80 



THE GAKDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



per bushel is charged irrespective of the selling 

 prices. Obviously, when the market rate is 

 low, this falls heavily on the grower, as after 

 rail charges are deducted he probably secures 

 only 50 per cent of the selling price. Some 

 large growers meet this difficulty by becoming 

 their own salesmen, but this can only be satis- 

 factory when there is an extensive and general 

 business, so that a continuous all-the-y ear-round 

 trade is conducted. Smaller growers succeed 

 best by more direct communication with the 

 consumers, or at least with fruiterers and green- 

 grocers. 



There are several other expenses of a minor 

 character, such as the cost of materials for 

 spraying, &c, that need not be particularized. 

 The use of manures will depend upon the 

 system of intercropping adopted. On sub- 

 stantial soils for Apples this need not be a 

 serious item for some years, or when heavy 

 crops of fruit begin to try the strength of the 

 trees. 



Prices and Profits. — To gain something like 

 an approach to an accurate knowledge of the 

 market value of Apples the whole matter re- 

 quires to be studied very carefully in all its 

 bearings. The use to which the fruit is applied, 

 i.e. for cooking or dessert; the season when it 

 is available: early, mid-season, or late; and 

 then under each of these, size, colour, and 

 quality affect the prices; which are again still 

 further influenced by home crops, by the 

 American crops, and later in the season by 

 the colonial supplies. With all these com- 

 plicated conditions it is not surprising that 

 prices vary enormously and sometimes with 

 a rapidity that seems mysterious to the inex- 

 perienced. 



Dessert Apples that are distinguished by 

 earliness, good appearance, or quality, almost 

 invariably command fair prices and frequently 

 yield very profitable returns. Some growers 

 rely almost exclusively upon such varieties as 

 Devonshire Quarrenden, Yellow Ingestrie, Wor- 

 cester Pearmain, and Cox's Orange Pippin, 

 which may range from 6s. to 14s. per bushel 

 in the market, and extend from August to 

 January. There are, however, many Apples of 

 good appearance, though not of high quality, 

 such as Duchess of Gloucester (or Duchess's 

 Favourite), which command a ready sale for 

 eating, especially in some seasons. The demand 

 .for early cooking Apples is also considerable, 

 but market prices rule lower for these, and 

 rarely exceed 4s. to 6s. per bushel, except for 

 unusually early or very fine samples in a season 



of scarcity. The selling advantage of cooking 

 Apples is the long general demand that exists 

 for them, and the heavy crops that are usually 

 obtained from healthy trees of the best varieties. 

 As regards season, if Apples can be disposed of 

 before the American supplies lower the prices, 

 or after they are exhausted and before the 

 Tasmanian Apples reach our markets, it is to 

 the advantage of our own growers. But there 

 is an increasing difficulty in this now, for the 

 Tasmanian supplies have been increased and 

 prolonged, and the first of the American Apples 

 arrive earlier than formerly. 



The importance of grading all Apples for 

 market is being forced on the attention of 

 British growers by their foreign competitors, 

 and the money value of such sorting can be 

 easily proved by any grower who will take the 

 trouble to make the comparison. An example 

 will serve to illustrate this. Of eight bushels 

 of an early cooking Apple, half were duly sorted 

 into three grades, the best = 1 bushel, the 

 seconds = 2 bushels, and the thirds = 1 bushel. 

 The last was not considered worth .carriage, 

 and was sold locally for Is., the others, together 

 with the four bushels of unsorted Apples, were 

 sent to the same market and sold in one day 

 as follows: — 



Graded Apples. 



1 bushel of best, 4s. 



2 bushels of seconds at 2s. 6tf., 5s. 



1 bushel of thirds (sold locally), Is. 



10s. 

 Ungraded Apples. 

 4 bushels at 2s 8s. 



This shows a difference of 25 per cent in 

 favour of the grading, and it is not an isolated 

 example, dozens more could be mentioned of 

 a similar character, some giving an even greater 

 difference. There is no question that all the 

 care which can be devoted to gathering Apples 

 without injury, grading, and packing is well 

 repaid in the higher prices realized, and this 

 can be carried still further in the case of the 

 choicest dessert varieties by displaying them 

 to the best advantage in small quantities. 



Size in Apples has a distinct market value, 

 especially as regards cooking varieties, but to 

 a less extent it also applies to dessert varieties, 

 though as regards the latter colour is the more 

 important quality. We have repeatedly had 

 cases under notice where samples of such varie- 

 ties as Cox's Orange Pippin, of equal size and 

 quality, for eating, have differed in price from 



