195 
is decidedly against pter with i sorts in the hope — of 
catching the e high prices asked in an early ma 
"IN February the better sorts of apples, pe Biota and nectarines com 
forward; and a glance at these will show conclusively that they ree 
main y late Eu ropean Dm es, and accentuate the caution we have given 
‘against early sorts, at least for "market supply on the large scale. Grapes’ 
and Hare) are becoming plentiful, and begin to acquire their proper 
distinctive fla vour, unless they have, as is often the case, been spoiled by 
inj judicious 1 irrigation. The fruits of keeping quality are now approaching 
the season for picking. As a rule they are left too long upon the tree 
for want of two things; first, want of practical knowledge of the precise 
degree of growth at Mira: to take them, so that they shall best develope 
the richness and fl r that come by keeping ; and ger want o 
something like a A ABIS fruit store, where they can be laid oüt 
properly, inspected daily, and kept at even cores Mir It is pitiable 
to see good keeping sorts huddled up in boxes, a bushel or more together, 
in a galvanised iron shed open to the light and the weather, and varying 
in temperature daily from 80° to 90° at noon to 48° or 50° at night. 
This is another matter in which we want some pardon" missionary to 
come over and teach us a gospel of better things. 
“ In this month and in March begins the first drying season,—that is 
to say, fruit-drying in the sun, as opposed to fruit-evaporating, the more 
practical, more cleanly, manageable, and time-saving plan. ready 
fruits have quite fetched up to the already high standard of the raisins 
produced in the Worcester district. The only reason why these products 
are unknown outside the boundaries of the c olony is that the amount 
cons locally in the colony. The output is not a hun part of 
what it should be, and what could readily be absorbed by the Cape 
co n so stand in the 
fruit pulp Moi to make * Cape jams," rests with the coming 
race of fruit-growers whom we hope to attract to the country and help 
us to put a little Tife and stimulus into our easy-going, lotus-eating lives. 
n Cape Town. e fore the diio bayer collate it all. Is it 
fici clear Bu our production kas yet to expand itself into wholesale 
proportions ? Another retailer, on examining an exceptionally good 
sample of dried figs that | ran the imported * Elemi” ‘article very close, 
offered the producer an Elemi price. Picture his disgust on being 
advised that the total stock produced that year amounted to only sia 
boxes. And so with the prunes. We are content to a continental 
of ‘Prunes d'Agen' and ‘Prunes d'Ente* year after year, 
wW laug 
with present dE ois at the Cape, with family grocers mug dp all 
the raisins that a whole district produces, with farmers content with a 
