The Canadian Horticulturist. 107 



fine fruit, he finds that each season brings him a proportion which does not 

 fall under that heading. This brings in the question, What shall I ship, 

 and where ? 



The market prospects at home and abroad, as far as he can ascertain 

 them, are before him and many considerations must influence his decision. 



In shipping to Britain, however, the consideration of freight and charges, 

 competition, and the small attention paid to second rate goods, should lead 

 growers to be wary of shipping hither that class of apples. From all our 

 experience during the last eighteen years, we can with confidence say, " If 

 you wish to secure good results, ship only good reliable fruit, and where 

 choice can be added, so much the better." Under this heading we may 

 include condition, that is condition on arrival at destination, which, of 

 course, is due to condition on leaving and packing (the latter we shall speak 

 of later), this is all important. The choicest fruit out of condition, is of 

 small value. 



It is anoint, moreover, on which few suggestions of value can be given, 

 what will and what will not stand the journey, etc., being matters which 

 experience only can teach, coupled with careful observation. 



Here again direct communication from the distributer would be a great 

 gain. We may remark, however, that neither very green fruit nor fruit 

 almost ripe, — that is just ripe — should be packed. The former meets a 

 bad market because of its appearance, the latter is almost sure to be 

 bruised and " chippy " and also sells at a low price. 



We now come to Packing. It is not likely that the barrel can be 

 improved upon as a package, though the barrel itself may. We hear of a 

 ventilated barrel, recently invented in America, which, if all said of it is 

 borne out in practical experience, bids fair to supercede the present close 

 one. There is only one thing, perhaps, which may prove an objection. We 

 refer, however, to its peculiar feature, fearing that the free passage of the air 

 through it, may cause shrivelling of its contents when kept in it for any 

 lengthy time, and as this point is more for the retailer to decide, it would 

 not show till, say the next season, so that growers may find it useful not to 

 ship all their early consignments in this new package — should it come into 

 use — until they are satisfied as to this possible objection. Honesty of pack- 

 ing, that is the same quality throughout, cannot be too strongly urged. 

 The grower who persistently, yea, occasionally transgresses this rule, will 

 have cause to repent his folly. We observed a strong case in point only last 

 month. The apples of a well-known shipper were badly topped. A high 

 price was paid not only because of the top but because of the brand, which 

 usually insured good packing. On finding out their condition below, the 

 confidence of the buyer in that brand was thus rudely shaken, and he will 

 not be inclined to bid for the next lot shown. This is only one case in many 

 but it shows the necessity of always packing honestly ; for confidence is a 

 guarantee of price. 



