326 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



EXPERIMENTAL FRUIT SHIPMENTS. 



Probably there is no department of our experimental work so important as 

 are experiments in finding new foreign markets for our Ontario fruits. Year by 

 year it is becoming more evident that, unless new outlets are found, the fruit- 

 growing industry will gradually become less profitable to growers, and the pros- 

 perity of our province will therefore be less marked. 



In response to a delegation from the Fruit Growers' Association who visited 

 Ottawa asking for cold storage accommodation on steamers bound for Great 

 Britain, the Department of Agriculture has sent us the following message : — 

 " Government will provide cold storage chamber on steamers for two trial ship- 

 ments of fruit on the date which shippers may select." A letter from Mr. H. 

 B. Small, the Secretary, further explains that there must be not less than one 

 carload in each shipment, nor more than two carloads, and that the temperature 

 on board the steamers can be held at from 32° to 40° Fahr. Shippers will be 

 charged the usual freight charges of 20/ per ton of seventy-five cubic feet actu- 

 ally occupied from Montreal to the port in Great Britain. The steamers which 

 are fitted up with cold storage accommodation go to Bristol, Liverpool and 

 Glasgow. Shipments to London can be made via Bristol at the rate of 35/ per 

 ton of seventy-five cubic feet from Montreal. Railway cars go alongside of 

 steamers at Avonmouth, so that no cartage is required, as is the case at Liver- 

 pool on goods for London. 



Mr. John Craig, horticulturist at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, 

 is to act in conjunction with the Fruit Growers' Association to arrange for the 

 preparation of the lots to be shipped. The fruits are to be sent forward at the 

 risk of the shippers and sold, on their account by such persons as they may 

 direct. The Fruit Growers' Association is asked to appoint a committee to 

 collect or arrange for the preparation of the shipments, to be made up of such 

 sorts and varieties of fruits as would likely meet a good market and lead to the 

 development of trade in them. Any shippers in Ontario who desire to join in 

 this experiment will please correspond with Mr. A. H. Pettit or with Mr. John 

 Craig. 



It is probable that the Board of Control of the experiment stations of Ontario 

 will send forward a trial shipment made up of the various fruits grown in Ontario, 

 more especially the tender fruits which are likely to do well in the British mar- 

 kets. Toiiatoes, peaches, grapes and pears are among the fruits with which it 

 will be well to experiment. These fruits need to be wrapped in tissue paper 

 and firmly packed in small packages. Any fruits which are to be shipped 

 through by our Board of experiment stations will be consigned to Mr. Byrne, 

 the Ontario Government agent at Liverpool. 



