58 



barrel a slight but sharp rocking motion to and from you, pressing 

 the top down with your elbows in the meantime ; on uncovering 

 you will find that the fruit has settled down just to the chine of 

 the barrel ; after heading up, stencil and despatch. 



With these details I must bring my lecture to a close, but before 

 doing so, let me seriously impress on all of you, the desirability, 

 in fact the absolute necessity, of the better handling of our fruit. 

 An orange or grape fruit is not an India rubber ball, but a fragile 

 fruit, which if properly handled can be kept for months so long as 

 it is well ventilated, but if bruised at all will be decayed and un- 

 fit for anything after a few days, and in some instances, after a 

 few hours. Your obligations are not over when you have nailed 

 the heading down ; they continue until the fruit reaches the con- 

 sumer and he finds it the article you represent it to be. You call 

 the shopkeeper a dishonest and unscrupulous man who sells you an 

 article that is not up to that standard he represents it to be ; well 

 the same name applies to the packer who gets an order for good 

 marketable fruit, but instead puts up half rotten and unmarketable 

 stuff or handles the fruit carelessly and so jeopardises its keeping 

 qualities. Also remember that you are not only injuring your own 

 name by pursuing this dishonourable course, but that of your 

 country and its products in the markets abroad, and that if some 

 reformation is not immediately started these same markets will be 

 forever closed to all of us. 



TOBACCO OF JAMAICA :— VI.* 



32 S.S. 371 



Colonial Secretary's Ofiice, 30th January 1906. 

 SIR, 

 I am directed to transmit herewith, to be laid before the Jamaica 

 AgriculturalSociety, for their information andforpublication should 

 the Board of Management so desire, a copy of a despatch from the- 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies, enclosing copy of correspon- 

 dence in regard to Mr. F. V. Chalmers' experiment of blending 

 Jamaica with Virginia tobacco for use in the Navy. 

 I have the honour to be, 

 Sir, 

 Your obedient Servant, 



T. L. ROXBURGH, Asst. Col. Sec. 



371 Downing Street, 30th October, 1905. 



Governor Sir J. A. Swettenham, K.C.M.G., &c., &c., &c. 

 SIR, 

 With reference to my despatch No. 347 of the 6th inst., and to 

 previous correspondence, I have the honour to transmit to you for 

 your information, the accompanying copy of a letter from Mr. F. 

 V. Chalmers relative to the supply from Jamaica and other British 



* Coatinued from Bulletin of tite Department oj Agriculture Dec. 1905 page 271. 



