THE WEST INDIAN FRUIT INDUSTRY. 



629 



and frequent service of fruit-boats make it only-natural that a large 

 portion of the trade should be in this direction. On the other hand, the 

 United Kingdom offers a very large market for Bananas, and is at present 

 but very poorly supplied from British sources, in spite of the increasing 

 import of Jamaica Bananas. The following figures will illustrate the 

 possibilities of expansion in this direction : — 



Imports of Bananas into United Kingdom, 1903. 



From British Colonies £158,640 



From foreign countries 918,128 



£1,071,768 



That is to say, only about 14 per cent, of the Bananas imported into the 

 United Kingdom are derived from British Colonies. 



Fig. 184. — Coffee. 



It is possible that other West Indian colonies besides Jamaica may be 

 able to meet some part of this demand, and the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture has, during the past three years, made successful efforts to 

 initiate a trade between Barbados and the United Kingdom. As, however, 

 this question will form the subject of a separate communication, I need 

 not do more than refer to it in passing. 



