FRUIT-GROWING 151 



native with diminished intelligence and applica- 

 tion as we approach the Equator, and the 

 European with restricted capacity for close 

 supervision. Except under specially favoured 

 conditions the Tropics are not suited for growing 

 fruit or any perishable product on a commercial 

 scale. 



For all practical purposes for some time to 

 come the district of Lourenzo Marques is the 

 only part of the Province that offers an outlook 

 for the fruit-grower ; his market being at present 

 confined to the town. There is certainly the 

 Transvaal, but as Transvaal growers send fruit 

 to Delagoa Bay the presumption is that local 

 growers would find a worse market in the high 

 veld than at home. In the three years ending 

 April 1, 1911, 5,782 packages of oranges and 

 mandarins were imported into Lourenzo Mar- 

 ques. The orchards at present in existence are 

 situated on river-banks principally, and though 

 there is a great quantity of such land in the 

 district much of it is subject to flooding. Fruit 

 would, no doubt, grow on the hard and dry 

 lands, but it certainly would not grow so well. 

 On the rich bottom land the question would 

 always arise whether lucerne, sugar, or some 

 unperishable product would not pay better. 



It is necessary, however, to determine with 



