104 



BITTER PIT INVESTIGATION. 



Fruit-room— The four cases in ordinary storage were examined the same day, and, although 

 the apples were saleable, it was very noticeable how shrivelled they were. A number had rotted, 

 and, apart from the shrivelling, the pitted apples in each case were 1, 6, 6, and 3 respectively. 



Shipment.— The Agent-General is of opinion that it would not be wise to regard the result of 

 this experiment as satisfactory, inasmuch as, owing to the Dock strike, there was considerable delay 

 in the delivery of the cases. Nevertheless, the report of the Inspector of Produce is here given, 

 dated 12th June, when both cases were available for examination — 



" In accordance with your instructions, I have this day examined, at your office, two boxes 

 of apples, one shipped under ordinary conditions, and the other pre-cooled before shipment. These 

 were sent per s.s. Osterley, which arrived at Tilbury Docks on 25th May. The one having the 

 words pre-cooled on the card was delivered at your address on the 5th inst., and the other on the 

 12th, by J. B. Thomas, of Covent Garden Market. I examined every apple in both boxes, taking 

 that marked pre-cooled first. I found many of them bruised, one rotten, and seven spotted with 

 Bitter Pit ; some were heated and over-ripe. In the other box I found most of them bruised, 

 seventeen rotten, and eight affected with Bitter Pit. The bruises were not caused by pressure 

 through tight packing, as neither box was full, and each would have at least twenty more apples 

 than the box contained. The damage was caused through the apples being loose, and having 

 undergone a lot of extra handling. The softness, sweating, and rotting were the effects of long 

 exposure to a high temperature, inasmuch as the ship arrived on the 25th of May, and the boxes 

 were not delivered till, in one case, twelve days, and the other sixteen days, after arrival, and under 

 the conditions prevailing at the Docks, this is scarcely a fair test. I am strongly in favour of the 

 system of pre-cooling." 



The experiment will be repeated next fruit season, but the fact remains that apples liable to 

 pit in store were kept for three and a half months at a constant temperature of 30-32° Fahr. without 

 showing the slightest trace of Bitter Pit. 



Cleopatra Apples. 



Ten cases of Cleopatra apples were forwarded from Bathurst Experiment Farm by rail on 

 25th April, for purposes of experiment, and arrived in Melbourne on 1st May. They were at once 

 sent to Doncaster Cool Stores. Seven cases at the Cool Stores were dealt with as follows :— Two 

 cases were pre-cooled, being reduced to a temperature of 34-35° Fahr., and two cases were simply kept 

 in store, preparatory to being forwarded to London. The other three cases were placed in cold 

 storage under the dry-air system, at a temperature of 32° Fahr. The remaining three cases were taken 

 to Mr. Hatfield, who placed two of them in a room cooled by the Meakin process, and one in the 

 ordinary fruit-room. 



On the way to Melbourne the cases were knocked about a good deal, and in order that the 

 results might be quite comparable the apples in each case were examined and re-packed, all rotten 

 and pitted fruit being rejected. 



Shipment. — The four cases for London were consigned to the Agent-General, and forwarded 

 per the s.s. Afric, which sailed on^l6th May. They r were specially reported on by the Inspector of 

 Produce, under date 25th July, as follows : — 



" I beg to report that I have this day examined the contents of four special boxes 

 of apples brought over by the s.s. Afric, which were landed on the 20th inst. I examined 

 each apple separately in each case in the order named, with the following results : — 



No. 1. — I found 7 apples rotten and 5 pitted. 

 No. 2. — I found 11 apples rotten and 10 pitted. 

 No. 3.— I found 7 apples rotten and 6 pitted. 

 No. 4. — I found 17 apples rotten and 2 pitted. 



