REPORT ON A NEW MATERIAL FOR FRUIT-PACKING. 



579 



Fig. — Rotten, but dried up ; all the moisture appeared to have been 

 absorbed by the packing material. 



Banana had kept its shape but was quite rotten. 



Grapes. — Stalks all mildewed, the berries fresh and crisp, but all 

 flavour lost. 



Tomatos. — In fair condition and of good flavour. 



Apples. — Good, but flesh lost a little of its moisture and becoming 

 flabby. 



A further experimental packing took place on September 8, in the 

 presence of the Secretary and Superintendent of the Society, who were 

 informed that the inventor claims the following benefits for his material, 

 viz. : — 



(1) That the fruit will not decay in it for some time. 



(2) That it will keep the fruit from bruising. 



(3) That it will not impart any flavour to the fruit, but preserve that 

 natural to it. 



The material is remarkably light and has the appearance of white 

 powdered clay, and costs 30s. a ton. Several boxes of fruit were packed 

 with it to be sent to different places in the West Indies as tests of the 

 material's efficacy. 



Two boxes were delivered to the Society. One of these was despatched 

 to Sir Daniel Morris, K.C.M.G., at Barbados, with the following letter : — 



" Royal Horticultural Society, 117 Victoria Street, S.W., 

 Sept. 8, 1903. 



" Dear Sir Daniel, — An experiment is being made in packing fruit 

 in a certain compound on the idea that in it it will keep good and fresh 

 for long periods without (1) the loss of flavour attending freezing 

 temperatures, and (2) without any addition of unpleasant flavour from 

 the packing material used. 



" I have addressed one such box to you, containing six Apples, six Pears, 

 one Cucumber, one Peach, one Nectarine, eight Beans, one bulb of 

 Lilium candidum. Will you or your deputy be so kind as to report to 

 me the condition in which each of the fruits reaches you, and whether 

 (if still eatable) they have any disagreeable flavour imparted by the 

 packing material ? 



" The box leaves by the ' Statia,' which sails from Dartmouth on 

 Saturday next the 12th, and the box is sealed with the Society's seal in 

 four places. Kindly see and report that these are unbroken when the 

 box reaches you. 



" Of course the Peach and the Nectarine are the great test, for I do not 

 see why the Apples and Pears, all of which are very unripe, should not 

 keep a month or more under any conditions. Nor do I see why the bulb, 

 the Cucumber, or the Beans should do more than wither a little but if 

 the Peach and Nectarine — the only ripe things in the box — carry, then 

 the material will be a great success. 



" Yours sincerely, 



"W. WlLKS." 



