8 



JOUENAL OF THE KOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



(B) Grading and Packing Fruit. 



Mr. James Harper (Dublin) : The grading and packing of fruit have 

 until quite recently been considered by the majority of fruit-growers in 

 the United Kingdom as of secondary importance. The primary objects 

 appear to have been to grow large quantities of selling varieties, to sell 

 them in returnable hampers, and to consider economy rather than 

 efficiency, so that even if their produce only realised low prices they 

 would still make a profit. Kecently attention has been drawn to im- 

 proved methods of grading and packing by the superior work of other 

 fruit-growing countries, and it has now come to this — the home grower 

 who desires to make fruit-growing pay must devote more time and 

 attention to grading and packing, if he is to hold a place in the home 

 market against his foreign competitors. 



There does not appear to be any question as to home-grown produce 

 being equal, if not superior, to most of that imported ; and it is beginning 

 to be appreciated that, provided it is graded and packed thoroughly well, 

 it can hold its own with the bulk of the importations from abroad, if it 

 does not eventually render much of these importations unnecessary. At 

 the outset one suggestion may be urged. If the home grower will, 

 in the future, turn his attention to growing fewer varieties, and growing 

 these of better quality and more even in size, he may be able to get a 

 better return than at present. In a sentence, his watchword should be 

 " quality, not quantity." 



In 1902 the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for 

 Ireland issued a pamphlet upon fruit-packing. This pamphlet was the 

 result of much thought and investigation, and has further been very 

 considerably adopted in Ireland. From it I quote the following : 



" The Department are informed that the systems in common use in 

 Ireland for packing fruit are capable of very great improvement, and 

 that the adoption of a better and more uniform system would enhance 

 the value of Irish fruit, and lead to an increased demand. 



" In order to ascertain in what way they could assist the fruit-growing 

 industry in this direction the Department appointed a small committee 

 of experts to inquire into the systems at present in use, and to make 

 recommendations for their improvement. 



" This committee, after having made exhaustive inquiries, have sub- 

 mitted the following report : 



" ' While the best Irish growers market their fruit in a most creditable 

 manner, yet they do so without any recognised trade standards as to 

 grading and packing. The main object of our recommendations is to 

 induce all parties concerned to adopt such standards of grading and 

 packing as will tend to largely increase the sale of Irish fruit by establish- 

 ing perfect confidence in the buyers and the public that all packages will 

 be, as to grade, quality, count or weight, exactly what they are described 

 to be. 



" * At the same time, we are aware of the practical obstacles in the way 

 of the immediate adoption of our recommendations, and especially in 

 regard to packages now in use, which it is proposed to discontinue. 



