57 



season should in the future be extended well into November and later, 

 so that Europe may be able to get some of our nice sweet Valencia 

 Lates and Du Rois for consumption at Christmastide instead of the 

 sour unripe produce of Spain which usually appears on the markets 

 of No'rthern Europe about the end of November. Prices for such 

 fruit as we can send at that period of the year should be satisfactory. 



What to Expoet. 



The orange which has fetched the highest prices consistently at 

 the Covent Garden Market is the "Washington Navel. Packed in 

 single-layer boxes tastefully gotten up, arriving in good order, as 

 much as 6s. per dozen has been realized for extra fine specimens. 

 Others, in similar packs, reached 3s. 6d. and 4s. 6d. per dozen. 

 Packed in standard boxes, this fruit sold at from 12s. 6d. to 28s. per 

 case. During the war, in 1914 and 1915, prices were much higher. 

 These were " war prices " and therefore exceptional. 



Good seedling oranges have also fetched fair and reasonable and, 

 occasionally, high prices. Each orange district naturally considers 

 the fruit grown in that district the best, so it is useless to make any 

 pronouncement as to what particular one sends the best fruit. In all 

 cases, however, it has been found that a nice round smooth-skinned 

 fruit, well coloured, is preferred to an oblong or egg-shaped coarse- 

 skinned article, so that, when deciding on what fruit to export, the 

 above facts should be borne in mind. 



Besides the above, very few named varieties of oranges have been 

 shipped. There is little doubt but that some of the kinds which are 

 favourites in other countries would also be profitable for export from 

 South Africa. Jaffa and St. Michaels are well liked on the English 

 market, whilst export of Mediterranean Sweet, Joppa, Valencia Late, 

 and Du Eoi have proved profitable. There is also a demand for blood 

 oranges at good prices. Grape fruits, or " Pomelos," are in demand 

 and sell at from 15s. to 30s. per box of 36 to 80. This fruit is worth 

 attention, especially in our coastal districts. 



Naartjes in England have so far met with only moderate demand. 

 There are certain varieties which appear to be more appreciated than 

 others, and these are the " Natal " and " Old Cape." Both are of 

 attractive appearance and carry well. They are of the " Tangierine " 

 type, flatfish, as opposed to the " Mandarin " or roundish type of 

 naart.ie once sent from Natal under the name of " Orangettes." The 

 writer is of opinion that this fruit will eventually come into its own 

 not only in England, but in other parts of the world. It has hitherto 

 been shipped principally in single-layer cases, but if the half-box 

 described in the regulations be generally adopted and adhered to the 

 naartje should become less expensive and more popular in England. 

 Lemons have been sent from South Africa to Europe, but the business 

 has yet to be shown to be profitable. There are just two months in 

 England when our lemons could be sold with little competition from 

 the Sicilian product : these are July and xiugust. Even then such 

 prices as they would realize would not prove sufficiently attractive to 

 oiir growers. Further, all lemons for export would need to be properly 

 cured, and the curing of demons has yet to be undertaken and under- 

 stood here. The Kumquat is a pretty little fruit which should sell 

 readily in Europe and America ; on the latter continent a demand 

 already exists and the fruit is well known. _ Our supply at present is, 

 however, so small as to be not worth considering. 



