"5 



Great care should be taken to handle the grapes as little as pos- 

 sible, the idea being to get the fruit on to the market showing 

 as much bloom as possible. 



I 'ackers must be particular to see that full weight is put in 

 the boxes ; the fruit is sold by weight. Should the boxes be 

 underweight they would be condemned by me. as I should con- 

 sider it a fraudulent pack. 



i fruit of whatever class should be picked directly after 

 rain; this applies more particularly to grapes. These should be 

 left at least four days of good drying weather. 



Peaches, nectarines and plums should be picked during the 

 dryest part of the day previous to packing. The very hottest part 

 of the day is preferable to the early morning, when there is dew 

 on the fruit. 



Pears may be picked either one or two days before packing. 

 I prefer the latter ; it allows plenty of time for sorting out, and 

 allows for a certain amount of shrinking before grading. 



Grapes should be picked at least 48 hours before packing. 

 This allows them to get hardened on to the stem, and they can 

 be handled much better when packing. 



OUR FRUIT EXPORT TRADE AS IT STANDS IN 1915. 



There is to-day, or was until the outbreak of war, not a 

 single city of any consequence on the Continent of Europe that 

 did not handle at the least a few boxes of our fruit each week, 

 and large Continental distributing centres handled thousands of 

 boxes weekly. Also both the United States and Canada were 

 taking increased amounts every week, and our fruit w T as to be 

 found in the leading shops of the principal cities from East to 

 West of the North American Continent. 



Another pleasing factor is that seldom to-day do we hear 

 of our consignments arriving in a wasty condition, as used to so 

 frequently happen in the earlier and experimental days. 



We would like to place on record the great assistance the 

 Union Castle Company have for years been to exporters, the 

 careful consideration they have always given to our requirements, 

 and efforts they have made to facilitate our business, and the 

 uniform courtesy the officials of the Company have invariably 

 shewn to growers. We can fairly consider ourselves fortunate 

 that the Shipping Company on whose future our industry per- 

 haps may rest is so far as we can see always alive to our best 

 interests and requirements. 



Most planters know that under the Government Mail Con- 

 tract the Union Castle Company contract to carry all fruit at a 



