GRAPES FOR EXPORT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 461, 20 March 1909, Page 3

GRAPES FOR EXPORT.

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT WITHOUT COOL CHAMBERS. A very interesting experiment'has-been made by the "Fruit World," of Melbourne, with a .view to test the keeping qualities of grapes and the method of packing for the markets in Great Britain and Europe. There is .a .certain Spanish grape grown in the Almeria district, and called the Ohanez or Casts de Ohanez, of which', large quantities are grown for export, no less than 2} million barrels being despatched ■ from that district of ■ Spain last year to England, Germany, America, and elsewhere. The "Fruit World" imported toMelbourne from London a keg. of Almeria grapes on the assumption that. ( if the grapes could cross the equator to , Australia and, arrive in good condition they would keep equally well if exported from Australia to the markets of, tho old world. The keg was opened at the Government cool stores, Melbourne, on December 8 last, in the presenco of the Secretary for Agriculture (Mr. Duff us), the viticulture expert (Mr.. F. de Castella), tho chief inspector of fruit (Mr. J. G. Turner), representatives of the 'press)'"and~a 'number" of city fruit, merchants and others. . The gross weight was found to be over 601b.; the empty cask\-(niado-'of ; oak staves, arid measuring 15 inches diameter by 16} inches I deep) weighed 121b., the cork, dust packing Bjlb, and the grapes over ,401b. Tho grapes weighed rather, less than, had been expected, due to evaporation on the long voyago; but they were otherwise in splendid condition, only one bunch showing any signs of decay. The carrying qualities of these grapes, "is evidenced •by the' fact that this keg was carried as ordinary cargo from Spain to London and thence to Australia. Tho "Fruit World" says that tho experiment was. highly satisfactory. The grape proved a very handsome one, fresh, firm and sweet, and the taste as. fresh and pleasing as if picked the day the cask was opened, in fact, \the bloom was still on the fruit, although twelve weeks had elapsed since tho picking date. . No treatment of any description is given these grapes before shipment. ■ They are simply picked a little ■on the unripe side and carefully packed in granulated cork. Although, in Almeria the grapes ripen about October, the packing and shipping go on until the end of December, and even much later, this'being possible because tho Ohanez grape hangs so well, ■ Of course it would not be absolutely necessary -that export from Australia be conducted with barrels, although tho barrel or keg, having no corners, is very convenient. Mr. de Castella expressed the opinion that most grapes at present cultivated in Australia would be too thin-skinned, for export as ordinary cargo. On his return from his r f en t v-isit to Europe, he brought cuttiugs of _ the Ohanez grape, and these are now being propagated at Rutherglen. A correspondent of the "Fruit World" suggests that the most suitable of other varieties of an experiment would be the Dorodilla.