, 1890-12-27
THE JAMAICA ORANGE INDUSTRY.

The worshjpful company Of Fruite. ers orga-
nized an exhibition which was opened in Lon
don on the 9th Oetot where tropical + ults
occupied a fair space. In connection with 1t
the DAILY Telegraph" devoted q large article
to the fruit trade and points out very many
benefits derived from the consumption OF fruit.
The advantages that quick transit has brought
about in placing on the epicure's table IN Lon
don peaches from California, apples and pears
from New South Wales and Queensland, pine
apples and bananas and oranges from the
Antilles. Large quantities are also sent to
London from the historic gardens of the Hes
perides in Spain, Portugal, the Riviera,
Malta, the Azores. and why not from Jamaica?
If the more delicate kinds of fruit of the order
of peaches can be transferred across the Con-
ti1ent to the Atlantic Sea Board, a distance OF
three thousand IN les, and then across the At
lantic a similar distance, why not the hardy
and long keeping orange be shipped to Eng
land and sell at prices that will pay the grow
er and shipper? This question is answered by
the careless way III which eur fruit is plucked,
packed, handled, and transported. Cur people
after years of practice have not prohted by cx-
~perience, and we fear, nevor Will. Any one
who has seen lemons and oranges that are
landed in New York from the shores Of the
blue Mediterranean must have noticed the
great difference between the condition of that
fruit compared with that from Jamaica. Over
1000, 900 boxes Of Mediterranean oranges
and lemons are annually landed in Now York
alOAc. and as many more are landed IN other
parts Of the Union, and sold at auction at
prices that are fairly rcmunerative. On the
verdure clad slopes Of Italy and Spain thou
slnds Of women find employment III selecting,
wrapping and packing. The system adopted
hls shewn by experience that the fruit trade
can be made profitable. Even tnat delicate
fruit, the grape, Is exported from the Spanish
ports to America in vast quantities and finds a
ready sale. A few weeks ago the steamer Co
lumbia arrived at New York with $4,000 bar
rels of grapes, all packed in cork dust, and
sold within a few hours after the vessels arri-
val, realizing S63, 600. These figures are men
toned to give our readers some idea of the
enormous traffic carried on in fruit from the
Mediterranean to the United States. And vet
Jamaica producing fruit Of finer favour, larg-
er in size, and more handsome in appearance
and within FIVE days steamjng distance, cannot
put her fruit in the markets-willing and ca
; pable. Of consuming all she can produce
such condition az to render them saleabIe at a
paying price. Last year much was written
4nd advised in different articles about the
orange trade, and a special Committee was
named by the Legislative Council to consider
the poiut. The Committee re ported. and sug-
Gested as the chief remedy for the prevailing
evil that Inspectors of fruit should be appoint
ed, whose duty it would be to overhaul all the
fruit prior to shipment and place a brand on
the package, designating the quality of the
fruit. Further than this, no legislation has
taken p ace. What we deem to be necessary is
frst RE importation Of a certain number of
Neapolitans, principally women, who tho
roughly understand the orange business, and
let them teach our natives the manner of their
country in treating the fruit and then pass q
| short bill similar to the "olose season bill for
birds &c ;" prohibiting the expectation of our
oranges p-ior to the LIST October. AS the flu.
J turc depe IDS so much on the development of
Its fruit resources a Fruit Company may be
formed with a fair capital that will handle
this. industry on scientific principles that
wiIimport Italians with thorough knowledge
Of TIE culture of ae orange, the scientific
knRal dge of picking eacking and carting to
tho ror+S of loa limo andA we NAV then some