The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25

= - Ue 'hdt the lemons OF Southern Europe
command the markets of the world at
present, and Will continue to do so for
years. and that the figs OF SMYRNA. are al
so unapproachable by figs from other coun-
ules- but 1t is quite impossible to pro-
uuce peaches, plums, pears and grapes
IN any of the Mediterranean countries
that VIII bear transportation to market
anything like as well as fruits of these
varieties raised in California and South
Africa
The South African tracts best fitted
Tor the cultivation of fruits are located
IN me neighborhood of Cape Town. Stel-
lerboson and Constantia, and their extent
Is enormous. In the vicinity of Cape Town
alone there are hundreds of thousands of
acres of land. As rough labor is very
cheap IN South Africa, the natives being
we'll satisfied with 20 cents a day. the
cost OF production will not be large IN
uouDtedly, the industry would have been
started long ago, but for the fact that in
order to be profitable at all, fruit raising
there must be conducted on a large scale
since 1t would not be feasible to make
use OF the refrigeration principle when
shipping fruits in less than cargo lots
me great success of the California fruit
growers, however, has removed all doubts
OF the future of South African products
once they are put upon the market, and in
the years to come IL is likely that about
every sort of NUT know will be raised
there for sale, since, as in California. the
climate and soil are as suitable for an
pies as for oranges and pomegranates as
peaches.
While it IS not probable that at the be-
ginning more than five steamers will be
put into the fruit trade between Cane
Town and New York and London, yet
1t would not be a matter of much sur
prise II within year or two after the
hrst cargo is shipped north, the steamers
would number half score Eventually
no doubt, they Will form very consider
able fleet.
1t seems quite likely that the develop
ment of the fruit industry Of South Africa
Will be along similar lines as those fol-
lowed in California. Certain sections will
be found to be better adapted to the rails
ing of aDricots, for instance. than any
thing else; other regions will be more de-
sirable for grapes; others for oranges;
others for peaches. and so on All this is
the more probable because IL is proposed
by the South Africans to engage a num-
Der of expert California fruit growers to
remove to Cape Colony and undertake
the starting of the business. Already there
are some Californians there, among the
most progressive of whom is undoubtedly
the Mr.. Buffers whose paper upon hor-
ticulture has started the present move
ment.
In some respects the fruit growers of
South Africa will possess decided advan-
tages over the early fruit growers of Cal
ifornia. They will have the help of the
transportation interests; in fact new
transportation interests seem to be about
to be created for that sole purpose with
Premier Rhodes as chief sponsor If this
be strictly true, the rivalry between the
premier and Sir Donald Currie, who is at
the head of the present steamship lines be-
tween England and Cape Town, will be
greatly intensified. and If Sir Donald
should establish line of refrigerator ships
in opposition to the new one to be started
by Rhodes, the transportation rates will
undoubtedly be greatly reduced by compe-
tition. No such encouragement has ever
yet been received by the California grow
ers. All the transportation lines from Cal
ifornia to the east are in control of one
corporation. and, as has often been told in
the news dispatches recently, the. rates
are extremely high
South African fruits, when fresh, do not
seem likely to come in direct competition
with the products of California, since
they will be marketable at different sea-
son of the year, but if viticulture should
be largely developed in South Africa and
the making of wines become great in
terest, there will probably be intense COM
petition in that line between the two re-
gions, and it will then behoove the Cali
fornians to stir themselves in the build
ing of new lines of rail from their vine
yards and orchards and groves to the
east. No doubt there will also be competi-
ton between California and South Africa
in canned and dried fruits. These in
dustries are both very important in Cal
ifornia, and will probably be of no less
Importance in Africa. Already the grow
ers of Cape Colony and other fruit re-
gions of tine once Dark Continent are
making preparation. based upon careful
study of Californian methods for begin
ming the drying and canning industries
simultaneously with the first shipments
of fresh fruit
In these directions the South Africans
will also possess many advantages over
the Californians, for at the beginning of
extensive fruit raising in the Golden State,
the modern processes of fruit preserva-
ton were entirely undeveloped For some
years fruit was dried solely by the heat of
the sun, and the result was a rather I'M
attractive product. whose sale was slow
Then came experiments with all sorts of
devices in the shape of kilns and evapo-
rators, which turned out much better pro-
ducts but were too expensive to be gen.
orally profitable. After time return was
made to the sun-drying process, which is
perfectly feasible both in California and
South Africa by reason of their constantly
cloudless summer skies. But up-to-date
fruit drying is conducted under improved
conditions. 1t has been found that the
fruit will retain much of it's natural color
if treated with fumes of sulphur, and so
expert have the California dryers become
that their product, treated in this way,
is of the very choicest quality and produced
at a much smaller cost than that of kiln
drying. The present high grade of Cal
ifornian canned fruits has been reached
also through long and expensive expert
ments, which will not have to be dupli-
Gated by the Gamers of South Africa.
1t is believed by the South Africans that
they will be able in ten years TO quite equal
the product of California in quantity This
product has averaged 400, 600 tons of fruit
over 100000 baskets annually for the last
five years Last year there were shipped
125. 100000 pounds of fresh fruit. $4,000, 900
pounds of dried fruit. and 100000 cases OF
canned fruit AS has already been shown
South Africa will compete in the last two
classes, to say nothing of her eventual
competition in the wine markets. and the
result OF this must certainly bring down
the price Of fruits The California fruit
growers hold that they can not sell ~ low
er rates than those ruling az present I'M
less they can get more favorable rates OF
transportation, and this cannot be done
without the construction Of lines compel
A. A.