THE WEST INDIAN FRUIT INDUSTRY 



643 



News," and other publications issued by the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, the Bulletins of the Botanical Departments of Jamaica and 

 Trinidad, the " Journal of the Jamaica Agricultural Society," and the 

 " Dominica Agriculturist," bear conclusive testimony to the practical 

 nature of these efforts. The cultivation and manuring of fruit plants, 

 treatment of pests, picking, grading, and packing of fruit, questions of 

 storage and transport, are all adequately dealt with. Travelling instructors 

 give practical advice to growers in the country districts, and the botanic 

 stations and agricultural schools carry on experimental work accessible 

 to the observation of all interested. 



The agricultural shows which are held in the greater number of the 

 islands also offer opportunities of giving practical hints on fruit cultiva- 

 tion, and of pointing out to the actual growers the bad results of 

 defective methods of picking, grading, and handling their produce. 



Progress in some of the directions indicated cannot be very rapid, but 

 nevertheless a tangible measure of success has undoubtedly been obtained, 

 and in the comparatively near future we may hope that throughout the 

 West Indies, as is already the case in some parts, the best varieties of 

 plants will be cultivated, the fruit will be picked, graded, and packed in a 

 manner to allow of its reaching the distant market in the best possible 

 state, provided it be transported under the best conditions. Here we are 

 brought face t:> face with one of the radical difficulties, the conditions of 

 transport. The shipping companies in co-operation with the exporters 

 are giving this matter ,their consideration, and it is to be hoped that all 

 the difficulties will soon be solved. Already great advances have been 

 made in the conditions under which Bananas are transported from 

 Barbados, and the high percentage of losses experienced in the first ship- 

 ments has been reduced to a low figure. This result has been attained 

 partly as the result of experience in time of picking and mode of packing, 

 but mainly by improvements in storage accommodation on board ship. 

 A successful fruit industry depends on the loyal co-operation of cultivator 

 and transporter. Each alone can do nothing. The transporter cannot 

 place fruit on the market to the best advantage unless it be intrinsically 

 good, properly picked, graded and packed. Equally, all the efforts of the 

 cultivator are rendered of no value if his carefully selected, well-grown, and 

 properly packed fruit be transported under conditions which are far from 

 ideal. 



