ISLAND FRUIT TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3024, 1 December 1891, Page 2

ISLAND FRUIT TRADE.

Messiuj Donald, Edknbouough, and Co. have developed a largo business with the Islands in regard to the purchase and disposal of the products of those favoured lands. The firm's mime in as familiar as household words in the various groups in the South Pacific, in all of which they are hold in high esteem. The crowded state of their large fruit stores in Commerce-street, Auckland, proves how extensive their trade must be. We paid a visit to these stores lately, aud were very courteously shown over them by Mr Gilmour, the firm's foreman. On the lower basement thore is an immense amount of the finest Island oranges, bananas, cocoanuts, limejnice, copra, etc. Ou this flat there is a special room for ripening bananas. The fruit is hung in bunches from the ceiling, and is ripened by means of pas lamps placed at intervals on the floor of the drying compartment. On the second and third floors are to be seen a large array of cases of oranges. The oranges grown at Tahiti, as the trade know, are the best in the world. On the third floor the fruit is carefully re-packed in cases specially made at some ot the local saw-mills. The firm also does a large business in dessi•ated cocoanut and pearl shell. Their lime juice is of first-rate quality and theydi a big New Zealand and intercolonial and foreign trade in this and the above lines. We have to express our obligations to Messrs Donald and Howarth, the former boing the head and the latter the manager of the firm for the information they gave our representative and theirgeneral courtesy to him. We call attention to their advertisement appearing elsewhere.