DIRECT SHIPMENTS OF FRUIT TO DUBLIN 



It seems guite possible the value of Ireland 

 ■as a market for Canadian fruits has been over- 

 looked in the past by Canadian growers. With 

 the object of learning something concerning the 

 possibilities of this market Mr. W. T. Macoun, 

 horticulturist at the Central Experimental 

 Farm, Ottawa, made a trial shipment of 

 Duchess apples in boxes on August -, to Bel- 

 fast. The shipment was made as the result 

 of a letter received from a Dublin buyer asking 

 for trial shipments. jf 



Writing to The Horticulturist Mr. Macoun 

 says : 



I am sending you a copy of a letter received 

 from J. H. Sheridan, Dublin, Ireland, in which 

 he holds out inducements to Canadian Fruit 

 growers to ship their fruit direct to Ireland. 

 We have already arranged to make several ex- 

 perimental shipments of apples to Ireland this 

 year in boxes. The first shipment of Duchess 

 apples was sent to Belfast, August 20, in cold 

 storage, via Diverpool. This plan may prove 

 too expensive, but as the rates between Diver- 

 pool and Belfast are very low, and the fruit can 

 be sent across in a few hours, we are sanguine 

 of the success of the shipment. Further ship- 

 ments will probably be sent direct. The ship- 

 ments are being made to Hugh Gordon, 41 Vic- 

 toria sitreet, Belfast, Ireland, who is a well 

 "known commission man. 



Tours Truly, W. T. MACOUN. 



THE DUBLIN MARKET. 



The letter received by Mr. Macoun asking for 

 "these shipments read as follows : 



Home Villa, Columbus Road, 

 Drumcondra, Dublin, 

 Dear Sir : 



I would like to be put in communication with 

 fruit growers in your district that I may 

 -endeavor to arrange with them to send their 

 fruit direct to this market for sale, thereby 

 avoiding the expense, etc., they at presen?] 

 incur by dealing with agents and brokers in 

 ■Canada and England. I believe that it would 



be more advantageous for growers to pack and 

 consign their crops to a market direct where 

 good prices can be secured, than by depending 

 upon the prices offered by agents for the whole- 

 sale dealers. 



All the fruit on these markets coming from 

 Canada is received through firms in England 

 and Scotland, and then sold in the fruit mar- 

 kets to the retailers. Owing, therefore, to the 

 number of people handling the fruit and the 

 heavy freight rates from Canada to Englan*d| 

 and thence to Dublin, fruit is sold here at very 

 stiff prices, but the growers have no benefit out 

 of it as they usually dispose of their crops at 

 fairly low prices. 



We have a good market in Dublin for Cana- 

 dian fruits of all classes, as the home-grown 

 supply is very limited. It is, therefore, open 

 to Canadian growers to estaiblish a ^ood trade 

 with this country which would be to the ad- 

 vantage of both growers and consumers. There 

 would be no difficulty in sending consignments 

 direct to Dublin, as they could come by, say the 

 Head, Lord, or other lines touching this port, and 

 as to getting a profitable market I have no 

 hesitation In saying that I can dispose of all 

 fruit sent me to good advantage. What we 

 require here is steady consignments, and a 

 guarantee that the fruit will be of good uniform 

 packs throughout. I am in a position to dis- . 

 pose of 1,000 to 1,500 barrels of apples per week. 



Were I sure that I would receive steady ship- 

 ments of good quality, I would easily increase 

 this amount, as of course, being here on the 

 spot, I am in a better position to dispose of 

 consignments than the firms in Liverpool, Lon- 

 don, or Glasgow, and to better advantage. I 

 wish, if possible, to make the necessary arrange-^ 

 ments before the season is too far advanced. 

 As to my bona fides, my solicitors, Mr. Joseph 

 McDermott, 16 Fleet street; Mr. John Coyle, 7 

 Halston street, or T. J. O'Neill, wine merchant, 

 69 Dorset street, Dublin, will give any particu- 

 lars required. — Tours faithfully, 



J. H. SHERIDAN. 



A FRUIT TRADE EXHIBITION 



SAMPSON MORGAN. 



A remarkable exhibition of fruit packages 

 Tnay be seen in the foreign fruit market at 

 Covent Garden, England'. The display is ar- 

 Tanged under the auspices of the French gov- 

 ernment by Mr. Michael Garcia, the head of the 

 firm of Messrs. Garcia, Jacobs & Co., of Lon- 

 don. Canadian fruit growers may know that 

 this firm has a branch at Liverpool under the 

 -name of Messrs. Simons, Shuttleworth & Co., 

 and at Glasgow under the name of Messrs. 

 'iSimons, Jacobs & Co., Michael Simons, Esq., 

 J. P., the head of the firm, being a noted au- 

 thority on fruit trade matters. 



The package which attracts the most atten- 

 tion is an iron frame crate, containing shelves 

 covered with strong wire netting. The fruits 

 In it are grapes, pears, greengages, peaches, etc. 

 The greengages are put up in dome boxes, and 

 the tomatoes in rush baskets. The large Iron 



frame crate is a returnable package ; the small 

 boxes and baskets are sold with the fruit. 



In these days fruit producers must market 

 evenly-graded, large, high colored fruits of 

 choice quality, neatly put up in small packages, 

 if they expect to get the highest prices. For 

 such the demand in the British markets is 

 limitless. The Paris agents send their finest 

 well grown greengages in little boxes holding 

 40 fruits in two layers. In each layer there 

 are five rows containing four greengages each. 

 They ship early-forced grapes to Covent Gar- 

 den in boxes of about the same size. The most 

 experienced French shippers recognize the im- 

 portant part that the small and attractively 

 filled package plays in respect to sale. Cana- 

 dian fruit exporters have in many inistances 

 still much to learn in this connection. Possibly 

 these notes on the fruit package exhibition may 

 set some thinking. 



406 



