324 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



cash commission. He cannot always get that, and I am told that there will be 

 thousands of cases of apples that will be left to rot in the orchards through 

 failure to get a profitable market. These apples will soon be out of season, and 

 apples shipped from Ontario in November would reach here when the market 

 would be bare of Australian fruit. They would, however, have to meet the 

 competition from California. Last year nearly three thousand cases were sold 

 from that country. The prices realized would run from eleven to fifteen shil- 

 lings per bushel. This price is too high for a large consumption. There is at 

 present a duty of one shilling per bushel, which will, perhaps, be removed upon 

 the first of January next, although this is exceedingly doubtful. I cannot tell 

 you what you would be able to lay down a car of apples from Grimsby to 

 Sydney. You will be able to ascertain this from a C P. R. agent, who would 

 perhaps give you a low rate on a trial shipment. In competing with California, 

 you would be competing with apples with no overland freight of any extent to 

 pay ; but I think a shipment of such apples as the Northern Spy would bring a 

 higher price than the California product. There is little doubt that they would 

 stand the journey and reach here in good condition. I think, however, I 

 would ship them in cases containing a bushel each. Barrels are expensive for 

 shipping by water, as six of them make a ton of forty cubic feet. If you care 

 to make a shipment in October, to catch the steamer leaving Vancouver 

 November i6, I shall do the best that can be done with them as an experi- 

 ment. I would recommend that they should be put into the auction room, 

 unless I could get remunerative offers beforehand. This sale would attract 

 attention and ascertain whether a high price could be obtained on account of 

 the quality. Should you do this, I would recommend that a small lot be sent 

 to me as samples by the October ship, and in this way I would submit them to 

 fruit dealers, so that they would get a knowledge of the fruit that would come, 

 and perhaps they could be sold before the shipment arrived. They should be 

 insured, to cover value to the shipper and costs of freight. This insurance 

 should cover risks of freezing overland and spoiling on route. I rather expect 

 it would be difficult to get the Government to pay the expense of a shipment 

 of this kind, as they do not appear to have too overflowing a treasury just now. 

 My services will of course cost nothing. 



" In addition to what I have stated, there would be some charges for 

 cartage, dock charges, handling, etc. ; but I think that if put up in bushel cases, 

 as before mentioned, I might estimate the expense to be something like this : 

 duty, i/ ; handling, cartage, commission, etc., i/; freight, 6/. If they could be 

 sold at 1 2/ a bushel, this would leave a very narrow margin ; if they could bring 

 15/, that would be very much better. If you could arrange for a portion of a 

 cargo, I think it would be better than for a whole carload. It would also be 

 advisable, if the experiment is decided upon, that I should be advised as early 

 as possible, to prevent a larger quantity of California apples being ordered than 

 might otherwise be the case. As a quantity of apples is pretty sure to be sent 

 to British Columbia, a few cases might be sent here, as the steamer would take, 

 I think, 100 cases at a very little higher rate than 1000." 



