152 MOZAMBIQUE 



such material as is available, how the case 

 stands at present with regard to fruit-growing 

 in the Lourenzo Marques district. Messrs. Mer- 

 son & Goldsbury, of Umbeluzi, have a small 

 orchard of 1,000 orange-trees, of ages varying 

 from 3 J to 10 years old. The most suitable 

 varieties for the country, so far as experience 

 has gone, are the Washington Navel and the 

 Valentia Late. In 1911, from 300 trees 10,000 

 oranges were sold, the price obtained in the 

 local market being 2s. 6d. per 100, wholesale. 

 This is a gross return of 8s. 4d. per tree, or 

 ^60 per acre, reckoning the spacing from 18 feet 

 by 18 feet, which gives 134 trees to the acre. 



Stone fruit being by consent not a commercial 

 proposition in this climate, where the trees would 

 get no rest, tropical and sub-tropical varieties, 

 chiefly oranges, will become the principal staple 

 as far as fruit is concerned. The district pos- 

 sesses an advantage over Natal and the Cape 

 in having an earlier season. The season at the 

 Cape begins in June, that of Lourenzo Marques 

 in May ; there is thus but a narrow margin over 

 Natal, which would come in between, and some 

 of this would be lost through Natal being able 

 to ship later for the same market. The efforts 

 of local growers should be directed to producing 

 a specially early variety of orange, as it is the 



