104 JOUENAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL BOCH^TY. 



bananas at £1,038,721. The same year the area under banana cultiva- 

 tion was 62,164 acres. There can be no more striking example of the 

 value of a Government subsidy wisely conferred than the case of 

 Jamaica. A few years ago the country was in a most deplorable state 

 of depression, but the subsidy of £40,000 a year granted jointly by the 

 Imperial and Jamaica Governments enabled the Imperial Direct West 

 India mail service to maintain a fortnightly steam communication with 

 this country, undertaking to bring here 20,000 bunches of bananas by 

 each isteamer. The wisdom of this policy is amply proved by the 

 enormous expansion of the industry, th§ large export trade with the 

 continent of America being supplemented by the trade thus fostered 

 with this country. The export value is now, as I have shown, over 

 a million sterling. The benefits to the inhabitants of these islands, too, 

 must not be overlooked. A nourishing article of diet is placed on the 

 market in such quantities that pric^ enable the poorer classes to be 

 consumers. 



Fruit-growing in the other West Indian Islands is but little carried 

 on, and figures regarding the industry are not obtainable. That some 

 fruit is grown there goes without saying, and some of the islands have 

 an export trade w^hich in the near future may attain to some 

 importance, but, with the exception of Montserrat, where there are 

 about 1,000 acres under limes, it would appear that the industry has 

 not yet reached large proportions. 



Fiji. 



The published statistics of Fiji are very meagre; the acreage under 

 fruit and the production are not ascertainable. There, however, appears 

 to be an export trade which, in 1907, was valued at £97,678, consisting 

 mostly of citrus fruits. 



New Zealand. 



New Zealand is not, comparatively speaking, a country where 

 orcharding has attained large dimensions, and does not produce sufii- 

 cient for the needs of her own population. It is a country of many 

 climates, and hardy fruits grow abundantly in certain places. In the 

 North Island citrus fruits, such as the orange, lemon, &c., grow well, 

 and the industry is capable of much extension. 



Australia. 



Victoria, during the year 1908, produced 2,509,965 bushels of large 

 fruits, 24,489 bushels of small fruits, 561,679 bushels of grapes, and 

 121,000 lb. of nuts; also 1,437,106 gallons of wine, of a total value 

 of £655,474. The principal crop was 1,241,826 bushels of apples. 



New South Wales.— This State in 1907-8 produced 3,879 tons 

 of grapes and dried fruit, 12,957,216 dozen of citrus fruits, 

 778,500 gallons of wine, and 28,887 gallons of brandy, of a total value 

 of £523,910. Citrus fruits were the principal crop. 



