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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



OUR HIGH GRADE FRUIT IN ENGLISH MARKETS. 



Now that such earnest attempts are being 

 made to place our very finest fruits in first- 

 class condition on the English markets, it is 

 encouraging to read such testimony as the 

 subjoined, which was addressed to Prof. 

 Robertson. 



To Professor JAMES W. ROBERTSON, Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada : 



Sir, — I duly received the sample cases of Cana- 

 dian apples and pears, and a box of peaches which 

 you sent me, and as your representative for the 

 distribution of the fruit in this country informed 

 me that you would be pleased to have my opinion 

 on same, I herewith send you a report which is 

 disinterested, and can therefore be depended upon 

 with the utmost confidence. I am in a position to 

 speak authoritatively upon this subject, as an ex- 

 pert from a market point of view, being the only 

 fruit trade journalist who has, for jufet upon a 

 quarter of a century, made choice fruit produc- 

 tion, packing, and distribution a special study, 

 that is, in the United Kingdom. 



The apples were Snows, and when opened, the 

 fruits were found to be in prime condition. Not 

 one was unsound. They were wrapped separately 

 in paper, and had been packed in layers and in 

 rows. A better style for good fruit could not pos- 

 sibly be conceived. The fruits were medium in 

 size. Possibly we want a larger sample on our 

 markets, though the quality was excellent, and I 

 was very much struck with them altogether. The 

 package was rather small for apples. When the 

 parcel came to hand, there was a large supply of 

 ordinarily grown English apples on the market, 

 and this would tend to affect prices. Still, for a 

 large circle of buyers, the small package should 

 form a good attraction. Large quantities of such 

 fine eating apples, packed in these handy boxes, 

 would secure a free sale directly their quality be- 

 came known to the general public. I mean in the 

 original package. I do not feel inclined to say 

 absolutely that a bushel box would be better, but 

 perhaps both sizes would prove advantageous to 

 the trade generally. 



Then as to the pears. They had been put up in 

 the same size of box as the apples, and each fruit 

 had been wrapped in a small square of paper. 

 They were absolutely sound and in grand condi- 

 tion. I kept some of these pears for two weeks, 

 and when fully ripe the flavor was delicious. 

 They were Beurre d'Anjou. From these samples 

 it is clear that Canadian exporters can easily put 



high quality pears upon the English markets, and 

 at the right time, too. I am satisfied that for 

 quality, size, clearness of skin, and condition, that 

 they will readily compare with the best Califor- 

 nian and French fruit. A better pear than these 

 Anjou never entered the English markets, and 

 I am confident that a big future lies before the 

 Canadian pear trade in the United Kingdom. I 

 was immensely pleased with these fruits and the 

 prices realized, justifies the commendation I give 

 them. With care in grading they would prove a 

 very serious competitor to the French fruits, as 

 the sample cases under notice were put up in 

 better style, and the fruits were certainly cleaner 

 skinned, and much more dainty as eaters, than the 

 foreign ones referred to. 



Then as to the peaches. These were Elberta. 

 The fruits had been partly covered with paper in 

 which a strip of wadding had been included, so as 

 to protect the fruits from bruising. Under this 

 method, when the lid of the box was taken off, 

 and the layer of wadding removed, the tops of the 

 fruits would be exposed to the view of the buyers. 

 Here the specimens were in fairly good condition, 

 but not what could be termed perfect, the flesh of 

 some being a little discoloured. All in the box I 

 had were, however, eatable, of excellent size, and 

 like the apples and pears, had been well and 

 evenly graded, an important feature in the fruit 

 trade here. The color was good, but the flesh was 

 too fit, if I may expressively put it thus, that is, 

 they needed to be sold in a day or two at least, not 

 being in keeping condition. They were not so 

 juicy as our forced peaches, but the fltsh was 

 firmer, and as an advocate of fruit-eating, I claim 

 that these Canadian Elberta peaches are magnifi- 

 cent, and I .should like to be able to live on them 

 without anything else for a month. They are very 

 delicious, possess a nutritious flesh, and should 

 prove a great boon to the consumers in all of our 

 cities and towns. 



COMMENTS. 



My report will be found most encouraging to 

 those on your side who have taken a great interest 

 in the development of the Canadian fruit industry, 

 though the praise given to the packages and their 

 contents is due to merit, and well-deserved. The 

 Canadian fruit growers are to be congratulated 

 upon having the fruit export trade, including 

 packing, shipment and distribution, dealt with in 

 such an admirable manner by the officials of the 

 Department of Agriculture at Ottawa. It is my 

 decided opinion that at present the Canadian fruit 

 exports are better put up and more efficiently 

 handled than those from any other colony ship- 

 ping to the United Kingdom, including Tasmania. 



Sampson Morgan. 



