360 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE FAILURE OF THE FIRST EXPERIMENTAL 



SHIPMENT. 



Liverpool, September 21st, 1895. 



L. VVOOLVERTON, EsQ., 



Secretary Fruit Growers' Association, 



Grimsby, Ontario. 



Dear Sir, — My cable of the 17th inst. will have prepared you for a very 

 disappointing return from the trial shipment of fruit. 



I enclose the broker's report of its condition on arrival, and also a list of 

 the sales so far effected of the remnant that was found to possess some value. 

 The prices obtained, you will observe, were, as might be expected, for the most 

 part only nominal. The apples were the only part of the shipment in fair 

 condition. 



Both the brokers and myself complained to the Allan Company, and they 

 immediately cabled their representatives in Montreal that the fruit was spoiled 

 through defective arrangements and also sent particulars by mail It seems 

 that an insufficient supply of ice had been placed in the cold storage compart- 

 ment, hence the disaster. The fruit was quite warm to the touch after its 

 removal from the hold. I went down to the ship, just as the unloading was 

 completed, and my hopes at once sank when I saw the piles of wet boxes on 

 the quay. Many of them were opened in my presence and their contents pre- 

 sented a deplorable spectacle. 



The tomatoes in many of the boxes had literally dissolved, so that nothing 

 remained but a mass of skin and seeds. 



The grapes were all wet and separate from the stems. 



The plums were in a state of decomposition, though still showing some 

 signs of their original bloom and beauty. 



The peaches were simply transformed into lumps of black rottenness. 



The pears also suffered severely. Out of several boxes examined, there 

 was not a single perfectly sound fruit. Some were completely decayed and 

 others had retained their form and color in perfection, but collapsed on the 

 slightest pressure and found to be internally bad. 



It is a great disappointment to all concerned that, what was allowed by all 

 who saw it, to be a very fine collection of fruit, should have turned out so 

 unfortunately. 



Personally, I had been looking forward to its arrival with the keenest 

 interest and was prepared to utilize it to the fullest possible extent, as an 

 important and valuable advertisement of the resources of the Province gen- 

 erally, and of its horticultural wealth and capabilities in particular. But of 

 course the arrangements I had made to this end were completely frustrated 

 by the disheartening state of the shipment. I also feel great sympathy for 

 yourself and the other gentlemen acting with you, in the disappointment you 



