THE APPLE MARKET. 



5»3 



the only two sorts of pears handled that day. 

 The liighest figure for apples on that date 

 was 23s., again to the credit of No. i Rib- 

 stons, while the lowest prices were 12s. for 

 No. 2 Fall Pippins, and 13s. for No. 2 Rib- 

 stons and Gravensteins. The wide varia- 

 tion of los. per barrel, between No. i and 

 No. 2 Ribstons, is particularly worthy ot 

 notice, indicating as it does that quality is 

 sure to tell. 



BOXES FOR AFFILES. 



In view of the scarcity and high price uf 

 apple barrels this season, and of the fact that 

 in some districts farmers find it impossible 

 to procure barrels at any price, the Fruit Di- 

 vision recommends the general use of boxes. 

 These can be had, knocked down, at almost 

 any saw mill for about eight cents each, and 

 they should not cost more than ten cents 

 each made up. As these boxes hold about 

 as many apples as a barrel, they will be 

 found much cheaper than barrels at fifty 

 cents and upwards. The boxes should be 

 well and strongly nailed, and should hold 

 about 40 pounds of fruit. The dimensions 



of these boxes, used by the Grimsby ship- 

 pers, are 9 X 12 x 18 inches, while the Brit- 

 ish Columbia standard box is 10^x11^x22 

 inches, these being inside measurements in 

 both cases. The boxes should be made of 

 strong material, not less than ^ of an inch 

 thick for the ends, and not less than Yz of an 

 inch for the sides; the tops should have 

 strips across the ends to prevent the weight 

 of other packages, piled on top, from bear- 

 ing directly on the fruit. It is also usual to 

 leave open corners at the top and bottom for 

 ventilation. Little or no packing material 

 should be used, as purchasers like to find the 

 package quite full of fruit. A sheet of 

 cardboard at the top and bottom will ma- 

 terially reduce the amount of injury from 

 bruises. But it should be remembered that 

 even in this year of scarcity of barrels, it will 

 not do to ship anything but first-class fruit 

 in boxes, as the reputation of the Canadian 

 box and of the Canadian trade in general 

 will greatly suffer if inferior or common 

 fruit is exported in the box or any fancy 

 package. 



THE APPLE MARKET 



4 4/^ NE of the heaviest crop of apples 

 \J ever before grown," said Mr. 

 Chas. Hart, of the firm of Hart & Tuckwell, 

 when speaking of the big yield in Nova Sco- 

 ita. Mr. Hart has just returned from the 

 Annapolis Valley, one of the greatest apple 

 producing sections of Canada, where the far- 

 famed Gravensteins grow to perfection, and 

 this year they are of excellent quality. But 

 this season a large proportion of the crop 

 consists of Kings and Ribstons of very fine 

 quality. Mr. Hart during his recent visit 

 to Nova Scotia purchased about 35,000 bar- 

 rels of the best winter varieties. In this 



market sales are reported of 5,000 barrels of 

 choice winter fruit to arrive at $2.50 to 

 $2.75. Other sales are reported to us of 

 250 barrels of choice fruit at $2.85 ; 200 bar- 

 rels at $2.80; 100 barrels at $2.75, and 300 

 barrels at $2.80. Several car lots of good 

 seconds are reported at $2.25 to $2.60. For 

 round lots of apples on this market. No. i 

 is quoted at $2.75 to $3.15; the latter figure 

 being made for 100 barrels. Advices from 

 New York state that Armour is in the mar- 

 ket for apples in New York State, paying 

 $2.00 to $2.25 per barrel for No. i and No. 2. 

 — Montreal Fruit Trade Bulletin. 



