myrobolan so celebrated as a non-suckering stock carrier in 

 Europe, Australia, and America. Then again the Early Golden 

 Drop, widely disseminated throughout the country, is a kindred 

 sort, and more or less identical, except in the colour of its fruit.* 



The only other sort which one sees practically all over the 

 country is the small blue plum, which can be identified by the 

 number of suckers that it throws up ; this is undoubtedly the 

 Black Damas, used largely as a stock on which to grow plums y 

 and the fruit of which is miserably sour and unpalatable. 



We may add we have seen these three varieties named scattered 

 over the Colony, East and West, and through the Transvaal and 

 Orange River Colony. So here we claim we have the interesting 

 fact of the grafted sorts dropping clean out of existence, and the 

 stocks remaining and being disseminated as worthy of planting, 

 and in the matter of plums the problem has not yet been solved 

 in the country as to how to get a uniform good result from 

 Plums of the domestic type except as regards a few varieties. 



REVIVAL OF INTEREST IN HORTICULTURE. 



Some ten years ago our Industry, as an industry, was in a 

 parlous state, the planting being undertaken being on a 

 scale which prevented its ever cutting a figure in even inter- 

 Colonial trade and the Export as a possible Colonial Industry had 

 not been considered. Agriculture was at a low ebb, and the then 

 Government were fully alive to this fact. It was before we arrived 

 in Africa, but we know that the then Rhodes Ministry, 

 realizing the hopeless character of the Agricultural Industries, 

 were looking to fruit as a possible means of bettering the 

 condition of the farmers. We know from our own personal know- 

 ledge that Mr. Rhodes himself, also Messrs. Sauer and Merriman, 

 were keenly interested in the possibilities. Early in 1892, Mr. 

 Merriman being in London at the time, he spent much time in 

 Covent Garden personally satisfying himself as regards the 

 possibility of building up a trade, it was during the following 

 session of Parliament that Major Tamplin asked for a Select 

 Committee to enquire into the prospects of pushing a successful 

 industry, this being the natural outcome of the excellent returns- 

 received for the small lots of fruit sold in London that autumn. 

 In connection with the sale of this fruit the following special 

 Telegram to the " San Francisco Examiner " may be worth 

 quoting as showing the general interest taken in the matter of 

 South African fruits on the London Market. 



Special to the " Examiner" London. February 9th, 1892. A 

 second cargo of fruit from South Africa arrived to-day, and it is 

 stated that every thing it comprises is in excellent condition. The first 



History of myrobolan traced "back "1601. 



