EXPORT OF APPLES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 144, 14 March 1921, Page 6

EXPORT OF APPLES

POINTS FOR GROWERS.

When seen by a re.pr.eeentativtf of The Dominion, Mr. T. W. Kirk. Director of the Horticulture Division of! the Department of Agriculture, in speaking in regard to matters in connection with the export of apples, pointed out the advantages which would be derived from the compulsory wiring of cases for export in the future. He mentioned that! the whole of the wired cases sent too shipment oy the Hororata arrived, in Wellington in absolutely sound condition, while only from 80 to 90 per cent, of the unwired cases arrived intact, many o« them being badly sprung. He maintained that even if it cost 3d. per ca*e t® • wire, a saving of two cases in a hundred from bursting and ullage would pay fon the wiring of the whole 100 cases. Small growers who did not’use wiring machines -which Mr. Kirk considers most effec-tive-could do their binding with wire and staples on the principle adopted witu cheese crates. . , "With regard to the Hororata 8 shipmeirt he pointed out the necessity for more' care in branding the cases, some or the stencils being so illegible as to evoke complaints from the shipping companies. Branding the cases with the grower s registered number had proved invaluable to the inspectors, as it enabled them to communicate with iudividual growers, pointing out defects. . Another matter which required attenj tion was the marking of the case withi the number of apples it contained. Iw stances had come to light where the pencil and rubber-stamp figures showed » considerable discrepancy. Im the Hoim rata apples there was a very great_' arl tion in maturity. Some of the Du nn • Favourite appeared to be almost imma hire, 'having evidently been picked o® soon. An even greater fault than. thw was the over-maturity of some.vane more especially Gravensteins. These vaneties no doubt appeared suitable uneo packed and inspected, but they vn «l fofi rapid development, and any delay in shipment endangered their England. In future steps would be^ CB to prevent the shipment of such good .