AFRICAN APPLES VERSUS CANADIAN. 



C /^ r^ HE Cape of Good Hope bids 

 fair to be a strong competitor 

 with Canada in the English 

 fruit market. 



The Fruit Grcnver, London, Eng., of 

 May 4th, says : 



The arrival of new apples from the 

 Cape has produced a perfect sensation 

 in the fruit trade. The samples are 

 very pretty and fine and are sure to 

 create an immediate demand. In the 

 early months of the year the public has 

 to depend principally upon apples from 

 California, Canada, and the Eastern 

 States of America, and these fruits after 

 January, through having been kept in 

 cold storage, lose their freshness and 

 aroma, and are thus in no way com- 

 parable to the new, fresh fruit. It 

 seems then, if devoloped, that future 

 Cape apple shipments will completely 

 revolutionise the trade, for with the ex- 

 ception of the Australasian samples, 

 there are no new apples obtainable at 



this time of the year, which have not 

 been rendered insipid through months 

 of cold storage. It is believed that the 

 opening up of new markets, and the 

 successional arrival of new apples from 

 various outside centres, will, in time, 

 render cold storage unnecessary, compel' 

 ling apple growers at least to market 

 their stocks when the fruits are new, or, 

 at least, fairly fresh. By this develop- 

 ment the public will undoubtedly be the 

 gainers, for all fruit is at its best when 

 marketed in fresh condition. We learn 

 that if the present shipments prove a 

 success the Cape fruit shippers will send 

 over a plentiful supply next year. The 

 fruit will be put up in a very artistic 

 manner, on the lines adopted by the 

 Paris packers of choice new fruits. The 

 retail fruiterers, particularly those at 

 the West End, w^ill welcome these fruits, 

 as they will come in at a time when 

 fresh apples are much appreciated. 



GRADING AND INSPECTION OF APPLES. 



THE Executive Committee of the 

 Ontario Fruit Growers' Association 

 has prepared a resolution asking 

 for some provisions of the grading 

 and inspection of apples, and has submit- 

 ted the same to the local affiliated societies 

 in Ontario, and also to the various pro- 

 vincial societies, for their support. The 

 following is the resolution : 



To the Honorable Minister of Agriculture : 



Whereas it is well known that fraudulent 

 packing of apples for export is a very preva- 

 lent evil which is yearly bringing discredit 

 upon the name of our Dominion, and ruining 

 the English market for our Canndian apples, 

 and 



Whereas, as a matter of fact, Canadian 

 apples are the finest in the world, and will 

 bring the very highest prices in the English 

 markets if confidence in the packing can be 

 sustained. 



Therefore, Resolved, that this 



Society do humbly pray 

 that you will provide some remedy for the 

 same. 



We would suggest that certain marks or 

 numbers be adopted to indicate certain grades 

 and sizes of apples, and that it be made a mis- 

 demeanor for any one to stamp these marks or 

 numbers upon the outside of his packages un- 

 less the contents of the packages are in accord- 

 dance therewith ; that the name and address 

 of the owner and shipper be always required 

 on the inside or outside of closed packages 

 intended for export ; and that an inspector 

 be appointed with power to open packages, 

 and, if found fraudulent to have the grade 

 marks removed and to expose the offender ; 

 and we further suggest that the terms used 

 for grading be ''^o. 1" and "A. Xo. 1," 

 " Xo. 1 " to include sound apples reasonably 

 free from worm holes, scabs or other blem- 

 ishes, and to be not less than 2J inches in 

 diameter, and the grade " A. No. 1 " the 

 same with apples not less than 2| inches in 

 diameter. 



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