.308 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 3, 1908. 



WEST INDIAN FRUIT. 



ORANGE AND BANANA CULTIVATION 

 IN EASTERN MEXICO. 



(Jraiioe cultivation has ut'late iiuiItTgone e.^ctensive 

 developments in the districts around Tainpico, Eastern 

 Mexico. The port of Tanipico is in about the same 

 latitude as northern Cuba, so that growers are within 

 .easy shipping distance of the United States' market. 



According to the latest report (1907) of the British 

 Oonsul at Tampico, the land in the neighbourhood which is 

 most suited for citrus fruit cultivation requires no irrigation, . 

 and the conditions are even more favourahle for orange 

 growing than in Florida or California. 



Si.x years ago land could be pui chased at Ki.s. per acre, 

 but prices have of late advanced to £10 an acie, as the 

 value of the district for fruit production has become recog- 

 nized. Nearly all the land in the neighbourhood is being 

 bought up in small areas by i;innignint settlers. 



I'udded (irangc trees can In- puichased from the mIcUt 

 settlers, and starting in this way it is stated that the new- 

 comer may e.xpect his first crop at the end of four years from 

 planting. This fust crop may be estiiiiated at from "JOO to 

 .■?()0 bo.xes of fruit per acre, worth 'J.s-. to 3.>.-. per bo.\, and tlie 

 return increa.ses annually, until it reaches 7")0 l)oxes per acre. 



The varieties of orange that apjjcar to be best adapted tn 

 the prevailing conditions are stated to be the 'Tangerine,' 

 'Hart's Late,' and ' I'.onnc's Marly." These are standard 

 varieties, well known nn the railed States' market. In 

 |iropagating these kinds, they are budded on to the native 

 wild orange of the district. Lemons and grape fruits are 

 also cultivated with success aroinid Tam]>ico, and there is no 

 dithculty in finding a market for the pro<luce. 



.\ return which is said to approximate to £'20 or £W 

 per aire can be obtained dm-ing the period of waiting, before 

 jiny yield is given by the orange trees, liy laising a crop f>f 

 tomatos between the young orange plants. U is advised, 



however, llid not i than one planting of tomatos .should 



1)0 made. 



The labour eniplnyed njion these small fruit estates 

 is chiefly Mexican, and the rate of wages is about \s. 9rf. 

 per day. It is mentioned that negro labourers from Jamaica 

 jinil the l*.,ihanias can also be secured without nnich difficulty, 

 but these men command higher wages ranging from 2s. to 

 2s. 6rf, per day. * 



Banana growing has proved another profitable industry 

 in the same district of Mexico, and the Consul reports that 

 during tlie past year- se\t'ral large com[ianies have been 



formed for the cultivation of this fiuit. I.,arge tracts of 

 suitable laiiil can be purcha.-^ed uncleared at about £1 ])er 

 acre. Since the 'Oros Michel ' or .famaica and ( 'osta liica 

 variety of banana (Mikh sopiriitiiui) is the l>est known kind 

 in the Cnited States, the chief attention is being paid to 

 this variety, and inanj- growers are impoiting plants from 

 .Jamaica in preference to cultivating native Mexican kinds. 

 It is believed that by this means a market for the produce 

 will be assured in the United States. 



During the year 1907, several liinnlied colonists from 

 the .\merican States have settled in the neighbourhf)od 

 around Tanipico, and purchased small tracts of land for 

 fruit growing and other pnirposps. 



CRYSTALLIZED FRUITS. 



The follow iiig inites on the preser\atiiui of fruit 

 are taken fi(un the Aiiricult n nd Jci'i-inil of the Cape 

 of Good Hope, July lOO.S :— 



The means of jireserving fresh fruits in a c lystallizeil 

 form is attained liy ejvtracting the j'.'ices from the fruits and 

 replacing them with sugar .syru|i. which upon hardening, 

 preserves the fiuit from decay, and at the .same time retains 

 their natural shape and, to some extent, flavour. The jirocess 

 is as folhrws : |-"i-esii fruit, nearly ripe, whole, or cut into 

 ipiarters. in the case of I'itrus and such large sorts, should 

 lie boiled until they are .soft enough to be handled without 

 breaking. In the case of citrus fruits, the rind shoidd be 

 lightly |iared ofi' and the jiulp removed, at least a couple of 

 hours before boiling. The softer kinds, such as peach, plum, 

 apricot, etc., would merely be steeped in boiling water for 

 a very short time, care being taken that they are not 

 inunersed sutticiently long to be cooked. The exact time 

 can only be determined by actual experience, .\fter this 

 the water from the fruit should he allowed to diain off 

 thoroughly, and wlien .Mitficiently dry, they should be j)lace<l 

 in hot sugar .syrup, ami kept there for a few day.s, so that 

 the sugar may enter the fruit ci'lls and dis]ilace what juice 

 remains after the boiling or scalding process. The fruit should 

 then be lightly washed in clean cold watei and packed in dry 

 white sugar while wet, and allowed to remain there and dry 

 off in a draught, until it is hard enough to be packed away 

 for transport. A common home recipe for jirejiaring sugar 

 syrup is : One pound white sugar to I pint , of water, add- 

 ing the while of an egg to every t It), of sugar ; boil 

 this mixture over a fa.st fire for twenty minutes, and strain 

 through a cloth wbile hot, when it is ready for use. 



