July 1, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
*7 
before those of other exhibitors. A small barrel had 
been packed nearly twelve weeks when it was opened, 
and from the apples being wrapped in tissue paper 
and closely packed in chaff, only 14 per cent, of the 
contents were damaged." 
After describing in detail the condition of fruit 
received, variously packed in twenty-nine other con- 
signments, but not in such g'ood order as the above, 
the Report coucludes with the following remarks: — 
" Judging from the result of this experimental 
venture, and from the high prices, fine specimens of 
apples realised, viz., 6d. to Is. each ; there appears to 
be a good prospect of a paying business resulting 
from shipments made to arrive during the few mouths 
before European fruit comes to maturity. 
"Fancy prices cannot of course be expected, as at 
a great International Exhibition, where novelty and 
curiosity lead to purchase, but rumeuerative returns 
from shipments arriving in good condition may be 
depended on." 
Of fruits preserved in syrup, the only successful 
exhibit was that shown by Mrs. H. D. Knight, of New 
Plymouth, which consisted of an assortment of thirty-six 
New Zealand fruits in excellent order. • 
Of jams, the best exhibits were those of Messrs. 
Holland Brothers, Wellington; and Messrs. Kirkpatrick 
& Co., Nelson. All these were put up in attractive 
well-made tins, and consisted of strawberry, cherry, 
plum, black-currant, peach, raspberry, gooseberry, 
nectarine, tomato, green-gage, apple, Orlean plum, 
apricot and damson-. 
FIJI. 
This Colony consists of a group of islands, variously 
stated at from 200 to 300 in number, situated in the 
Pacific Ocean, between Lat. 15° and 22° S. It is 
distant about 1,900 miles from Sidney in New' South 
Wales, and 1,200 miles from Auckland iu New Zealand. 
As giving an idea of the extent of this comparatively 
new British Colony it may be mentioned that " Viti 
Levu, one only of the eighty inhabited islands, is about 
as large as Jamaica, and considerably larger than 
Cyprus ; that a second (Vanua Levu) would contain 
Mauritius three times over, and Barbados ten times : 
and that the aggregate area of the whole is greater 
than all the British West India Islands including 
Trinidad." 
The fruit trade tof Fiji, as might naturally be ex- 
pected, has been developed by its geographical position 
in relation to the Australasian Colonies. It was started 
iu the year 1877, on the occasion of a monthly line 
of steamers being subsidized to run between Levuka, 
the capital of the group, and Sydney. The progress 
made since then is shown by the following summary : — 
£ s. d. 
Value of fruit exported iu 1877... 507 10 0 
„ „ „ 1885...23.994 17 G 
The green fruit exported consists chiefly of pine- 
apples and bananas, but hopes are expressed that 
oranges, limes, citrons, lemons, guavax, and mangoes 
will soon be added to the list, and the trade con- 
siderably increased. At present, fruit rauks third on 
the list of exports. The samples of fruits in the Fiji 
Court consist wholly of preserved fruits prepared by 
J. H. Marrinon and the Fiji Fruit Preserving Company. 
The latter were in neat attractive-looking tins, and 
both lots indicate the resources of the Colony in this 
particular branch of industry in a favourable manner. 
They also lead to the conclusion that Fiji is fully 
capable of becoming the tropical fruit garden of the 
Australasian Colouies. 
CAPE OI' (iOOD HOPK. 
The excitemeut incidental to diamond-fields and 
other speculative undertakings no doubt tends to the 
neglect of purely agricultural and horticultural pursuits, 
and hi'nee it is not a matter of surprise that the 
Capabilities of the Cape of Good Hope iu the matter 
of fruit should bo practically an unworked field of 
commercial enterprise. The export of dried fruits iu 
some years (18B5) has reached a value of £11,900, 
while iu other years (1981) it has fallen so low as 
£761. It is possible that the recent action of the 
Legislature, in granting a rebate of duty on sugir 
used wholesale for the manufacture of jams and pre- 
serves, may encourage the establishment of factories. 
The chief fruits preserved are Cape gooseberry, orange, 
lime, guava, quince, melon, citron, peach, fig, apricot ; 
and Cape of Good Hope preserves are claimed " to 
surpass any of the English manufactured fruits." 
Raisins are made from the Haanepot grape, and a 
small thin-skinned raisin (currants) from what is 
known as the currant grape. Artificial drying is 
recommended for both. Fresh grapes have been suc- 
cessfully shipped to Europe, and as they arrive in the 
early summer when the price of grapes is highest, 
there is an undisputed market ready, which the 
viticulturists of the Cape should duly utilize. 
Returning to raisins, it is stated that about 200,000 
pouuds are produced annually, and if sufficieut demand 
arose fully 500,000 pounds " could easily be produced." 
The fine samples of raisins exhibited in the Cape of 
Good Hope Court were of excellent quality. But it 
would appear that not much has been done yet, as 
compared with the possibilities of the Colony, to 
supply European markets. Strenuous efforts are being 
made, and this Exhibition will doubtless enable the 
producer of Cape raisins to have a larger trial than 
he has yet received. There are two kinds of raisins 
produced — stalk raisins for dessert, which are in 
demand all the year round, except during the short 
English fruit season; aud loose raisins, which are used 
chiefly during the three winter mouths when British 
house-wives are concerned with plum-puddings. 
The Cape of Good H>pe, in the production of fresh 
fruit, especially grapes ; in the manufacture on a large 
scale of preserves, jams, and jellies ; and in the pre- 
paration of raisins aud currants, has an extensive field 
for developing its fruit industries ; and as it can place 
these in the European markets just at a time when 
they realise the highest prices, its future in this 
respect cannot be over-estimated. 
NATAL. 
This Colony contributed oranges in a fresh state 
to the Colonial Market which, although small, were 
of bright colour and fine flavour. The dried and 
preserved fruits in the Natal Court were throughout 
of a high class of excellence, aud proved one of the 
most interesting in the Exhibition. Messrs. Jameson 
and Co., Durban, had a large assortment of preserves 
consisting of Granadilla (West Indian Sweet-cup) 
Passiflora edtttis; loquat, quince, guava, peach, papaw, 
Cape gooseberry, pine-apple, green limes, and the 
native Amatuugulu. Messrs. Baker and Cauiherly, 
Estcourt, had an attractive exhibit of dried fruits, such 
as apple, pear, quince, yello,v peach, and pine-apple. 
Mr. Thos. Proctor, Pietermaritzburg, illustrated the 
fruits of Natal by a collection consisting of seventeen 
large jars of whole fruits in syrup, which deserved 
special notice. Among these the most striking and 
interesting were the Amatuugulu or Natal plum (Cari : sa 
grandijlora), of the natural order Apocynace;e, which 
ripens with a white milky juice and has a pleasant 
refreshing flavour; aud the Capo gooseberry (Fl< 
pubescens), of the natural order Solauaceae. It is 
somewhat remarkable that both these wholesome aud 
refreshing fruits belong to natural orders which usually 
produce fruits of a m >re or less poisonous character. 
The yellow peach of Natal, or St. Helena peach, as it is 
sometimes called, is a cling-stone peach, which is so 
abundant in the Colony that it is often used for 
feeding pigs ; and the ground under the trees of 
deserted Dutch orchards is almost paved with the 
stones of the fallen fruit. Sun-dried peaches and 
apples were exhibited by Mr. William Judson, 1 ady- 
smith) which might be supplied to tho Eu b 'lish 
market in large quantities and at cheap rates. 
It is evident from the above brief review of the 
capabilities of Natal as regards tropical and sub- 
tropical fruits, that after supplying all local demon Is, 
as well as those of the neighbouring Cap • (' ilony, 
it should be able to supply European markets in 
largo quantities. In some of the preserves there « l- 
evidonce of the sugar used being of too low a quality. 
