FRUIT PRESERVING.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4721, 23 February 1884, Page 2

FRUIT PRESERVING.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) Sir,—Your article of Tuesday last upon fruit preserving encourages me to trouble you with a few farther remarks. I shall not refer to the mere tinning of peaches, which everybody knows has be- . come a speciality of this district, but more particularly to the preserving of | other fruits, which would otherwise be ! wasted. It may, 1 think, be assumed | that the various products of our orchards j are rapidly increasing, so that the supply of ripe fruit for immediate consumption is likely at no very distant date to exceed the local demand. In a short time but a small proportion of the choicest kinds produced wi'l be saleable for this purpose, and these crops will become difficult of disposal. A considerable fall in the market value will take place, bs from the perishable nature oE ripe fruit, it is scarcely probable that a market outside the Thames will be obtainable at satisfactory prices, unless for preserving purposes, and this could be more cheaply done in the locality where the fruit is produced. The question is, can this be done profitably ? The answer appears to be that the fruit growers have the matter in their own hands subject to certain, conditions. For the first few years, if the industry even commenced upon a small scale by a number of competing establishments, I think the result would either be failure or the profits so small las to be scarcely worth, the trouble. Some of fiese conditions of success appear to be—First: Further protection to the grower of fruit by prohibiting the importation of pulp fruits from Tasmania or elsewhere. Secondly: The assnrance of a large and continuous supply of fruit during the season at much lower rates than fruitgrowers now expect. Thirdly: The pro* dnction of a superior article, suoh as would drive all imported preserves'out of the market. Fourthly: The establishment of one centrally situated establishment, to be conducted on as large a scale as possible, commensurate with.our fruit resources, anduuder the control of the fruit-growers. It may be objected that condition number two can scarcely be realised at the Thames just yet, as there may be persons who would prefer to let their fruit rot on the. ground rather than submit to reduotion in price. But such persons would not be ex-"pect-rd* to assist in founding an industry of this description, and the time is coming when many will be glad to sell their fruit by the bushel at any price they can get instead of by the pound as at present. A start.might be made next season upon a moderate but payable scale, upon the co-operative principal. Ve;y little capital would be wanted if a sufficient number of fruit growers would combine for the purpose. I will not enter into de« tails, but it occurs to me that a factory well situated and supported as I propose might also be a.depot, or wholesale mar» kefc, for ripe fruit. In this way the fruit growers and the retailers would be brought together without trouble. The fruiterers would suit themselves by pur* chasing according to their requirements^and the remainder would be preserved.-* I am, &c, "■ j^ t