178 SOILS AND AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS 



Besides the improvement in the manner of shipping and grading the 

 fruit, there is another important question to be considered, and that is the 

 matter of keeping in closer touch with the markets and endeavoring to put 

 the fruit on the proper market at the proper time. In order to do this an 

 agent should be employed to look after the cargoes as they arrive, and to 

 dispose of them to the best advantage. To this end the growers should form 

 an association, as they have in many sections of the United States. The 

 output of the Islands would warrant such a combination, and the industry 

 being in the hands of a comparatively few growers, it should not be a difficult 

 matter for them to organize. 



Some loss has been obviated by the establishment of canning factories 

 to preserve the poorer and overripe fruit. The canned fruit is exported, and 

 is gaining in favor. It was first exported in 1876, and the output of the 

 factories has since greatly increased. In 1900, when such a large crop was 

 produced, over 37,000 cases, valued at about £7000, were exported. At pres- 

 ent there are three factories in operation. One is at Nassau and the others 

 are at Governors Harbor and Eock Sound on Eleuthera. 



Citrus Fruits. 



As stated before, the citrus fruit interests have been neglected, and the 

 production has decreased until it is now small indeed to what it was formerly. 

 Oranges were the first fruit of importance in the export trade. The produc- 

 tion has varied greatly. At times it has been practically nothing. For the 

 30 years preceding 1900 on the average nearly 3,000,000 oranges were exported 

 annually. After the freeze in Florida in 1894-95, when the orange trees were 

 so badly injured, the interest in orange growing revived, and the production 

 was increased to its highest point. But the interest soon waned. The Amer- 

 ican duty of 1 cent a pound was imposed, and this being too high for the 

 Bahama growers under the conditions. existing, they could not compete with 

 profit. It is thus only at times of failure or partial failure in Florida ami 

 California, when prices are higher, that the Bahama product will bring 

 enough to justify exporting. In consequence, the orange orchards are neg- 

 lected. As pointed out before, the production -of oranges has always been 

 more or less seriously affected by the scale insects and diseases. With the 

 introduction of improved varieties and proper care of the orchards, large crops 

 could be obtained. At present no good orchards are to be found. The 

 orchards as they existed were small and scattering, and when shipments were 

 sent they were made up of fruit collected from several settlements. 



