36 



is the same as the top layer. I have never experienced the objection you mention 

 at all. I never had any complaint made about shipments in cases, and I have 

 shipped apples for three or four years in cases. 



Mr. Starr. — I would like to see the smaller package. We in ISTova Scotia are 

 accustomed to using barrels of the same size as the common fruit barrel. This is the 

 standard our law requires. We have used half barrels, half the other size, to a con- 

 siderable extent, but they are not received with favoui- for some reason or other. We 

 have attempted to use the square cases. You cannot pack the boxes, and press them 

 in and have them tight, and have them turn out in good condition. With half barrels 

 there is no difficulty of that kind, but a very limited number of half barrels will do in 

 London. 



Prof. Barnard.— A very important matter is the barrels. I don't fancy that the 

 twenty-four gallon barrel is very much too large. I don't think the difficulty arises 

 from that; but if you notice the law says that they shall be as nigh cylindrical as 

 possible. The barrels are always made of light material, and have no centre hoops, 

 and sometimes accidents will occur while loading them on board the ship when some- 

 thing will give way and the barrel will roll down. If the barrel is made strong with 

 good hoops, so that the barrel always rolls on the hoops, there is very little reason 

 for damages from them. If they are packed five or six deep there is very little danger 

 of their fl'attening on account of the weight on the bottom ones. I contend that it is 

 our own fault if we allow coopers to make barrels with too large a bilge. They 

 should be made as straight as possible, so straight that the barrel always rolls on the 

 hoops, and not on the staves. Then we will hear little complaint of bruised or slack 

 apples in the barrel. We did not have many to ship this year, but we did ship some, 

 and I am proud to say they arrived in perfect order. We selected the barrels. We 

 would not use a barrel with a big bilge, and we decided not to use a barrel at all which 

 had a large bilge after that. If the coopers don't wish to make them strong enough 

 we don't want them. Let them keep their barrels. 



Eev. Canon Fulton. — There are one or two points that have been omitted by 

 the gentleman who has spoken. One point is as to the non-keeping of the apple. 

 The apple on the tree, and when it is taken off, is a live, bi'eathing thing. Our grand- 

 fathers used to put the apples in two-bushel bai'rels ; but the greed of the consumers 

 insisted on three bushels, and to have as large a bulge as possible. These apples are , 

 very often packed on a warm day in the fall of the year. They are heated up by 

 the sun and then put in a hot car. From that time forward they are rapidly matur- 

 ing, and by the time they are taken off the vessel they have begun to decay. I must 

 say of the Allan Line, that I have shipped as early as any man in this room, and Mr. 

 Smith, of that line, years ago took great pains to see that there was cold storage. I 

 went to him two years ago and told him I was going to ship as an experiment an 

 early apple, and wished to have a cool place provided. I shipped some of the Duchess 

 apple, and they went home and were received in perfect order, and I was very well 

 satisfied with the return. There was one point which Mr. Dempsey made about 

 clipping the top of the apple. You can see, however, Mr. President, and understand 

 that the stem being plucked out it allows the microbes to get in and begin the work 

 of decay in the apple. If we could sterilize the apple and pack them in medium size 

 packages there would be no trouble in taking them across the ocean. I have used a 

 package — one of the first, I suppose, that was shipped — that held half a bushel. I 

 packed them first in oat hulls, but the apples being of fine quality the flavour was 

 affected. It requires a great deal of trouble — in fact, almost as much as Mr. Shep- 

 herd's package — to have them perfectly level and prevent bruises. It needs great 

 care to get them in all right. Across the pond they say: "We much prefer to have 

 a barrel ; " but I got very nearly as much for half a barrel as they would have given 

 me for a barrel. I am satisfied that all this diffiaulty would not occur if proper care 

 were taken in putting the apple into the barrel. There is one other point I wish to 

 speak of, although not personally interested, and that is the shipment of butter. I 

 must say that when I was at the Paris Exhibition I got one of the creamery men to 

 send me over twelve packages, and out of the twelve there were three that were 



