Show horticultural observations from the farmers review the dried fruit association of cal Is saad to be making efforts to reach the consumers more directly than has been the case previous to this time it Is apparently trying to eliminate all the middle men but one the consumers will be interested in knowing it it means better service from some of the canneries come re ports to the effect that the market Is constantly demanding better quality in the canned goods As a result the by products of the orchard are not so much sought after as the main prod acts first class fruit probably the demand has not as yet greatly affected the quality that goes into the cans but that it will in the future seems tain the raisers of fruit will then be compelled to settle all over again the question of what to do with small and fruit luther burbach Bur banh the man that has made himself world famous by the many hybrid plants he has produced is reported sow to have produced a seedless prune the result was ob talked by crossing a french prune with a plum what variety we do not know the new product has a seed but it is small and edible this will make it possible to dry prunes with out extracting the stojsa A few years ago such a result bould have been regarded as e but since i i t I 1 1 1 the production of the seedless orange the seedless grape and a few other seedless fruits now known commer dally no one wonders at the reports of the same thing being done with plums and prunes it may be that australia and ne zealand will become strong shippers ot fruit to the european markets it Is largely a question of how long fruit can be kept sound and the australians are constantly hunting for new meth of preserving fruits for transit if they can fand some method that will keep fruit perfect for seven weeks they have a good chance of getting a strong hold on the markets desired they can then ship fruit in the latter part of our winter and have it reach market in early spring this would give a supply ot fruit to england and the continental countries after their own fruit had disappeared that the australians are likely to succeed Is evidenced by some experiments carried on recently by the government of vie toria pears and peaches were boxed tor shipment and then exposed for a certain time to the effects of hydro cyanic acid gas after that they were put away and kept seven weeks to represent shipment when taken out of their boxes at the end of that time both the peaches and pears were found to be in a perfect state of preservation we do not know the details of the ex perl ment or what the effect was on the eating quality of the fruit so tar as we are able to learn the trial was successful and we are likely to hear more of it at some future time how ever if it does prove a success we are not forgetful of the fact that hydro cyanic acid gas can be used by other people than the australians |