4IO The Canadian Horticulturist. 



CANADIAN FRUIT IN SCOTLAND. 



Editor Canadian Horticulturist : 



Sir, — Yours of 24th Aug. is just received by me. I note about the trial of 

 cold storage for the tender fruit, and by the papers I see it did not prove quite 

 a success ; but I think it must in the end if the storage is good, and the time 

 taken to come over not too long. Yesterday, when in Glasgow, I called on 

 Messrs. Simons, Jacobs & Co., large fruit dealers. On Tuesday they had sold a 

 large lot of American apples at a price that they told me would net $1.25 to the 

 shipper clear. There are three lots more to arrive and will be sold tomorrow. 

 They are the largest dealers in Britain ; they tell me Mr. Simons has met you. He 

 tells me Scotland is a better market for American fruit than England, and just now 

 there is a large demand for American fruit. One thing we must be careful of, that 

 there is no false packing. The papers here and the agriculturist are always ready to 

 take up that cry, and do their utmost to make the public think nothing is good 

 that comes from America. You would be surprised at the amount of opposition 

 there is to the coming into this market of American produce. They don't put 

 a duty on it but they try to injure the trade in every way possible. See how 

 they began to speak of our cheese. The same thing is true in the ham and 

 bacon line. The trade in fruit here ought to be good. I paid in Glasgow, 

 yesterday, lod. a lb. for tomatoes; 2/ a lb. for grapes ; 8d. a lb. for pears. I 

 don't see how the people can afford to buy fruit at these prices. Mr. Simons 

 told me they always did better in Glasgow with American fruit than in England, 

 and they felt the need of a faster line of steamers coming into Glasgow. I think 

 this would be a good point to try a small lot at shipping them to Simons, Jacobs 

 & Co., Glasgow, as a trial, and the sooner the better ; if I knew they were com- 

 ing I would tell him about them. I am now going to London, but as your 

 letter has been so long in reaching me there is little chance of my being there 

 when any fruit you might ship after this reaches you, would arrive. The best 

 way, I think, is to make up a small shipment of choice fruit, packed as I sug- 

 gested, of good keeping apples, and ship them to Glasgow to this firm, write them 

 full particulars by mail, and let us see what the result will be. I will join you 

 and any others in shipment, say, of not more than 50 bbls. I leave it all in 

 your hands, as you know far better about this than what I do ; only I am very 

 desirous to see all the trade done with this country possible. If plums and 

 pears could be got in also ; the grapes they say will not sell, as our grapes lose 

 their flavor in the trip. I can't see how this is, and the attempt now being 

 made must be continued ; it will be a success. I may remain over here all the 

 winter, staying in the South of France, coming home in the spring ; so if there 

 is anything I can help you on in any way I shall be happy to do so. Write me 

 to my London address, that will always find me. 



Yours truly, 



Bridge of Allan, Oct. loth, i8gs- John Penman. 



