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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
f^orcign Correspondcrcc 
THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF FRUIT AND FRUIT¬ 
FARMING IN SOUTH AFRICA 
[Special correspondence of The National Nurseryman.] 
London, December 14th, 1910. 
The South Africa Act of 1909 unites the four self- 
governing colonies of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, the 
Transvaal, and the Orange River, in a legislative union 
called the “Union of South Africa.’’ From and after May 
31st, 1910, the date of the establishm..ent of Union, these 
four territories ceased to be colonies and became the original 
provinces of the Union, under their old name, with the 
exception of the Orange River Colony, which is in future to 
be known as the province of the Orange Free State. 
Som.e brief facts wdth regard to South African fruit¬ 
growing and fruit industry may not be out of place here. 
Fruit culture is amongst one of the earliest activities in the 
old Cape Colony. There, growing grapes for wine making 
from the South African ffuit farms had not until quite 
recent years any large markets to cater for. Later, how¬ 
ever, extended markets have been created reaching even as 
far as New York, besides such European centers as Ham¬ 
burg, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Paris. 
HOME MARKETS 
The large inland mining towns, which were afterwards 
linked with the coast by railways, offered a limited market, 
and then came the""'discovery that fresh fruit could be 
shipped oversea for almost any distance with the aid of cold 
storage. The farmers were not slow to take advantage of 
the opportunity: but they had much to learn, particularly 
in regard to the requirements of the export trade. In the 
first place it was found that the prevailing varieties of fruit 
were not suitable for the oversea markets. Then the 
methods of packing had to be learned and the difficulties of 
transportation overcome. Shippers had to gain their 
experience by actual experiment, being unable to apply the^ 
experience of other countries, in all of which entirely differ¬ 
ent conditions prevailed. Furthermore, South Africa was 
alone in shipping fresh apricots, peaches, plums, grapes and 
melons in large quantities to markets over 6,000 miles 
distant. All the difficulties of the trade w^ere, however, 
speedily surmounted. Large orchard companies were 
formed; capable men with a knowledge of the m.ost modern 
methods of growing and packing fruit camie over from 
California; new varieties of fruit were introduced; and the 
old inhabitants soon joined the newcomers in laying out 
extensive and up-to-date orchards. 
There are no figures available at present to show the 
number of fruit trees in bearing or planted out, but when 
the statistics now being compiled by the Union Government 
are published it will be seen that hundreds of thousands of 
trees are being planted each year, and that the quantity of 
fruit produced during the last two or three years has in¬ 
creased enormously. The Western Province of the Cape 
chiefly produces apricots, peaches, pears, plums, grapes. 
nectarines, apples, melons, and citrus fruits. The Eastern 
Province produces apples, citrus fruits, and pineapples, and 
the main fruit products of Natal are pineapples, citrus fruits, 
bananas, pawpaws, mangoes, and custard apples. The 
Transvaal has always produced large quantities of oranges, 
lemons, and naartjes; but in recent years extensive orchards 
were laid out with peaches, pears, apples, apricots, etc., by 
the Government and private enterprise. The Orange River 
Colony produces fair quantities of apples, peaches, and 
pears. 
FOREIGN MARKETS 
Successive Governments in the different South African 
Colonies have done a great deal to foster the fruit industry, 
especially the export trade, and their efforts have met with 
considerable success. Government inspectors examine the 
fruit at the ports of shipment,.and that found unsuitable for 
export is held back, though only with the consent of the 
shipper, while fruit found to be of a high standard is stamped 
with the Government brand. Growers who are beginners 
and unacquainted with the requirements of the export trade 
are taught how to pack and grade their fruit by Government 
experts at a nominal fee. Increased facilities and specially 
low rates are being provided both on the railways and in the 
harbors. The Trades Commissioner in London watches the 
landing and distribution of every shipmient of fruit and 
makes weekly reports as to its condition on arrival, pointing 
out the mistakes in packing and grading and making such 
suggestions as will improve the condition of future ship¬ 
ments. This officer also assists the consignees of the fruit 
in London to develop existing markets and open up new 
ones. The,_ fruit! shippers are also much indebted to the 
Union Castle Steamship Company, who have not only fitted 
up their fast passenger steamers with modern cold-storage 
chambers, but have also from the very beginning done 
everything possible to ensure the arrival of the fruit in good 
condition and generally to foster and extend the trade. 
Though experiments were made in the export of fruit as 
far back as 1895, it was not until 1899 that the trade assumed 
importance. Among the pioneers were H. E. V. Pickstone, 
chairman of the Western Province Fruit Exporters’ Associa¬ 
tion, a Californian fruit-grower, who went to South Africa 
about 17 years ago and is now the'^owner of extensive nur¬ 
series and many hundreds of acres of orchards, the Rhodes 
Fruit Farms, and the Cape Orchard Company. J. X. Merri- 
man, another of the pioneers, is still one of the most success¬ 
ful shippers of Cape fruit, his brand of peaches being the 
best known on the London market. Enterprising growers 
in Natal and the Transvaal, encouraged and assisted by 
their respective Governm.ents, soon joined in the trade, con¬ 
fining themselves chiefly, however, to citrus and tropical 
fruit. 
SHIPMENTS 
The following table shows the number of boxes of fruit 
exported from South Africa to England since 1899: 
1899.10,817 1903 .21,968 1907. 94.355 
190°.17.336 1904.34.723 1908.187,528 
1901 .17,265 1905.23,832 1909.197,932 
1902 .14,998 1906...59,866 1910.204,119 
