130 



THE GARDENERS 1 CHRONICLE. 



[August 4, 1888. 



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APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 



MEETINGS. 



(Royal Scottish Arborieuttural Sc- 

 TBESDAY, AUG. 7-? «e*y: Annual General Meeting, 



1 and the Annual Excursion on the 

 ( two followiug days. 



FRIDAY, Aug. 10 f Hoyal Botanic Society: Anniver- 



f sary Meeting. 



SHOW. 



WEDNESDAY, Aug. S— Ancient Society of York Florists. 



SALE- 



FRIDAY, Aug. 10 \ Imported and Established Orchids, 



I at Protheroe & Morris Rooms. 



Few matters in connection with 



^ribntio" fri^o^ir in this country 



Fruit. more need improvement than the 



transit and distribution of fruit, 

 affecting; as they do an enormous amount of 

 capital, and to a large extent the welfare of our 

 teeming population. The two are so olosely 

 connected, that at first sight it appears some- 

 what difficult to separate them, but for the sake 

 of convenience it is desirable to do so, in the 

 hope that, by so doing, the two questions will be 

 presented to those whom they most concern in 

 a clearer light than would be the case if they 

 were treated singly. 



Of the three modes of transit of fruit to market 

 — viz., by water, road, and rail — we purpose now 

 dealing with the latter only, as it is to the majo- 

 rity of fruit growers, and to a certain extent to the 

 consumer as well, the one of most importance. 

 Are the existing ways and means employed by 

 railway companies for the transit of ripe fruit 

 over long distances the best, or can they be im- 

 proved upon ? These are questions which at 

 times many fruit-growers must have asked them- 

 selves, particularly in such weather as was 

 experienced last summer, and they have prob- 

 ably often felt puzzled to form a definite or 

 very decided opinion on the matter, except the 

 one that their returns ought to have been con- 

 siderably higher. Great improvements might be 

 brought about with great advantage to buyer and 

 seller, but as the matter is one which rests 

 mainly between the railway companies and the fruit 

 growers, the latter ought to approach the former 

 in an amicable spirit, lay the matter clearly 

 before them, and the probabilities are that their 

 requirements would be met, and the whole 

 question settled, in a very short space of 

 time. Under the prevailing mode of transit, 



tons of produc* of high quality when first 

 gathered, and which ought to form a portion of 

 the food supply of our population are absolutely 

 spoiled and rendered unfit for human food for the 

 want of an improved system of carriage, this 

 being especially the case with such soft fleshy 

 fruits as Strawberries, Cherries, Raspberries and 

 Plums, in such unusually hot weather as was 

 experienced last summer. 



The present type of railway van used for the 

 transit of fruit is a closed covered carriage, 

 devoid of ventilation save that by the doorway ; 

 and it is obvious that in such a structure as this 

 th» temperature during July, August, and early 

 part of September, must often range from 70° 

 to 00°. Under such conditions, deterioration 

 and consequent loss of profits must inevitably 

 take place in a journey of 200 or 300 miles — say 

 from Kent or Hampshire to the North of Eng- 

 land ; and we may feel perfectly sure that among 

 the above-named kinds of fruit fermentation and 

 decomposition have set in long before they are 

 sold in the open market, and that they are in 

 consequence disposed of at ruinously low prices. 

 Independently of the grower's returns, the 

 question merits notice from the consumer's point 

 of view. How much better off would the latter 

 be with 1 lb. of good sound fruit than he would 

 be with double the quantity of partially decayed 

 fruit, we can hardly venture to state ; suffice it to 

 say that he must be better in health and probably 

 in pocket also in the long run. Practical men 

 who thoroughly understand their business need 

 no arguments to convince them that a consign- 

 ment of ripe fruit — say, for instance, 

 Strawberries or Cherries — would arrive 

 at their journey's end and be placed in the 

 market in a better condition, if the inside tem- 

 perature of the van used in their transit had not 

 exceeded 50° than would be the case under a 

 very much higher temperature — say 80° or 90°. 

 From this the inference will at once be drawn 

 that properly constructed vans, in which a low 

 temperature can be maintained in hot weather, 

 are a necessity which ought not to be beyond 

 the skill of railway carriage builders, who have 

 the American fruit-trains as a pattern. At the 

 bottom of a closed covered van there might be a 

 cold-air chamber, over which iron grating could 

 be fixed instead of wood flooring, as at present, 

 with a good system of ventilation at the top and 

 bottom for ingress and egress of air. If by this 

 plan the temperature cannot be kept down to 

 something like 50°, then other means should be 

 tried. Of course a suggestion of this nature, on 

 first being mooted to managers and directors of 

 railway companies, will almost of a certainty be 

 treated with something akin to ridicule, and be 

 described as fanciful, with the additional epithet. 

 " It won't pay." Well, innovations on old customs 

 are usually treated this way, but that need not 

 for a moment daunt the ardour of those whose 

 business it is to reap the greatest benefit they 

 can from the fruits of their own labour. With 

 a little perseverance it will be found in the long 

 run that railway directors are quite as accessible 

 and open to entertain reasonable proposals as 

 freely as any other class of men. 



At a time when a Railway Rates Bill is being 

 dealt with by the Legislature — the principal 

 object of which is to reduce terminal charges and 

 rates — it is scarcely expedient to venture the 

 suggestion of a slightly increased charge for this 

 improved accommodation, however the argument 

 may be advanced that an increased traffic would 

 be the eventual result, and in that way directors 

 and managers of companies might possibly be 

 convinced that the change would be to their own 

 interest. These specially constructed vans or 



carriages for fruit ought to be attached to all 

 passenger trains running through the fruit- 

 growing districts, if possible, from the middle of 

 June to the middle of September. With regard 

 to consignments of fruit conveyed in open trucks 

 by goods train there is not so much to complain 

 about; still, some improvement might with 

 advantage be even introduced here. In the first 

 place, instead of the present form of close 

 flooring, the latter ought to be so made as to 

 allow of a current of air to come from under- 

 neath, and this could easily be done by allowing 

 a space of 2 or 3 inches to intervene between 

 each strip of planking. One or two other im- 

 provements might be introduced at the same time, 

 to obviate the practice of loading hampers and 

 baskets too closely together. Half an hour's 

 conversation with a railway engineer by the side 

 of a van or truck would put the whole matter in 

 a clear light, and the sooner some improvements, 

 of whatever kind, in the direction indicated are 

 brought about the better it will be for fruit 

 growers and the public at large. 



With reference to this subject we draw atten- 

 tion to the packing-case (see fig. 15, p. 135), 

 designed by Mr. Tallerman", of the Commercial 

 and Agricultural Co. (Limited), and exhibited 

 by him at the last meeting of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society. The idea is so to pack soft 

 fruits generally that they shall not be liable to 

 damage from the ordinary exigencies of railway 

 or other usu d modes of conveyance. The crate, 

 which is made of slight spars of deal, is 14 inches 

 in width, and the same in breadth, by 16 inches 

 in height. It is intended to hold securely six- 

 teen cardboard boxes, each of which will hold 

 from li to 2 lb. of fruit, according to kind. This 

 method of packing would seem to recommend 

 itself especially to the notice of persons who 

 obtain their supplies of fruit direct from the 

 wholesale dealer or the grower. 



The distribution of fruit is quite as important 

 as transit, and although wehaveamore perfect rail- 

 way system than that of any other country in the 

 world, it is greatly to be feared that a good many 

 f rait growers fail to reap such advantages there- 

 from as the nature of the case would seem to 

 warrant, but which they undoubtedly would do 

 by a slight deviation from old and too well worn 

 ruts. It is undeniable that far too many persons 

 regard London as the central depot for their 

 produce, and, as a consequence, the markets of 

 the metropolis are at times glutted with fruit, 

 much of which, after being sold, and after de- 

 ducting salesmen's commission, carriage, and 

 other incidental expenses, leaves but a very 

 narrow margin of profit — sometimes none at all — 

 for the grower. The same kind of thing may 

 occasionally occur in two or three other large 

 centres of industry, although not to the same 

 extent, nor yet so frequently as in the London 

 market. Is it possible for this state of things to 

 be altered for the better ? or can a remedy be 

 found that will obviate the evil of causing a glut 

 in some few of the largest markets, whilst at the 

 same time comparative scarcity prevails in many 

 others ? These are questions which will force 

 themselves to the front in due course, as the 

 fruit-growing industry extends, and will demand 

 a solution in some form or other, or the con- 

 sequence will be that a vast amount of 

 capital — and which is annually increasing in fruit 

 farming — will not only fail to return interest, but 

 will be absolutely lost. In considering these 

 matters it is necessary to take into account two 

 matters, viz., distribution in its relation to sup- 

 plies derived from existing resources, and a 

 means of enlarged distribution that will be able 

 to cope with annually increasing supplies. Of 



