266 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



November, 191 1 



Notes on the Old Country Markets 



W. A. MacKinnon, Canadian 



IN no other market of the world isthoques- 

 tion of packing and packages so impor- 

 tant as in Englnnd, where purchasers of 

 all classes of goods are accustomed to 

 soG them pvit up attractively as well as sub- 

 stantially. This is particularly the case 

 with fruit, whether it be the package used 

 in transit or that in which it is displayed 

 for sale, and it is on this .^ide that compe- 

 tent observers declare Canadians to be be- 

 hind some of their competitors. 



A few words, theroforo. on the various 

 packages seen on the British market may 

 not he amiss, even though it would not be 

 desirable in every case for Canadians to 

 copy the methods of the Old Country or of 

 other competitors. 



SMALL FRUITS 



Taking first small fruit, such as straw- 

 berries, raspberries and currants, the pop- 

 ular package used in the home market is 

 what is known as the "chip," an oblong 

 basket commonly measuring twelve inches 

 bv six .and one-half inches and holding 

 about six potmds of fruit, provided with a 

 handle of wood or metal. These are, in 

 fact, very similar to Canadian ten-pound 

 grape baskets, but slightly wider, shallow- 

 er and shorter. Strawberries are picked 

 direct into these baskets, and are some- 

 times shipped away without any covering. 

 At tthe most a piece of thin pink or white 

 paper is placed over the fruit, the edges 

 turned down and tied with string running 

 round the outside of the basket. 



The old mf<thod consisted of ipacking and 

 shipping the fruit on wooden trays, holding 

 twelve pounds each, which trays were re- 

 turnable bv the railways. The "chip" is 

 considered in every way superior to the 



Trade Comn\ission, England 



tray, whether for berries or for currants. 



Frentih shippers send to this market large 

 quantities of strawberries packed in small 

 wooden boats, which consi.st simply of a 

 flat bottom with sides and ends sloping out- 

 wards, barge-like. These are -filled with 

 fruit and (then tied together in pairs, each 

 forming, an it were, & cover for the other. 

 The "boat" holds from three to four pounds 

 of fruit, and owing to its .solidity and the 

 ease with which the double package can 

 be tossed from hand to hand in trans-ship- 

 ment (there being no vacant space to allow 

 play for the fruit) this style of package 

 seems quite popular, and was s<trongly sup- 

 ported at a recent meeting of fruit grow- 

 ers, convened to consider the question of 

 improvements. 



PLUMS 



English plums are usually sent to market 

 in round .and rather shallow wicker bas- 

 kets. They are called "half-sieves" or 

 "half-bushels," and hold about twenty-four 

 pounds of plums. They usually have the 

 najne of the dealer printed on the outside, 

 and are called "retturnables," as they have 

 to be sent back to tha dealer, having cost 

 him about one shilling each. This kind 

 of package is also very popular for goose- 

 berries, best pears and cherries. 



Choice plums have been shioped some- 

 what extensively from South Africa here, 

 with success. They have been packed in 

 shallow wooden cases about three inches 

 deep, well protected with wood-"'.vool at top 

 and bottom of case, each fruit being 

 wrapped in paper. 



The package considered most suitable for 

 peaches is the shallow wooden case about 

 four inches deep. The bottom should be 



covered with a thick pad of fine wood-wo' 

 on which the peaches are placed, ea. 

 wrapped in paper, and separated from on. 

 another by little pads of the packing ma- 

 terial. Another layer of wood-wool shon'-' 

 cover all. 



Holland has been sending peaches to t) 

 mirket, and on the whole the experim* ) 

 was proved successful. They also adopt< 

 the single layer package now so popular, 

 but used a different kind of packing. In- 

 stead of wood-wool, cotton-wool was uti- 

 lized. The boxes were first of all lined mitb 

 this material ; then each peach was wrapp<- ' 

 in it, and wads of the same placed betwc. 

 as a protection againsft bruising. Tli 

 packing material, however, is consider, 

 here to be much too "heating," and tl.. 

 wood-wool is declared to be superior in 

 every way. 



PEARS 



Home-grown pears are packed in the 

 same way as plums — in round, shallow 

 wicker baskets — and it is said thait it will 

 be difficult to improve on this kind of pack- 

 age. 



French pears come to England packed in 

 two-layer wooden cases, commonly made of 

 .slat-wood, holding ahout twelve pounds of 

 fruit. The pears are placed on a bed of 

 wood-wool and covered with another layer 

 Afore pears, are placed on top of this, and 

 a further pad of wood-wool covers all. 

 These pears carry very well, but some re- 

 ceivers would prefer that each fruit should 

 be wrapped in paper. 



As is very well known to Canadian ex- 

 porters, quite the most familiar package 

 for apples in these markets is the barrel, 

 which occurs in three types — the flat- 

 hooped Canadian barrel, the Nova Scotia 

 spruce barrel with half-round hoops, and 

 the Tnited States barrel, which is simi- 



THE 



CANADIAN NURSERY CO. 



Hardy Northern Grown Nursery Stock 



10 PHILLIPS PLACE, MONTREAL 



LIMITED 



Ornamental Trees 

 Deciduous Shrubs 

 Evergreen Shrubs 

 Fruit Trees 



Strawberries and 



Small Fruits 

 Vines and Hedges 

 Hardy Roses 

 Conifers, etc., etc. 



Only those Plants sufficiently robust for 

 our northern climate are grown. All 

 Stock guaranteed. Full directions given. 



NURSERIES: POINTE CLAIRE, 14 MILES FROM MONTREAL 



On main line of Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific Railways 



Over Fifty Trains Daily ensure unsurpassed 

 shipping facilities. Private siding. Plans and 

 Estimates submitted for Gardens, Grounds 

 and Landscapes. Catalogue on Application 



A Pew Reliable Salesmen Wanted 



Good Supplies Wanted For 



CHRISTMAS TRADE 



And Likely to Command a Good Market 



YOUR CONSIGNMENTS of good fruit 

 in boxes and barrels solicited. 

 Every shipment receives personal 

 care so as to yield the utmost cent. 

 Proceeds remitted by mail immediately 

 goods realized, or sent by cable if 

 desired. Ship via GLASGOW, LIVER- 

 POOL or LONDON, or direct steamer 

 of THOMSON LINE. 



JAMES MARSHALL 



12 REGENT QUAY 



ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND 



CABLES— HALCYON Use A. B. C. Code, 5th Edition 



