:>78 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



REPORT ON A NEW MATERIAL FOR FRUIT-PACKING. 



A substance greatly resembling powdered asbestos — but of which the 

 composition was not disclosed — was exhibited at the Fruit Committee on 

 August 18, and Mr. John Jaques, F.R.H.S., a member of the Committee, 

 was requested to supervise an experimental package and to report. It 

 was claimed for the substance that the softest fruit packed in it could go 

 through the tropics without shrivelling or rotting. 



Mr. Jaques attended on the day fixed, August 19, 1903, and reports 

 of the fruit provided for packing that it " consisted of Apples, ' Ecklin- 

 ville,' 'Lord Suffield,' 4 Newton Wonder,' and 'Stirling Castle,' which 

 were all quite sound, but very unripe ; Grapes, two bunches each of 

 ' Black Hamburgh ' and ' Muscat of Alexandria ' in medium condition ; 

 thirteen Tomatos, firm and sound and a little under-ripe ; some Figs, 

 mostly cracked and too ripe for packing. I selected six that were firm 

 and in condition to travel an ordinary journey if packed in the usual way ; 

 a bunch of Bananas was also brought in which were in good condition, 

 quite free from bruise or spot. It was decided to have four small boxes, 

 9 inches square, packed. A layer of the packing material, half an inch 

 thick, was spread over the bottom of the box, then four Apples of ' Ecklin- 

 ville ' were wrapped in tissue paper and placed eye downwards in the 

 bottom of the box, all the space around the fruits being filled up with 

 the packing material ; three Tomatos were wrapped in tissue paper and 

 placed above the Apples, and covered with the packing material ; then a 

 bunch of black Grapes was wrapped in tissue paper and bedded in the 

 packing material ; on one side of it two Figs separately wrapped in paper, 

 and on the other side one Banana wrapped in tissue. All interstices were 

 filled with the packing material, and a layer over the top to fill up the 

 box, a sheet of tissue doubled fourfold placed over the material, and the 

 nailing on of the lid completed the box which I will call No. 1. This was 

 sealed down by Wilkinson & Co. and consigned to J. I). Wilkinson, 

 Bridgetown, Barbados. 



" Box No. 2 contained 'Newton Wonder ' Apple and ' Muscat ' Grapes, 

 in other respects same as No. 1, and was sealed by J. Herbert Scrutton, 

 and consigned to A. Hubbard & Co., Grenada. 



" Box No. 3 contained black Grapes, and ' Lord Suffield ' Apple and 

 only one Fig, was sealed by A. W. Lubbock, and consigned to H. S. 

 Fenwiek, Port of Spain, Trinidad. 



" Box No. 4 contained ' Muscat ' Grapes, mixed Apples, only one Fig, 

 in other respects same as the others, was sealed by J. H. Hart, F.L.S., 

 and consigned to The Trinidad Shipping and Trading Co." 



For sonic reason or other the tour boxes Mr. Jaques saw packed on 

 August 11) were not sent, but box No. 3, addressed to Trinidad, was sent 

 bo the Society's office, 117 Victoria Street, with directions that it was to 

 he opened on September 15. This was done with the following results : 



