THE CANADIAN HORTICULURIST. 



Mr. Grindley gave much good advice 

 regarding growing, grading and packing. 



Hon. Mr. Fisher went over some points 

 of interest to shippers and growers. He had 

 for a year past received so many letters that 

 he felt it was necessary to investigate state- 

 ments. The committee had taken exception 

 last year to the spreading abroad of state- 

 ments regarding dishonest packing, but the 

 reports were such that he was satisfied that 

 the matter must be faced. Hundreds of bar- 

 rels had been sent of such a sort that the trade 

 would be ruined if something was not done. 

 The English people wanted an honest apple, 

 and if they did not get it from Canada this 

 country's trade would be gone. The question 

 of inspection had been brought to his notice, 

 but there was great difficulty in the way. 

 The only way to thoroughly inspect apples 

 was to empty a whole barrel out, and the fruit 

 could not be repacked without loss. Besides, 

 when it was remembered that in a few weeks 

 in autumn over 100,000 barrels were shipped 

 from Montreal, it would be seen how impos- 

 sible it would be to inspect all the shipments. 



But something could be done to obtain good 

 conditions on the steamer and the department 

 would continue its efforts to have the com- 

 panies provide properly ventilated holds. 

 This season, if he got the vote he asked for, 

 he would have officers at Montreal, St. John 

 and Halifax to specially look after the ship- 

 ping and loading of apples. The difficulties 

 in the way of Government inspection were 

 numerous, and he preferred to bring all the 

 facts of the matter before the public. As to 

 the quality and grading of the fruit, the 

 growers and shippers had the remedy in their 

 own hands. 



Now of what avail will it be to have 

 first-class conveniences on ship board, 

 and proper storage, if no steps are taken 

 to stop the rascally practices of certain 

 large buyers and shippers who buy 

 whole orchard crops and pack them in 

 the manner that was exposed by the 

 wreck of the steamer Castilian ? It is 

 not our Canadian apple growers that are 

 guilty of this dishonesty. It is certain 

 sharpers who are making a big specula- 

 tion for their own pockets at the expense 

 of the reputation of our honest fruit 

 growers. 



These men do an enormous trade ; 

 they buy our apples at 75 cents or $1 

 per barrel, send their gangs of packers 

 through the country, with definite in- 



structions to put all the small, poor 

 apples in the centres of the barrel, to 

 save out all the big fine apples to face 

 up the ends. 



Are our authorities powerless to stop 

 this roguery ? It is all very well to 

 bring the facts before the public and 

 depend upon moral suasion and patriot- 

 ism to correct the evil ; but the rogues 

 will still practice their deceit, and laugh 

 at us while they fill their pockets at our 

 expense. 



But how could an inspector go through 

 the 100,000 barrels of apples, or more, 

 shipped from Montreal in a single 

 season 1 



Why, there is no need of such a thing. 

 The very fact of an inspector being ap- 

 pointed would frighten these thieves, 

 even if he never did a thing more than 

 pace the wharves at Montreal with his 

 hands in his pockets. But let him keep 

 his eyes open, and his hands a little 

 busy with a barrel opener, and he would- 

 very soon get track of the brands that 

 were unreliable. We can give him the 

 names of a few who shipped such stuff 

 on the Castiltan, and our English friends 

 can name others. 



Give the inspector the privilege of in- 

 specting any lot he chooses — no one but 

 a rogue will object — and if he finds one 

 fraudulent package, then let him detain 

 that whole lot for careful examination. 

 If he finds ten barrels out of a hundred 

 fradulent let him forbid the shipment 

 of the whole lot, or confiscate them. 

 We venture to say that after the first sea- 

 son the inspector would have very little 

 work to do ; for the very fact of his 

 being at the port and the possibility of 

 his opening some barrels for examina- 

 tion would have a most salutary effect 

 upon the whole apple shipping fraternity. 



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