41 



Mr. WooLVERTON. — I think we should have a Committee on Legislation. As 

 these points come up this committee would be able to take them into consideration 

 and suggest to us the best method for dealing with them. The sooner we have such 

 a committee appointed the better. I would move that such committee be appointed. 



The President. — Would you nominate such a committee, Mr. Woolverton? 

 Think over some names, and we will then put the motion to the meeting later on. 



Mr. Brodib. — In connection with the packing of apples, I would suggest that all 

 the apples should be bi'anded with the packers' names. Our millers have brands for 

 their special grades of flour, which is sold according to those brands, and why should 

 not our apple packers have braids established, so as to enable them to get up a 

 reputation for their apples? 



Eev. Canon Pulton. — The only trouble with that would be that some of the 

 barrels would be re-packed with apples that did not come from the particular orchard. 

 The only way to obviate such a difBculty would be to put a card at the bottom of 

 each barrel, inside the barrel. 



Mr. A. McD. Allan, — I have listened to Mr. McBride's paper with a good deal 

 of pleasure. The points he makes are most excellent. They are golden points, 

 which should be remembered by all. His advice regarding the package is good. In 

 my opinion we should be most particular about the package, and have it neat, tidy 

 and clean, and presentable in the market. Such a package means money on the fruit. 

 The point he raises about the American apples passing through Canada and going 

 forward to British ports as Canadian apples is one that we have had a good deal of 

 conti-oversy on. It is a most important point indeed. I do not know whether there 

 are any of our American friends j)resent, but we are always willing to meet them, 

 and we find them very fair in discussion on this point. We do claim, and I think 

 fairly and rightly, that we have, within the limits of this Dominion, in the different 

 sections of the country, taking all things into consideration, the finest apples in the 

 world. It is unfair to us, then, to allow American apples of inferior quality to pass 

 through here and be re-branded at Montreal as Canadian apples and shipped to 

 England as such. I have known Canadian dealers who have purchased apples in 

 Michigan, and these apples have gone forward as Canadian apples. This is a very 

 serious injury to this country. Perhaps no one here would be able to explain scien- 

 tifically why it is that Michigan apples are not as good as ours, but the fact remains 

 all the same that they ai'e not. They are different in grain. They grow them beauti- 

 fully, they are fine-looking, probably to look at them they seem the best apple. They 

 appear hardy and fine apples when picked, and in all external points may be equal 

 to and sometimes excel ours, but when it comes to quality and flavour they are 

 away behind us. It is certainly time, as Mr. Woolverton states, that this point of 

 false branding was looked into, and if a Legislative Committee could be formed we 

 might bring the matter to the notice of Parliament, so that it could be made law, 

 that in passixig through the Customs, or in some other way, these fruits could be 

 branded, so as not to go forward to British ports as anything else but what they are. 

 It is no credit to us to have them known as Canadian apples ; but, on the contrary, it 

 works us positive injury. 



Mr. C. E. H. Starr, Secretary JS'ova Scotia Fruit Grower's Association. — In this 

 connection I may say that we have reason to believe that Nova Scotia apj)les have been 

 shipped to New York and re-shipped from there as American apples. That is putting 

 the boot on the other foot. But in regard to re-branding American fruit as Canadian 

 — if they wish to take credit for our apples as their own, to do us injury thereby, it 

 is not a very desirable state of affairs ; but I do not know that we can control this in 

 any way. 



Mr. B. Starratt, Annapolis, N.S. — I was in London- three years ago, and I saw 

 there Nova Scotia Golden Eussets, shipped from Annapolis County to London in 

 barrels, re-packed and put into boxes in a fruit shop, and branded as French apples. 

 They have an apple in France which closely resembles our Golden Eusset. Whether 

 it has the same points or not I do not know ; it is the same in shape, colour and 

 flavour, and it is apparently the same. These apples are shipped largely from France 



