ISLAND ORANGES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 247, 12 July 1919, Page 7

ISLAND ORANGES

SHIPMENT IN BAD CONDITION. Bj Telegraph-Press Association. Auckland, July 11. The bad condition of recent large shipments of Island oranges was the subject of considerable comment at-1 he city mar'kek The Flora has just landed la.OOfl eases from Rnrotonga. Mangain, and Raialia. and it is stated that there is scarcely one case free from decayed fruit. One prominent dealer stated that he was employing men bolli day and night In pick and repack sound fruit. I'tfty per cent, were bad. and tin; destructor had refused to receive more than one large drnv load a day. "Seldom if ever, he said "has such a condition existed in the market. Tt is a great loss lo the grower and also to dealer." The cause of the deray of the fruit he Attributed to the undue length of the trip from the Islands. The season was now at its height, be «aid, and the first oranges were loaded at Raialia after three or four days spent at smaller islands. The Flora reached Rarotonga and loaded the filial shipment. The trip'' of 10I1S miles to Auckland usually occupied six days, but on the last occasion the vessel encountered rough weather and did not reach Auckland until eleven davs after leaving Rnrotnngii._ Tho dealer expressed the opinion Unit v:ilh a faster vessel on lhe run HI He decayed fruit would lie landed in Auckland, trices given for the repacked oranges wen- from 1!i». t« Ills, a case, according lu the. tiualii'v! Tn view of the bad condition of the fruit it is anticipated Ihat prices will harden considerably before the arrival of the next shipment. '