\\e on who have a very 



fair practical knowlc 'alifornian orchard conditions and 



<>f the quality of \a\ n there, state with confidence that 



an grow an orange of at least equal quality, and more than 



country can hope to do. \Ve on>ider that in no branch 



of the fruit industry lias such good work been done by the officers 



of the I'nion Department of Agriculture as in the care that they 



have taken to establish the citrus export. 



The i f naartjes has not been up to now so suco 



and we cannot but expre both surprise and regret that this is 

 so. \Ye are. however, unable to say why the result is as it has 

 proved to be. Xaartjes exported in single layer trays bring, it 

 is true, a paying price, but London does not return to the grower 

 the value that he is entitled to get for his risks taken and his 

 enterprise. ( )ur advice to growers and exporters of naartjes, 

 however, is to just go on pegging away at it. and we are con- 

 vinced that it will not be many years before our Cape naartje has 

 established for itself a firm place in the European markets at a 

 good satisfactory price to growers. 



There is a limited but increasing demand in London for grape 

 fruit of the larger sizes, and this branch of citrus export is well 

 worthy of growers' attention. 



In* lemons, however, we regret to say we fear nothing can 

 be done. An unlimited supply of Spanish and Italian lemons 

 seem to fill all the European markets from the ist January to 

 the 3ist December, and all our own personal persistent experi- 

 ments have shewn that although our lemons arrive in London in 

 first-rate condition the price is not a payable one under present 

 conditions of export. 



The following table of oranges exported during the last four 

 years will shew how we are steadily pushing ahead this branch 

 of our export trade : 



I'ji i ... 14.500 cases. 



2 ... I5oOO 



*3 ... 29,000 



10,14 24.000 .. Cape Town only. 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR HANDLING ORANGES FOR EXPORT. 



1. Fruit should be well coloured, if not quite ripe, for the 

 best results to be obtained. 



2. It should be cut and not plucked from the tree. Cut it 

 as closely as possible, leaving no long stems ; take care that the 

 skin is not injured in any way, as the slightest scratch is sufficient 

 to cause decay. 



