346 Report S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



available, it is a standing disgrace that over 1000 tons of preserved 

 vegetables should be imported annually into Cape Colony at a cost 

 of about ;^25,ooo. Each of the other Colonies is also an importer, 

 though possessed of much suitable land for growing vegetables. 

 Beyond growing for the respective local markets, the only commercial 

 vegetable culture is that of onions, and of a few cabbages and cauli- 

 flowers for Kimberley and Johannesburg. Vegetable culture, as it is 

 known in the United States and the Channel Islands, is non-existent, 

 but the import indicates that there is scope for many unskilled 

 gardeners taking up this easy and often profitable work. 



The onion product of Cape Colony amounted in 1904 to 123,175 

 muids (one muid = 3 bushels), the districts supplying the largest 

 quantities being : — 



Caledon ... 24,948 muids. 



Tulbagh ... 20,248 



Stellenbosch ... 15,315 



Worcester ... 12,322, 



Paarl ... 11,887! 



Cape ... 9,834f 



Robertson ... 7,775 1 



All other districts producing less than 2,000 muids each. 



The onions exported from Cape Colony during 1904 were : — 



Oversea ... 448,571 lbs. value £1,713 



Overland ... ? £21,427 



and of onion seed raised in the Cape Colony, £259, 



while the import (not included above among vegetables) was 611,343 

 lbs., value ^2,003 (784 tons less than in 1903). 



Of other vegetables the overland export was ;^i3.o52 value, 

 but an item of ^10,713 appears for Garden, Vegetable, and tree 

 seeds among the Cape Imports. 



Generally speakin.;, vegetable culture for domestic use is 

 neglected, vegetable culture for market is in the hands of a limited 

 number, often Malay, Chinese, or Indian coolies, and the production 

 of local seed from selected types has still to be begun. 



Plants, Flowers, Trees, Etc. 



A curious item in the annual list of exports from Cape Town is 

 " Everlasting Flowers," which for 1904 were entered at 170,316 

 lbs., value ^12,012. These 85 tons of flowers are not the result 

 of cultivation, but the collection of many hands from indigenous 

 plants on the South -Western mountains. Apart from this the demand 

 for flowers is purely local, and has nowhere assumed large propor- 

 tions. The florists' catalogues contain practically everything known 

 to suit the local conditions, and domestic amateur floriculture is well 

 practised, and often highly successful, but as a business floriculture 

 has not yet caught on. 



The same may be said concerning decorative plants, ornamental 

 trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, succulent plants, and even bulbs. 



