The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-05
FRUITS FROM SOUTn AFRICA,

Increase Once They Are Known.
Az mentioned In THE SUN the other day,
pedestrians on Broadway may see In some
Of the fruit stores peaches. plums and nec-
tarines, ripe and luscious, that have just
been brought here from the fruit farms
Of Cape Colony, q, 900 miles away. Each OF
these fruits wrapped In tissue paper, Is OF
course very fine specimen and is sold at a
fancy price.
They are sent from the farms to Cape Town
and Port Elizabeth. where they are placed
In chilled rooms on the steamers for their
journey to England and the United States
They are ready for eating when they are
picked. but the cold air In which they are
kept preserves their good qualities.
This is one Of the advantages which farm
ers on the other side Of the tropics. whose
summer time comes In our winter, possess
in their dealings with the great buying
countries OF the northern hemisphere. For
wears the finest fruit Of Cape Colony has
been sent In large quantities to the London
market before or about the time that the
fruit trees OF England are beginning to bud.
Great Britain depends in the early spring
upon these fine products Of Cape Colony
and New Zealand In the south temperate
zone. Cape Colony has the advantage over
New Zealand OF being much nearer to the
British market and therefore it's fruit reaches
the consumers two or three weeks earlier
than the famous peaches and other fruits
OF New Zealand.
We are only Just beginning to receive
from England little OF Cape Colony's fruit;
but the prospects are that the market here
will develop as II has done In England. Not
all the fruit arrives In London in good con-
dition. for sometimes II IL destroyed by
freezing on the steamers, and the mainte-
nance Of the cold chambers at exactly the
proper temperature gives more trouble
than the steamship companies like; but
what does arrive in good condition IL in
oomparably good.
On Broadway may be seen the large
heart shaped plums Of South Africa. that
are as full Of juice as peach. The apricots,
also, and the peaches and pears are highly
prized. Cape Colony sends to northern
fruit markets three kinds OF grapes, a
small black cluster grape and two large
varieties with the Muscat flavor, one black
and the other white, all grown out Of doors,
hut not inferior to English dollhouse grapes.
While we are freezing the South African
.un IL ripening the orchards and vine
Yards of Cape Colony. We plant our vine-
yards preferably on the southern slopes
sIones they get the full benefit Of It's rays;
hut in the southern hemisphere the sun
Ia In the north and 30 the vineyards are
planted on the northern slopes.
In January, when We are eating dI1,S ..
Colony are picking the last Of the straw
berries and apricots for their home mar
Vets and making ready to export the early
grapes, pears. peaches. hgs and plum
that will find an early market In the Tar
north In FsSsay the Mem nn snd ths FRUIT
Il often placed In London within month
Of being gathered and packed in cold
Il Z brought to London with the bloom
still on the fruit. which looks ano tastes as
This In at time when the east wind Is
vhistIinr through British streets and not
bud has yet appeared on the home plum
and peach trees.
II Is in February also that the cape grapes
come 10 perfection and have the best flavor.
Figs ripen as early as November. and there
Ia Practically an unlimited demand for fresh
Am in the Northern markets. The Cape
Colonists are anxious to develop business
In dried fies 70 that they may rival smyrna.
The dry Karoo In the interior Ia already
regarded a. the future centre OF ng growing
Cane strawberries and apricots are In
season together In the early winter and II
is asserted that the apricots are, without
exception, the best In the world. Cape
eooseberries are also included among the
best fruits Of South Africa; and IL has been
said that all these fruits. when properly
cultivated and Of good varieties. are con-
siderably better than any other except
certain varieties grown In the northern
hemisphere under glass.
We thus zee what great advantage theee
fruit growers on the other side OF the equator
have in raising crops which reach our
mort hem markets at time when no do
nestle supplies Of fresh fruit are at hand.
In some respects, however, II 10 not an
advantage for the farmers OF the southern
hemisphere to be separated from the great
northern markets by the torrid zone.
In India, for example. the farmers could
not sand their wheat TO Europe before the
Suoz Canal was opened because Its quality
deteriorated while travelling through the
hot regions Of the Indian and Atlantic
oceans on the way TO Europe. Ia dis
advantage also TO send meat from Australia
and La Plata countries because II has
TO be solidly frozen 20 cross the tropics:
and many Europeans. particularly the
Germans, have a prejudice against frozen
meat. much preferrinG the meats from this
country, which do not need to be fropen,
but are kept In q merely Chilled condition
while crossing the ocean.