COLONIAL AND INDIAN EXHIBITION: 
LONDON, 1886; 
REPORT ON FRUITS. 
BY D. MORRIS, M.A., F.L.S. 
Amongst the objects of productive industry dis- 
played at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, there 
are few that have awakened so much interest as the 
array of fruits brought together in a fresh an 1 pre 
served state from all parts of Her Majesty's Domini- 
ons. Fresh tropical and sub-tropical fruits were ex- 
hibited and regularly sold during the course of the 
Exhibition in the Colonial Market, and hundreds of 
thousands of stay-at-home English people realised for 
the first time what boundless stores of delicious fruits 
were capable of being supplied by our Colouies. 
The limits prescribed for this Report entirely pre- 
vent anything like a detailed account of the exhibits. 
"Wherever practicable, a brief statement of the general 
capabilities of each Colony in the way of fruits is given, 
and the more promising fruits for commercial export 
purposes are noted. More than this could not be 
attempted. 
CANADA. 
The best fruit produced in Canada is no doubt the 
apple. The maguificent trophy in the Canadian Court, 
wherein not only apples, but numerous other fruits 
of the several provinces were shown, was a striking 
proof of the vast capabilities of the Dominion. The 
Canadian summer is a short but marvellous develop- 
ing period, which is succeeded by a long and severe 
winter. In spite of this, however, the Caua lian fruit- 
growers have made wonderful progress in the number 
and character of their productions, and have devel- 
oped fruit-growing on a scientific basis with the 
beat results. In the trophy above mentioned, fruits 
of all kinds grown in Canada and preserved iu fluid 
were shown from the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, 
and Prince Edward Island. These fruits were collected 
and arranged by Mr. "William Saunders, to whom 
great credit is due for the complete and represent- 
ative character of the exhibits. Among these fruits 
were apples, pears, plums, cranberries, quinces, the 
quaint but useless Osage orange, gooseberries, grapes, 
strawberries, currants, thorn-apples, raspberries, bar- 
berries, eg, 'fruit, crab-apples, blue-berries, native 
grapes, buffalo-berries {ShepheraicL argentea). Apples 
were arranged altogether in eighty named varieties. 
Late keeping apples were shown at tho beginning of 
the Exhibition, and up to the month of June, while 
early varieties of tho season of 1886 wore shipped 
from Canadi, and on view at the en 1 of August. 
Besides these, there were shown plums, paaches, and 
pears of ex • 'ptional quality. 
During thu month of October an Exhibition of 
Canadian apples was held in the Conservatory of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, which attracted consider- 
able attention. The Caua lian apple best known in 
England is the Newtown Pippiu, which as a dessert 
fruit is in season from January to March, The tree 
of this variety is invariably grafted, and is an un- 
certain producer. Hence its cultivation is not largerly 
extended, and indeed is restricted to a few loc ilities, 
The Canadians themselves do not appear to prize the 
Newtown Pippin as highly as Europe ms do; tho latter I 
either from fancy, or from its attractive character in | 
late winter, have placed its fruit first iu the market. 
<M early apples, there are the Or ivenstein, Alexander, I 
Duchess of Oldenburg and St. Lawrence, iu season from 
September to December; while of lato apples there j 
are Golden Basset, Gloria Mundi, Nonpareil, and many 
others, which are in season as late as May or June. 
Tho Gloria Mundi, in exceptional specimens, has been 
known to reach 18 ounces in weight. During the 
course of the Exhibition various plants were adopto 1 
to pick and ship Oai.adian fruits, and some of the 
experiments wero of an iuteresti \g and suggestive i 
character. The experiment rnide with a packiug of ' 
mlu-miil firth between the double boarding of eases 
Were fonnd not to yield euoh satisfactory results us 
Were at first anticipated. In fact, nothing was on 
the whole so satisfactory as a careful wrapping of 
fruit in tissue paper to prevent bruising, and giving 
them as much air as possible in a cool storage. 
Soft fruit, such as plums, peaches and grapes, 
when packed in compartments, arrived in fair order ; 
but during such an abundant fruit harvest as the 
last in England, foreign fruit of this character could 
not pay expenses. Now that the merits of late 
keeping Canadian apples are better known, there is 
no doubt that the demand for them will steadily in- 
crease. At present, owing to the round-about way of 
reaching the consumer, a barrel (three bushels) of 
apples, which in Canada is worth about 5s. or 6s., is 
sold in Eugland at something like 26s. or 28s. per 
barrel. Hence the greater part of the profit at present 
goes to the middle men. 
As indicating the enormous proportions which the 
Oanadiau apple-trade has assumed, it is stated that 
the Province of Ontario alone has exported this ypar 
half a million barrels. All these do not come to Eng- 
land, a considerable quantity going direct to Norway 
and Denmark. British Columbia, as might be expected, 
is destined to become the competitor of California in 
choice fruits, especially in poars, which are magni- 
ficent both in size and quality. 
In preserved, caun^d, and evaporated fruits, a large 
display was made by the Aylmer Canning Company 
of Ontario, and of those examined the pears, blackberries, 
peaches, cherries, plums, and apricots were excellent. 
NEW SOUTH WALES. 
As the apple is the fruit of Canada, the pine- 
apple, the fruit of the Bahamas, and the banana, the 
fruit of Jamaica, so the orange is destined, I believe, 
to be the commercial fruit of New South "Wales.* 
The samples of Sydney orauges shown in the Colon- 
ial Market, although evidently not selected and graded 
accordiug to the experienced style characteristic of 
Mediterranean oranges, sufficiently indicated th^ in- 
herent good quality of the fruit. New South Wales 
oranges are expected to arrive in Eaglanl in June, 
July and August, a time when no oranges can be 
produced in northern countries. This will naturally 
cause a change iu the characteristics of tin English 
fruit trade; but there is a manifest opening for goo 1 
Colonial fruit during the early summer mmihs, and 
Australian (and for the matter of that, C ips of Goo I 
Hope and Natal) fruit-growers would do wjll to 
follow up their experimental shipments of the present 
year, and establish a market for their produce. So 
far, refereuce has bean chiefly made to oranges from 
New South Wales. It is not to be suppose!, however, 
that this is the only fruit that cm be grown there. 
Excellent lemons, quinces, guavas, app'es, apricot, 
peaches, nectarines, plums, figs, loquus aid mel ins 
are also produced, and thsss in a preserved state 
formed a special feature in the New South Wales Court. 
VICTORIA. 
This, the richest and mis'; pro?p3rom of England's 
Colouies in the southern hemisphere, possesses wealth 
in her vegetable productions no less than in her 
mines and gold-fields. While importing a la r ge quantity 
of fresh fruit, and what is callel " fruit-pulp " from 
Tasmania, which latter is the orchard of Australasia, 
Victoria is able to produo;, at cjrtiin seasous, largo 
quantities of fruit, some of which, shown in London, 
has been of excelleut quality. The canned or tinned 
fruits of Victoria indicate I ;i near approach to tho 
beat fruit of California, which hitherto hive mono- 
polized European mirkets. In a special Report on 
fruits exhibited by the Red Cross Preservin :< nip my, 
it is state 1 that " the quality is equal to many of the 
Cilifornian fruits in the trade, and as soon as tha 
prej idi-ie is disperse 1, arising from the intro luctiou 
of Australian picks in English markets (it being qnibe 
a receut step), there will doubtle<s be a large trade 
done between the mottior country and tha depend- 
ency of Victoria." 
* The trees suffer considerably from blights,— Er, 
