65 



harsh movement is liable to cause the paper on those oranges next the 

 sides of the box to be rubbed off. A gradual pressure is therefore 

 needed. As there are very few presses in use in South Africa it may 

 be as well to say that the next best way to nail up a box is to fasten 

 the one end down first, driving the nails through cleat and cover ; then 

 bend the other end of the cover over and attend to that. 



Over cleat and cover, at each end of the box, a thin iron strapping 

 should be nailed to ensure the stability of the box during its 6000-mile 

 journey. 



Nailing up of boxes is a white man's work, as it needs to be done 

 quickly, carefully, and well. The Trades Commissioner, in some of his 

 reports from London, remarks on the weakness some people in South 

 Africa have for driving nails into the oranges and not into their right 

 places in the box. This is one more of the details which need care 

 and which should only be placed in the hands of reliable workers. 

 Boxes should not be nailed in the centre. 



Marking the Box. 



This shoxild be done in accordance with the requirements of the 

 regulations. All boxes full of oranges should at all, times stand on 

 end; ventilation is in this way assured, and the liability to heat 

 which occurs when they are placed one on the other on their sides is 

 obviated. This applies to the cases when they are stacked in the 

 packing-house awaiting shipment, in the railway truck en route for 

 the coast, and in the cool chamber or hold of the steamer, as the case 

 may be. 



This arrangement further admits of the instant identification of 

 all boxes, on arrival at their destination, by the oversea agents. 



The Future of the Citrus Industry in South Africa. 



It has been shown that during the few years which comprise the 

 span of our export citrus history more or less satisfactory progress has 

 been made. Had not the world war intervened, the probability is that 

 in this present year of grace our exports would have reached 200,000 

 boxes, possibly more. This number would have been absorbed on the 

 markets of England alone with ease. Past experience has shown us 

 that difficulty in disposing of oranges has only arisen when the supply 

 has become irregular — a few hundreds of cases by one ship, then 

 possibly a break for a couple of weeks, and another few hundreds, and so 

 on. As soon as the stream of supplies became steady there was no 

 difficulty in disposing of our fruit. So far, practically the whole has 

 been sent to England; the Continental markets were scarcely touched. 

 It is true a few consignments were sent to Holland, but the circum- 

 stances were scarcely favourable. 



North America has not yet sampled our citrus fruits. It is 

 anticipated by the writer, when rapid and regular communication has 

 been opened between South Africa and the new world, that an 

 enormous development in our citrus business will take place — one thing 

 is needful, and that is good fruit. The Americans are the one nation 

 who eat fruit properly, as a food — or as a dietetic. Fruit is to them a 

 necessity, and as long as it is good money is no object. They are the 

 greatest connoisseurs of fruit on earth. Bearing that in mind we 

 must realize that to send anything but really first-class stuff to America 



