BEE-KEEPING AND FRUIT PACKING IN CANADA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2522, 11 February 1887, Page 2

BEE-KEEPING AND FRUIT PACKING IN CANADA.

' /.AN'OFHCIAL'iIEPORT,; ; Mr James Thompson/,-secretary of the Victorian Commission 1 - for the : Colonial and'-.lndian Exhibition,-has; forwarded , to * the commission a report which he received "fipm Mr''A^'W. Wright, general commercial' Canada at the Exhibition. Mr Thompson states that Mr Wright,has ■■ thrown much interest in thei pcdSilotß and resources of Victoria,, and isjjcely •, • to visit Melbourne in the course alt next year. Mr Bosisto ands'-Mr Thompson wore anxious'to obtain information on several other matters likely to prove of value to the people bt Victoria, and had been promised theassistance of a number of gentlemen connected with the other: divisions, of the Exhibition. They also honffi to make arrangements before leaMg London for extensive shipments of fruit next season. The letter of Mr Wright has especial reference * to:', the mode of packing fruit for export.. It is, as.follows : James Thomson, Esq., Sec. .Victorian Commission, C. &I. E. ■■: Dear Sir,—ln reply toyour.request for information respecting the honey industry in Canada, and respecting the method of packing and shipping apples which our people have found to be tho most advantageous, I would soa that I have very little personal ledge of the treatment of .'bees, b™' . .there .wiU be .alconferenoe.ilieidjere' shortly ef : English and .Canadian bee keepei'B, and I will.se. e; that you receive ail invitation to attend. I do;not doubt that you willbe.abjo.to'-gather a good deal of valuable' information on this subject.there. I may say, however, that although the honey industry is comparatively,:. : in its infancy in Canada, the annual.yield ib already very large, amounting: hi the provinco of .Ontario alone, (this is our principal' honoy province) to 100,000£ sterling'' • It "is estimated that we have in Ontario abouiiiOOO million bees. Of course, the .of a similar industry : ;in.:Australia ■ would depend largely upon tho flora of the country, for, though :you may have plonty of honey-producing flowers, you might still have :, to*fjnd the right sort of bee to gather it. "'Our beekeepers have, by means of longoxperimonting, obtained : a hybrid boo, which is exactly suited to the Canadian! floral with, the oxception of tho'MfFclover,' I have heard that in Oeylon and Java there is a species of bee with a remarkably long tongue, but none of our bee keepers have: as yet succeeded in importing it, 'lt may be that this bee would be of partioular value in Australia. The has much to do with, the success of bee keeping and with the quality of the honey. A cold winter, arid a summer sufficiently warm to prodijco an abundance of flowers seems to' bo tho most favorable climate., . With regard to the'packing,and shipping of apples, it is, doubtful if the rules which apply-to Canada would apply with equal force to Australia. Meed, we do not find that th«me rules work equally well.in all province, It will, however, briefly give you a description of the method which experience has shown to our Ontaria shippers to be the most successful and profitable. They purchase a grower's crop either at a lumn* ■ sum or at •so much per barrel. Tffla apples are then picked by hand the shipper's own men, who put the apples in two heaps, separating tho perfect fruit from the damaged and imperfect. The apples are: allowed to lie in these heaps for about a weak to sweat and toughen the skins. ..fbey are then packed in barrels as follow: —" The barrel is and opened at the bottom; a ro«.er layer ; is then put in,-stems;down; then a second row, with the'calyx or blossoms end down, and- sir on until the barrel is full, care being ttfktorio put apples as nearly as popsible of a uniform size (always the same variety) in each -barrel, and that each apple 19 unbruised, and free from .worms or other blemishes, If the apples mof a hard or firm variety* the'barrel will not be filled more than just a. little over the ohimo; if of a soft variety, they are filled: a little higher., The head, or rather the bottom,-.'is then put on, and pressed down with (4&er a lever or screw, driven down and nailed. 'The battel* is then turned over, and branded- on tho proper head. You wilLseo that by this means, when'theiferrel is opened by the purchaser: hi? will;, see the apples neatly and; attractively arranged, with the 'stems up,■■';■;Of, course, we have not.to provide, cold storage as you would, -but ourahippors stipulate with the steamship, companies'to put the fruit "distant' from the boilers, and they shall not be moved during the voyage., Another method is to pack the apples in boxes which hold one, bushel eaoh, divided into' two 'coniparlman'ts. The boxes are made of slabs, so that the apples are exposed to'view,' I would judge that, for the,!lndian market, these small packages WQuld be'preferable. I should say-,that only what we call winter the best keeping apples, are: suitable for shipping. • ; ' ;; '.' .