose as high as 42°, and 

 on the Sardinian it was 48° most of the 

 voyage ! What could be expected but 

 failure of such cold storage as that w.ith 

 tender fruits like the above ? The blame 

 is due to the Steamship Company not 

 carrying out Mr. Robertson's instruc- 

 tions, and we think, the Company should 

 be liable for damages. Notwithstanding 

 the spoiled condition in which as they ar- 

 rived, Bartlett pears sold as high as $1.25 

 a case (containing about 30 quarts), and 

 tomatoes about the same Peaches were 

 in no condition to sell after being so 

 long exposed to a temperature of 48° 

 with a heat inside the packages of pro- 

 bably 8° or 10° higher. 



The rate to (ilasgow was only about 

 ^ a cent a lb., while that to London 

 was about i cent. There are still eight 



or ten car loads to hear from and we hope 

 to have better news for our next issue. 



A Standard Fruit Case. — The 

 Australian Colonies, according to the 

 Agricultural Gazette, of Tasmania, have 

 adopted a case for export of fruit, 

 measuring 10 x 15 x 20 inches outside, 

 for apples and oranges ; and a half case, 

 5 X 15 X 20 for pears, grapes, cherries, 

 plums and other soft fruit. The follow- 

 ing good qualities are combined in this 

 case : {'i) Equal packing capacity with 

 the old centre case ; (b) more economi- 

 cal stowage on board ship ; {c) requir- 

 ing only such limber as can be easily 

 and cheaply provided ; {d) of such size, 

 weight, and shape as to minimise risk 

 of damage in handling; (c) offering 

 equal facility for packing large or small 

 fruit. 



The Canadian shippers who have 

 been making up the trial shipments of 

 fruit in cold storage for London and 

 Glasgow markets, for the Department of 

 Agriculture, have agreed upon a very 

 similar package. Our standard apple 

 box measures iij^ x 11^ x 23^4, a 

 most convenient size for storing on ship- 

 board, being about two cubic feet. The 

 space occupied by such a package is 

 easily computed, and no matter whether 

 piled crosswise or lengthwise, it packs 

 equally well. For pears and tomatoes, 

 a half case will answer, but for peaches 

 and grapes, about one inch shallower 

 would be preferable. 



Grape Wine. — Pick the grapes off 

 the stems and mash with a potato poun- 

 der, allowing a pint of cold water to 

 every quart of grapes before they are 

 washed. Then add the water and let 

 stand for three days, stirring each day. 

 Strain through a jelly bag, and the fol- 

 lowing day pour off carefully from the 

 sediment, and add three pounds white 



sugar to every gallon of juice. Put into 

 large jars loosely corked to allow it to 

 ferment, and at the end of three weeks 

 (if it has done fermenting) add one quart 

 of whiskey to five gallons of liquid. In 

 three or four days bottle it, corking 

 tightly. While the wine is fermenting 

 the jars must be kept filled with some of 

 the liquid reserved for the purpose. 



429 



