99 



will travel almost any distance and colour up to perfection in transit. The 

 tree is a native of the United States, and when ripe the fruit is very 

 sweet. . . 



" Few fruits even including the apple have made a more rapid ad- 

 vance in the British markets than the banana. Millions of bunches of 

 this fruit are now sent into our ports every year and for the Christmas 

 sales the supply this season has been exceptionally large. The banana 

 as a retail fruit is almost useless unless it is ripe. Many years ago, be- 

 fore this point received the attention it does now, one or two firms in 

 Covent-garden Market owning underground cellars fitted up with heat- 

 ing apparatus to colour the fruit, had the business entirely in their own 

 hands. Then perfectly-coloured bananas made as much as 20s., 30s., 

 and 40s. per bunch, and fortunes were realised. But the enormous sup- 

 plies sent from the Canaries and Madeira have revolutionised the trade. 

 During the past few days there has been a great scarcity of well-ripened 

 bananas in the fruit shops, and the dealers who have cellars heated for 

 the purpose of ripening the green bunches are cramming the heated 

 chambers to meet the great run which has set in for ripe fruit. 



" At one time hot-house pineapple culture was a paying industry 

 in this country, but the large importations of St. Michael pines specially 

 grown under glass for the English market completely ruined the 

 business. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that pineapple production will 

 be revived, and in the near future become a very extensive trade in the 

 British Isles. The superior quality, the more delicate appearance, the 

 exquisite fragrance and flavour which distinguish the English from 

 the imported fruit justify this prophecy. It was not unusual ten 

 years ago to see magnificent English hot-house pines weigh- 

 ing from 81b. to 101b, each on show in the markets, and eagerly 

 sought after by West-end buvers. Early in the present century these 

 fruits used to be grown pretty generally, but few English hot-house pine- 

 apples will make their appearance in the fruit shops for Christmas this 

 year. The St. Michael pineapples this season are very plentiful. They 

 are large and well coloured, being worth from 3s to 6s each in the mar- 

 kets. Of oranges the supplies are most plentiful and the quality well 

 up to the average of previous years. The giant seedless Californian 

 navel oranges still take the lead; oranges from Jaffa, St. Michael, Malta, 

 and Spain, also meet with a ready sale and especially the Valencia, 

 which is a good cheap orange for the people. As many as ten million 

 oranges have been sold by auction in the United Kingdom in one day 

 during the present month. Altogether the fruitmen in the markets and 

 the retail fruiterers are having a record season, and never before has 

 the general public been able to obtain a better supply of fruit for Christ- 

 mastide." 



