THE TRANSPORTATION OF APPLES. 



375 



From the stretcher they should go directly 

 into the package for market or store, grad- 

 ed as the shipper's customers may desire. 



Now that the fruit is in the package at 

 the tree, it should be carefully transported 

 to the fruit house, railway or boat landing, 

 at once, on a conveyance having springs. 

 Much fruit is damaged seriously by re- 

 maining in barrels on the ground after 

 packing, or by being moved in lumber 

 wagons without springs over rough roads. 

 These can be easily procured to attach to 

 any ordinary wagon, and no fruit grower 

 should be without them. 



When we get the apples to the depot we 

 again confront a difficult problem. What 

 kind of a car should we use, or what kind 

 can we secure from the carrier? Arrange- 

 ments should invariably be made with the 

 railway to furnish th« kind of a car de- 

 sired and as required. No apples should 

 remain at a depot longer than is necessary 

 tj lj£d thfm directly into a car and get 

 away the same evening. For short hauls 

 ventilated cars should be used, and the car 

 net filled to the roof, as frequently hap- 

 pens, but leave ample room for circulation 

 of air. For any distance requiring more 

 than twenty-four hours' railway journey, 

 refrigerator cars should be used, and have 

 them sufficiently iced. From the cars the 

 apples should go direct to destination with- 

 out further delay, either to the consumer, 

 fruit house or steamer, for ocean transpor- 

 tation. Here. again we confront a prob- 

 lem. What kind of space shall we use, or 

 what can we secure? 



Apples usually receive little care at the 

 hands of vessel owners and stevedores, are 

 generally handled roughly, and placed in 

 the hold as closely stowed as possible, and 

 in most cases, without ventilation, and if 

 they survive this gauntlet, without being 

 cooked and ruined, the shipper may con- 

 sider himself fortunate. 



Can this be remedied? Certainly the 



combined action of such an association as 

 this can do much to bring about the much 

 needed reforms. Let there be an active 

 transportation committee and let us ship- 

 pers be loyal to their recommendations de- 

 manding ventilated space or cool storage. 



In Canada, thanks to agitation by those 

 interested, the government has taken this 

 matter in hand, and we have the promise 

 this season of a fair number of vessels fitted 

 with suction fans creating a forced draught 

 through the holds where the apples are 

 stowed. The writer has found chemical 

 storage in transit very unreliable. Tem- 

 peratures are not often maintained pro- 

 perly, and the fruit often comes out too 

 ccld or frosted, and when coming in con- 

 tact with warmer atmosphere sweat and 

 present a poor appearance to the buyer on 

 first examination, and in some cases pro- 

 duce mouM on the fruit or inside of the 

 package. 



Again, why should a barrel of apples pay 

 more freight than a barrel of flour? This 

 question has often been asked railway 

 tariff committees, but has never yet been 

 satisfactorily answered. So far as I can 

 learn, the real reason is because they can 

 collect more. They apparently think the 

 business will stand it, but in a year like the 

 present, when there is an abundant crop, 

 chesp transportation would materially in- 

 crease our markets, and place before the 

 laboring classes, which form the masses of 

 E'-'ropcn population, fruit within the 

 reach of their means. 



Can this be accomplished? I maintain 

 it can. A barrel of flour weighs about 50 

 pounds more than a barrel of apples, and 

 usually is carried for about half the price. 

 Does the barrel of apples get any more 

 care from the carriers, any better protec- 

 tion from the weather, any better space, or 

 is there any greater risks incurred? Do 

 they pay any more claims or give any 

 greater attention to the business? So far 



