3H 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



RELY ON CO-OPERATION. 



Attention will be directed chiefly to the 

 apple trade, as it is one which directly 

 affects every part of the country. In these 

 experiments special refrigerating cars will be 

 required. The department will co-operate 

 with those who have the interests of this 

 industry at heart, as Congress has not pro- 

 vided enough funds with which to erect 

 refrigerating plants and construct the cars 

 that would be required in shipments. 



It has been practically demonstrated that 

 the plan which will be tried by the depart- 

 ment is entirely feasible. During the Paris 

 Exposition apples from twenty States were 

 on exhibition and were in first-class condi- 

 tiort one year after they had been picked, 

 which is six months longer than apples have 

 ever been kept before for commercial pur- 

 poses. It was proved by these experiments 



that it was possible to prolong the market- 

 ing season and deliver the fruits in sound 

 condition with present facilities. 



With the methods it is proposed to use it 

 is believed a permanent market will be furn- 

 ished not only for apples, but other Ameri- 

 can fruit. 



Aside from the experiments which will be 

 made with regard to creating a European 

 market for fruits, the department will also 

 make a number of experiments as to what 

 the actual requirements are for keeping fruit 

 in cold storage in this country. Aside from 

 the refrigerating plants maintained by the 

 packing houses there are 700 plants devoted 

 to caring for fruits and vegetables. There is 

 great diversity of opinion among dealers as to 

 what are the requirements for keeping fruits 

 in these places so as to obviate the great 

 losses frequently sustained by these firms. 



THE REFRIGERATOR CAR FOR HOME MARKETS. 



'HE time has arrived for a complete 

 change in the methods of shipping 

 tender fruits to our home markets, 

 ^pj if we growers are to reap any profit. 

 The enormous expenses, for baskets, express 

 charges, commissions and so on, leave the 

 grower altogether too little for his fruit. 

 On one occasion, for example, the writer 

 paid $80.00 express charges on three hun- 

 dred baskets of peaches to Montreal, which 

 sold for $111.00, leaving him only $31.00 

 for the fruit ! True these charges are now 

 much reduced, but even yet they take a lion's 

 share of the sales, and are altogether too 

 much considering the reckless handling. 



Hanrahan's new car, built by the Hon. 

 John Dryden for experimental exports, de- 

 monstrates that we can now ship our most 

 tender fruits in car lots at ordinary freight 

 charges, and reach the markets with fruit in 

 far better condition than by express ; besides 



this we have a cold storage on wheels in 

 which the fruit can be held a few days for 

 an advance in markets, should there be an 

 over supply at the time of arrival. The fol- 

 lowing clipping from the Ottawa Evening 

 Journal, is a proof of our statements : — 



Strawberries, which have hitherto been consid- 

 ered too perishable to ship from Grimsby, Ont., 

 to Ottawa were successfully brought to the Capital 

 yesterday in a refrigerator car remodelled by Mr. 

 J. F. Hanrahan of Ottawa. The berries were 

 shipped on Monday and they arrived in the city 

 yesterday absolutely dry, all the moisture having 

 been carried olf by Mr. Hanrahan's automatic 

 system. 



The success of this shipment is said to have sol- 

 ved the problem of shipping perishable fruits by a 

 system of refrigeration which may be relied upon. 

 The refrigerator car was remodelled by Mr. J. F. 

 Hanrahan for the Ontario government for the 

 purpose of transporting perishable fruits. It 

 reached Ottawa loaded with berries consigned to 

 the Ottawa Fruit Exchange. Mr. G. W. Hunt 

 who was feeling rather uncomfortable in case any 

 mishap should take place was more than delighted, 

 and when a Journal reporter visited him at the 

 car yesterday it was evident that everything was 

 right ; that could be easily told by Mr. Hunt's face. 



