THE 



Canadian Horticulturist. 



Vol. XXII. 



Toronto, 18 9 9. March. No. 3 



PACKING APPLES FOR EXPORT. 



VERY year it becomes more 

 evident that for the best suc- 

 cess in fruit growing for profit, 

 the aim must be to adapt, our 

 work to the foreign demands, rather 

 than to our own markets ; 'at least in the 

 case of such fruits as can be exported. 

 Canada can no longer find use for the 

 apples, pears or grapes she produces ; 

 and some seasons is even overstocked 

 with plums and peaches.^ And now 

 that it has been proved that the first two 

 can be exported, we hope for success 

 with the others also. 



In apples, the Baldwin and the North- 

 ern Spy have always been the leading 

 varieties for export from Ontario and 

 truly it is difficult to choose two others 

 among all the hundreds of new apples, 

 which can displace them. 



Uniformity of packing is the great 

 want of the present day, and were it 

 possible to secure this end by means of 

 legislation, we would urge such legisla- 

 tion. What is there for example, to 

 prevent the present inspection Act to be 



so changed as to require that Grade 

 1 for apples, should mean apples about 

 2^ inches in diameter, in addition "to 

 the present requirements of that grade, 

 such as freedom from worm holes, bruises, 

 and other blemishes ; and that Grade 

 A 1 should * mean apples about 3 

 inches in diameter, of good color and 

 form, in addition to above points. Here 

 then would be the grades exactly defined, 

 and they would form the basis of agree- 

 ment in selling to a distant buyer. As 

 it now is we have no uniformity in size, 

 and one man's No. 1 may be no larger 

 than another man's No. 2, and the grad- 

 ing marks are meaningless. 



We would go further than simply to 

 establish grades and sizes : we would 

 have it made a misdemeanor to put the 

 stamp Grade A 1 upon a grade 1 or 

 a grade 2 package of fruit, and make 

 the shipper or seller of such false pack- 

 age liable to a fine, or confiscation of 

 goods. 



We would go further still, and have 

 an inspector appointed.^whose duty it 



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