March 1, 1901.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICDLTUEIST. 
605 
only. This is a sUglit error. At the present time 
English iiothouse i;rapes are on sale in lire lead- 
ing frnit-shops of Berlin, i'aris and New Yoi k. 
The English hothouse j^rape stands above all com- 
petitors, and is of n.agnifioent appearance and 
quality. These grapes will be on the tables of many 
of the richest families in Germany, France and 
America, this Christmastide, and the fact, though 
generally unknown, deserves notice. But things 
will not even be permitted to stop here. We sugv 
geste.d the development of the export fruit-trade 
from this country to the Continent many years ago 
and now a Covent-garden firm has, we believe, 
opened a shop outside the Halles Centralles in 
Paris, so that best English fruits will be obtaiiiab'e 
in Paris in large quantities for the festive season. 
Another important feature of the Christmas 
fruit-trade is the unique position taken up by 
the Deaia orange. Of course, no city in the world 
is so well and cheaply supplied with oranges as 
London is. At one time the Hat St, Michael was 
the Christmas orange ; then it gave place to the 
round Valencia. This in turn was eclipsed by the 
oval-shaped Jafta ; then the Navel orange sur- 
passed that, for not only was ic of a similar shape 
and size, but contained no seeds. Higher prices 
in Canada and New York have diverted the sup- 
plies of Navels from London, so the Denia enters 
the list, and to-day holds a foremost position with 
all comers. 
Tins Christmastide the English hot-house grape" 
growers have for the first time liad to face serious 
Belgian competition. True, Belgian fored grapes 
have been sold in previous years, but this season 
the fruit has been put up in special little wieker- 
plaited baskets, and. by this means have come to 
hand in perfect condition, with the bloom quite 
untouched and as fresh as when they weie packed 
by the growers. The quality is not equal to the 
home-grown fruit, but they are excellent imita- 
tions, and few of the public will be able to tell 
whether they are buying English or foreign fruit. 
Great e.xpeotations had been raised with regard 
to the arrival of huge quantities of bananas froiri 
Jamaica, but the public will have to depend upon 
the shipments from Madeira and the Canaries for 
the yellow-fingered fruits this Christmas-time. 
Without doubt the quality of the Madeira 
banana is as near perfection as p ossible. The 
banana is the coming fruit. It is wholesome, 
liighiy nutritious, and when fully ripe may be 
said to be devoid of starch, hence its great value 
as a food product. Among dates those that come 
from Tunis are immensely popular, and the public 
prefer them to the Tafilats, which are sold loose, 
though the latter are twice and three times their 
size. Then there are the Elvas and Carlsbad 
plums. These have niet a larger sale this season 
tlian ever, and have taken a good hold upon the 
public taste. The American fisfs in little wooden 
drums are also highly appreciated. Lady-apples 
from France, packed with dyed moss and with 
one layer of crimson-cheeked fruits in a case, 
have become so much sought after that they will 
command high prices this yeat , 
Nuts are plentiful — the cokernut {sici) particularly 
so. What wonder when we know that in Ruatan, 
off Spanish Honduras, the Carib Indians never 
work, because the cokernut trees drop their har- 
vest of nuts about them, and repeat the |)rocess 
tor half a century before losing their fruitfulness. 
In other parts of the world it is the same, and 
the cargoes which reach us from Tiinida^ and 
elsewliere prove the prolificness of this wonderful 
tree. Brazils and almonds are plentiful. Kent 
cobs are abundant, so are the small Spanish nuts, 
There are good stocks of chestnuts on sale ; the 
best come from Naples- France sends a good- 
quality nut to this country. Walnuts are le- 
presented by samples from Naples cxnd Grenoble. 
The former are kihi dried, and the latter what 
are termed fresh. In its dried state the almoml 
is known to everyone in this country now. In 
Italy their culture for commerce receives special 
attention. Around Catania and Syracuse they 
are gro.vn in profusion, but the nuts are also 
eaten when they are soft and green as a dainty by 
the rich classes. In either form, whether green 
or ripe, they are a useful article of diet, and always 
appreciated. The almends of Catania are well 
known in fiuit-trade circles. 
In addition to the other dried fruits that have 
been named there are huge stocks ot figs, and a 
fine and varied display of fruits in thick sugary 
syrups. 
Possibly in time we shall have the privilege 
of adding a considerable number ot fruits to the 
extensive list we already possess. Were the fruit- 
growing centres of India alone exploited by deal- 
ers as they should be, we should soon be having 
a plenteous supply of oranges, bananas, custard- 
apples, sjuavas, pomegranates, limes, lemons, dates, 
figs, and mangoes from that possession alone, and 
in prodigious quantities too. As tu melons, those 
of India are of the finest quality, and would be 
prized in this country.— ^S^. James's Gazette. 
DESTRUCTION OF GAME IN INDIAN 
NATIVE STATKS. 
Governmeut would do well to direct attention to 
the game laws and their administration iu Native 
States. In Mysore it appears that a wholesale deotiuc- 
tionofgame takes place all the year round, whilst a 
gun license may be had for the nominal sum of 
four annas. No animal is spared, whatever its ase 
sex, or season, and the result will be that eventuallv 
not a livicg thing will be left in the forests. The rivers 
also are suffering from netting, and representations 
by the local Government appear to be barren ot 
result. In Hyderabad half the State is annually 
closed to Euiropean sportsmen, but tbe destruction 
by native shikaris proceeds apace in a country where 
every man is armed. The natives, however, destroy 
only harrplesa animals, and do not keep down beasts of 
prey, with the consequence that the latter prey 
almost entirely on domestic animals and not in- 
frequently take to man-eating ; the predaceous 
animals are thus likely to largely increase in num- 
bers and deetructiveness. — Asian, Jan. 15. 
The Forthcoming Burma Rice Crop, ac- 
cording to the estimate, will be the largest on 
record. As it is to be hoped there will be no 
famine in India, prices will |)robably be lower 
than those of 1900. In Siam the prospects, of the 
present crop are said to be excellent, and Bangkok 
and Saigon will coubtlesf. supply a good deal of 
the demand for China and the Straits. Japan 
now bujs Burma rice pretty regularly, finding it 
more profitable to export her own grain. No at- 
tempts seem to have been made to introduce the 
Japan variety of rice into the province and 
it might ; be worth while to _ experiment iq 
doing so. 
