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“to greater perfection than in the orchards of Jaffa.’ In 1883 there 
were exported to. the United Kingdom 11,278 boxes of Jaffa oranges. 
Since that time the trade has considerably increased, and at tne present 
time the exports have reached 36,000 boxes. 
The ose of this increased activity in fruit — at Jaffa has 
brought to it a remarkable prosperity. In a Foreign Office Report 
site hs "Series 1893, No. 300) * Ou Irrigation and Orange 
Growing at Jaffa,’ ^ the following particulars are giv 
* Jaffa, the chief town of the Caza of that name, owes its importance 
to its ehimate, which is extremely favourable for orange growing. As 
a natural consequence, this seaport is surrounded on the land side by 
orange groves, covering an area of some 720 hectares (about 1,780 
acres “Tala oranges, "thanks to their excellent flavour, have of late 
years ‘acquired a world-wide reputation, and while some 18 years ago 
this fruit was known only to Beyrout, Alexandria, and Constantinople, 
enormous quantities of it are now exported to Europe, merica, and 
even to India, and its cultivation has consequently increased to a very 
considerable extent. A special feature of Jaffa oranges is that they will 
keep from 30 days to 40 days, and, if properly packed, for two months, 
and even three months. New orange groves are continually being laid 
ve and now w number some 400, against 200 some 15 years ago. This, 
in, has influenced the population of Jaffa, which now contains 42,000 
iibibrtands: against 15,000 inhabitants some 12 yearsago. Therevenues 
have doubled, sid the vicinity of the custom-house is crowded with 
piles of cases of oranges waiting m. to all parts of the world. 
E Imperial Ottoman Governm t, with a view to encourage the 
export of oranges, levies an viens duty of only 1 per cent. on them, 
and the exports for the last few years have averaged 36,000 boxes per 
annum. Owing principally to the trade in oranges, Ja à now ranks 
next after Beyrout in importance among Syrian coast town 
* Orange growing in Syria is conducted exclusively ye natives. 
Each orange garden conning some 2,000 square feet of planted area, 
pe hee to about 1 ,800 trees to the hectare (= 2°471143 acres). The 
trees begin to bear the fourth year after planting, but it is estimated 
that it takes seven years, and sometimes eight years, before an orango 
orchard yields a remunerative e erop. uring all this time, and e 
afterwards, the orchards have to be watered continually, dL this i ier 
tion is the most difficult and the most labourious part of the work in 
connexion with orange growing, inasmuch as the water has to be drawn 
by means of more or “less primitive water-wheels from wells dag in the 
gardens 90 feet and even sometimes 100 feet deep.” 
The following Ti gifs Drug ae pee between the Foreign Office 
and Kew in regar 
FOREIGN Se io; didis GanpENs, Kew. 
Sis, Foreign Office, May 9, 1889. 
I am directed by the ert of —À to transmit RE you, t 
be laid before Mr. Thiselton-Dyer, a letter from Mr. J. H. W hitley 
asking that information may be s ri for him respecting the nature 
and —€— of the variety of orange known as “Jaffa” orange; 
m to request that you will move the Director to inform his 
Lordship whether he is able to furnish any information on the 
subjec 
I am, &e. r 
The Assistant Director (Signed) JAMES FERGUSSON, 
dogs: Gardens, Kew. 
