A A.MdNd riii'; okciiahds oi- noxa scoiia. 
13 
The barrel most commonly used in Nova Scotia is made of lir staves 
with birch hoops, holding 120 to 1 10 lbs. fruit, and costing 10^/. Barrels 
with staves of maple or elm, with elm hoops, are used to a lesser extent, 
but are commonly used in Ontario and the U.S.A. ; these hold 140 to 
150 lbs. of apples, and cost l.s'. 
In packing, the bottom and bilge hoops are first nailed, then a thin 
layer of wood-wool, called " Excelsior," is placed at the bottom, next a 
sheet of white paper the same size as the end of the barrel. A layer of 
headers " is then laid; these are apples of average size, those best 
coloured being chosen. These are placed stem downwards. The barrel 
is then filled by carefully emptying in the fruit, using hinge-handled 
baskets. The barrel is gently shaken each time fruit is added, so as to 
pack the fruit closely. It is filled 1 or 2 inches above the rim. In order 
to get the apples tightly packed, so that they do not move after packing 
and become "slack" in travelling, a round board lined with sacking or 
saddlers' felt is placed, padded side downwards, on the top of the apples ; 
the barrel is l ocked on the floor, if of cement, or, if not, on a heavy 
plank. The apples, thus shaken and pressed, sink to about the level of 
the rim ; any spaces are filled with small apples. Then another piece of 
white paper is placed on the apples, the chine hoops are knocked up to 
loosen them, to allow the lid to enter the mouth of the barrel ; then the 
lid is laid on, and the screw or lever-press is applied to the barrel to press 
the lid into position, followed by the tightening of the chine hoops and 
the nailing of the head and hoops. 
The name of the apple, together with the owner's name and address, 
are stencilled on the top of the barrel ; the name of the salesman on the 
bottom. 
The cost of sending over to England — London or Liverpool — from 
the Annapolis Valley, via Halifax, is about : — 
s. d. 
Eail (60 to 160 miles) . . .18 
Steamer (3,000 miles) . . .26 
4 2 per barrel. 
The salesman's commission in London is usually 5 per cent. 
Mr. S. C. Parker tells me the average net price received by the 
grower was, per barrel, for the crop of 1896, about 4s. 2c/. (^1) ; for that 
of 1897, 85. 4f/. ; and for 1898, 6s. Scl 
The grower considers 8s. per barrel, clear of expenses (barrel, freight, 
and commission), a very good price, but occasionally they do not pay 
expenses, due to inferior fruit, bad packing, or glutted market. 
The apples are sometimes bought on the trees at so much a barrel 
throughout the orchard ; and if packed by the grower, Is. per barrel is 
paid for picking, packing, and hauling to the station. 
There are several large apple buyers who have large stores and 
packing sheds, capable of holding several thousand barrels. These are 
generally situated close to a railway station, to enable the barrels to be 
loaded direct into the cars. 
The London City, by which I returned, carried 14,050 barrels ; the 
