APPLES FOR EXPORT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1993, 10 November 1888, Page 2

APPLES FOR EXPORT.

That Now Zealand is a country admirably adapted for the cultivation of fruit is proved by the bountiful crops obtained of fruits of almost every description, from the currant to the grspa, and from the orange to tho applo. True that as to such fruits as oranges, lemons, and limc9, tho warmer climate of tho northern half of the North Island alone is suited to their cultivation, but thero is ono clasß of fruit of universal demand which m nil its varieties, and they are legion, can bo produced m perfection and abundance m any part of the colony, from Auckland to the Bluff. Indeed the apple seems peculiarly suited to this country, and wo do not believe that New Zealond apples can bo beaten for size, quality, or flavor by those of any other country or clime. As tho applo is always m demand, and as the ripening season m New Zeuland is separated by from threo to six months irom tho ripening seasons of America and England it follows that if we could only send thoso countries our fresh fruit m good condition wo should obtain for it a ready and rer munerative market. Mr Hobbs, M.H.R., who has large orchards at tho Bay of Islands, has just tried the experiment of shipping apples to Ban Francisco, but it was not a success, the fruit arriving m a decayed condition. This is very unfortunate, as it is known that fruit m good condition would have commanded a good price both m Honolulu and m 'Frisco. It is very curious that apples shipped from California to Now Zealand by the last mail steamer came to hand m splendid order, for it cannot bo that fruit will carry ono way and not the other. It follows, therefore, that thero must bo some defect m the packing or m tho treatment m transitu or both, and that, or these, remedied, success may be safely counted upon, for as an exchange remarks " what can bo done m ono place can bo done m another if thero is tho will to do it." Tho paper from which tho last sentence is quoted suggests that tho fault is not improbably to bo found m the treatment of tho fruit on shipboard. It says : — " Canadian fruitgrowers found occasion to complain of the way their fruit was neglected by shipowners, and complained with such effect that tho steamship companies havo gone to some expense to provide means to ensure safo carriago of fruit, apples principally, across tho Atlantic One company hoi fitted its steamers with special chambers and forced ventilation. More than this, they undertake to carry tho fruit at their own risk, guaranteeing to put it on the market m sound condition. It is about timo some change of this sort was effected m tho shipping of dairy produce from New Zealand, and of fruit also.'' Our contemporary is doubtless right, but it may be that tho mode of packing is also defective. Bpth matters should receive attention, and with proper care tho safo transit of our fruit to both America and Europe could, wo think, bo insured, and with it a largo increase m tho volume of this class of export.