TROPICAL FRUITS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1050, 18 November 1903, Page 2

TROPICAL FRUITS.

WHAT THE UNITED STATES CONSUMES.

(Per R.M.S. Sierra at Auckland.) ’Frisco, Oct. 26.

A despatch from Washington, dated October 19th, states that the consumption of tropical fruits iu the United States has developed in a most extraordinary manner, for during the past fiscal year the United States bought from foreign countries about 22,000,000d0l worth, while 30 years ago the importations amounted to less than half that amount. In 1870 only 7,000,000d0l worth of tropical fruits were bought by American people. The imports of bananas alone into the United States in 1902 amounted to more than the total imports of fruit in 1870. These now come from the British West Indies, Central America, Cuba, and Italy, the imports from Italy amounting to more than 3,000,000d0l worth of lemons. Cuban planters believe that they can successfully compete and secure a large part, if not all, of this Italian trade. France imports her fruit from Spain, Germany likewise. England gets all of her oranges from Spain, and lemons from Italy. Russia’s fruit trade is with Italy, and in fact nearly all of the European countries depend upon Spain and Italy for their tropical fruits. Consul Bartleman, at Cadiz, in Spain, seems to think that tho Californian and Florida industries can be so encouraged as to supply the home market, and there is no reason why at some no distant day the United States should not become the exporter of oranges and lemons. Cuba will undoubtedly share in this future prosperity, and become loss and less dependent upon sugar and tobacco for her income. A curious illustration of differences in the component parts of the diet of two peoples is found in Consul Warner’s report upon the potato industry in Germany. Ho calls attention to tho fact that in Germany, a country with an area of about 200.000 square miles, there are nearly 10,000,000 people engaged in agriculture, and in the United States, with an area of over 3,000,000 square miles, there are only about the same number. Notwithstanding the greater area in the United States and the much greater population, the potato production was loss than 300,000,000 bushels in the United States, while in Germany it was over 1,593,000,000 bushels. The yield of potatoes in tho United States is about 96 bushels to tho acre, while in Germany it is over 200 bushels to the acre, showing more intenso and careful cultivation and more liberal uso of artificial fertilisers por capita. Tho production of potatoes in Germany is nearly 29 bushels, while in the United States it is less than four bushels per capita. Tho consumption of potatoes in Germany is little les3 thau 29 bushels, and in the United States loss than four bushels.