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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fruits of Queensland, by Albert Benson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Fruits of Queensland
+
+Author: Albert Benson
+
+Release Date: September 7, 2008 [EBook #26552]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Nick Wall and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+     FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND
+     BY
+     ALBERT H. BENSON, M.R.A.C.,
+
+
+     Late Instructor in Fruit Culture, Queensland Government;
+     now Director of Agriculture, Hobart, Tasmania.
+
+
+     BRISBANE:
+     BY AUTHORITY: ANTHONY J. CUMMING, GOVERNMENT PRINTER.
+     1914.
+
+
+     [Illustration: Fruit of Mangosteen.]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+                                                                   PAGE.
+     Preface                                                           5
+     Introduction                                                      7
+     Queensland Fruit-growing                                         17
+     Climate                                                          18
+
+     1st.--Soils of Eastern Seaboard, and land adjacent to it,
+     suitable to the growth of Tropical and Semi-tropical Fruit       21
+
+     2nd.--Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the
+     growth of Deciduous Fruit                                        23
+
+     3rd.--Soils of the Central Tablelands, suitable for the
+     growth of Grapes, Dates, Citrus Fruits, &c.                      24
+
+     The Banana                                                       24
+     The Pineapple                                                    31
+     The Mango                                                        41
+     Mangosteen                                                       45
+     The Papaw                                                        47
+     The Cocoa-nut                                                    49
+     The Granadilla                                                   51
+     The Passion Fruit                                                51
+     Custard Apples                                                   53
+     Citrus Fruit                                                     57
+     The Persimmon                                                    71
+     The Loquat                                                       73
+     The Date Palm                                                    75
+     The Pecan Nut                                                    75
+     Japanese Plums                                                   77
+     Chickasaw Plums                                                  77
+     Chinese Peaches                                                  77
+     Figs                                                             79
+     The Mulberry                                                     79
+     The Strawberry                                                   79
+     Cape Gooseberry                                                  82
+     The Olive                                                        83
+     The Apple                                                        85
+     The Peach                                                        87
+     The Plum                                                         89
+     The Apricot                                                      89
+     The Cherry                                                       90
+     The Pear                                                         91
+     The Almond                                                       91
+     Grape Culture                                                    93
+     List of Fruits and Vegetables Grown in Queensland               102
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: Map of Queensland]
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+In the more thickly populated portions of the Old and New World, and, to
+a certain extent, in the large cities of Australia, the question of how
+to make a living has became one of vital importance to a large portion
+of the population, and is the cause of considerable anxiety to fathers
+of families who are endeavouring to find employment for their sons.
+
+This difficulty of obtaining employment is a very serious question, and
+one demanding the most earnest consideration. It is probably the result
+of many different causes, but, in the writer's opinion, it is due mainly
+to the fact that for years past the trend of population has been from
+the country districts to the towns, with the result that many of the
+great centres of population are now very badly congested, and profitable
+employment of any kind is often extremely difficult to obtain. The
+congested towns offer no possible outlet for surplus labour, hence it is
+necessary that such labour must find an outlet in the less thickly
+populated parts of the world where there is still plenty of room for
+development and population is badly needed. Queensland is a country
+possessing these qualifications; but is, unfortunately, a country that
+is little known to the general mass of home-seekers, and, further, what
+little is known of it is usually so inaccurate that a very erroneous
+opinion of the capabilities of this really fine country exists. The
+great flow of emigration is naturally to those countries that are
+nearest to the Old World--viz., the United States of America and
+Canada--and little attention is given to Australia, although we have
+many advantages not possessed by either the United States or Canada, and
+are not subject to the disadvantage of an intensely cold winter such as
+that experienced throughout the greater portion of those countries for
+several months yearly.
+
+To those looking for homes the following pages are addressed, so that
+before deciding to what part of the world they will go they may know
+what sort of a country Queensland really is, what one of its industries
+is like, the kind of life they may look forward to spending here, and
+the possibility of their making a comfortable home amongst us. The life
+of a fruit-grower is by no means a hard one in Queensland, the climate
+of the fruit-growing districts is a healthy and by no means a trying
+one, and is thoroughly adapted to the successful cultivation of many
+fruits; and, finally, a living can be made under conditions that are
+much more conducive to the well-being of our race than those existing in
+the overcrowded centres of population. The writer has no wish to infer
+that there are big profits to be made by growing fruit, but, at the same
+time, he has no hesitation in saying that where the industry is
+conducted in an up-to-date manner, on business lines, a good living can
+be made, and that there is a good opening for many who are now badly in
+want of employment. The illustrations represent various phases of the
+industry, and have been specially prepared by H. W. Mobsby, the Artist
+of the Intelligence and Tourist Bureau. Most of the Illustrations have
+been taken at an exceptionally dry time, and at the close of one of the
+coldest winters on record, so that they do not show the crops or trees
+at their best; at the same time, they give a fair idea of some of our
+fruits, orchards, and fruit lands.
+
+
+     ALBERT H. BENSON.
+     Brisbane, Queensland, January, 1906.
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+Queensland's greatest want to-day is population: Men and women to
+develop our great natural resources, to go out into our country
+districts as farmers, dairymen, or fruit-growers--not to stick in our
+towns, but to become primary producers, workers, home-builders--not the
+scourings of big cities, the dissatisfied, the loafer, but the honest
+worker whose wish is to make a home for himself and his family. There
+are many such in the overcrowded cities of older countries, striving in
+vain to make a living--existing, it can hardly be called living, under
+conditions that are by no means conducive to their well-being--often
+poorly fed and poorly clad--who would better themselves by coming to
+Queensland, and by whom Queensland would be benefited. Queensland has
+room for many such annually: men and women who come here for the express
+intention of settling amongst us and building homes for themselves; who
+come here prepared to work, and, if needs be, to work hard; who do not
+expect to become rich suddenly, but will be contented with a comfortable
+home, a healthy life, and a moderate return for their labour--results
+that are within the reach of all, and which compare more than favourably
+with the conditions under which they are at present existing.
+
+Queensland's most valuable asset is her soil, and this requires
+population to develop it: soil that, in the different districts and
+climates best adapted for their growth, is capable of producing most of
+the cultivated crops of the world, and, with very few exceptions, all
+the fruits of commercial value, many of them to a very high degree of
+perfection. This pamphlet is practically confined to the fruit-growing
+possibilities of Queensland, and an endeavour is made to show that there
+is a good opening for intending settlers in this branch of agriculture,
+but the general remarks respecting the climate, rainfall, soils, &c.,
+will be of equal interest to any who wish to take up any other branch,
+such as general farming, dairying, &c. The Queensland Department of
+Agriculture has received a number of inquiries from time to time, and
+from various parts of the world, respecting the possibilities of
+profitable commercial fruit-growing in this State, and this pamphlet is
+intended in part to be an answer to such inquiries; but, at the same
+time, it is hoped that it will have a wider scope, and give a general
+idea of one of our staple industries to many who are now on the look-out
+for a country in which to settle and an occupation to take up when they
+arrive there.
+
+[Illustration: Woombye, North Coast Railway. The centre of a large
+fruit growing district.]
+
+No branch of agriculture has made a greater advance during the past
+quarter-century than that of fruit-growing, and none has become more
+popular. The demand for fruit of all kinds, whether fresh or preserved,
+has increased enormously throughout the world, and it is now generally
+looked upon more as a necessity than a luxury. Hence there are
+continually recurring inquiries as to the best place to start
+fruit-growing with a reasonable prospect of success. It is not only the
+increased demand for fruit that causes these inquiries, but
+fruit-growing has a strong attraction for many would-be agriculturists
+as compared with general farming, dairying, or stock-raising, and this
+attraction is probably due to a certain fascination it possesses that
+only those who have been intimately acquainted with the industry for
+years can fully appreciate. In addition to the fact that living under
+one's own vine and fig-tree is in itself a very pleasant ideal to look
+forward to, there is no branch of agronomy that calls for a keener
+appreciation of the laws of Nature, that brings man into closer touch
+with Nature, that makes a greater demand on a man's patience, skill, and
+energy, or in which science and practice are more closely related, than
+in that of fruit-growing. To all those who are considering the
+advantages of taking up fruit-growing as an occupation, and to those who
+feel the attraction I have just described, these few words on
+fruit-growing in Queensland are addressed, as the writer wishes them to
+learn something of the fruit-growing capabilities of this State, so that
+before deciding on the country in which they will make a start they may
+not be in complete ignorance of a land that is especially adapted for
+the growth of a larger number of distinct varieties of fruit than any
+other similar area of land with which he is acquainted either in the Old
+or New World.
+
+Queensland is a country whose capabilities are at present comparatively
+unknown even to those living in the Southern States of Australia, and,
+naturally, very much less so to the rest of the world, hence a little
+general information respecting our country and one of its industries may
+be of some help to those who are looking for an opening in this
+particular branch of agriculture.
+
+[Illustration: A Tropical Orchard, Port Douglas.]
+
+[Illustration: Coochin York Mangosteen, Port Douglas District.]
+
+Queensland is a country having a population of a little over half a
+million, and an area of 429,120,000 acres; the population of a city of
+the second magnitude, and an area of some seven and one-half times
+greater than that of Great Britain, or two and one-half times greater
+than the State of Texas, United States of America.
+
+A country embracing 18 degrees of latitude, from the 11th to the 29th
+degrees of south latitude, and extending from a humid eastern seaboard
+to an extremely dry interior, some 15 degrees of longitude west. A
+country, therefore, of many climates and varied rainfall. A country
+possessing a great diversity of soils, many of which are of surprising
+richness. A country more or less heavily timbered with either scrub or
+forest growth, or consisting of wide open plains that are practically
+treeless. A country of infinite resources, that is capable of producing
+within its own borders all that man requires, from the extreme tropical
+to temperate products. A country that, once its possibilities are
+realised and turned to a profitable account, is destined to become one
+of the most fruitful in the globe, to support a large and thriving
+population of our own people; and last, but not least, a country that,
+from a fruit-grower's point of view, cannot be excelled elsewhere. We
+have a healthy climate, not by any means an extreme climate as is often
+represented--extreme cold is unknown, frost being unusual on any portion
+of the seaboard, but common during the winter months on our tablelands.
+But even where there are frosts the days are pleasantly warm. Summer is
+undoubtedly warm, but it is usually a bearable heat, and sudden changes
+are extremely rare, so that though trying in the humid tropical
+seaboard, it is not unbearable, and compares favourably with the
+tropical heat met with elsewhere. This is clearly shown by the stamina
+of the white race, particularly those living in the country districts,
+where both men and women compare favourably with those of any other part
+of the Empire. Except in very isolated places, communication with the
+outside world and between the different centres of population is regular
+and frequent; in fact, in all the coastal and coastal tableland
+districts of the State one is kept daily in touch with all the important
+matters that are taking place in the world. In the home life there is a
+freedom not met with in older countries; there is an almost entire
+absence of artificiality--people are natural, and are interested in each
+other's welfare. They are certainly fond of pleasure, but at the same
+time are extremely generous and hospitable. The writer can speak of this
+from a large practical experience, as for some years past he has
+annually travelled many thousands of miles amongst fruit-growers and
+others who are settled on the land, and, without exception, he has
+everywhere been met with the greatest kindness from rich and poor
+alike--in short, a hearty welcome--and the best that the house affords
+is the rule, without exception. In brief, should any of my readers
+decide on coming to Queensland, the only difference that they will find
+as compared with the older countries is, that our climate is somewhat
+warmer in summer, but to compensate for this we have no severe cold in
+winter. There is more freedom and less conventionality, life to all who
+will work is much easier, and there is not the same necessity for
+expensive clothing or houses as exists in more rigorous climates. The
+people they will meet are of their own colour and race, no doubt fond of
+sport and pleasure, perhaps inclined to be a little self-opinionated,
+but solid grit at the bottom. As previously stated, Queensland offers
+exceptional advantages to the intending fruit-grower, and the following
+may be quoted as examples. The ease with which fruit can be produced,
+when grown under conditions suitable to its proper development, is often
+remarkable, and is a constant source of wonder to all who have been
+accustomed to the comparatively slow growth of many of our commoner
+varieties of fruits when grown in less favoured climes, and to the care
+that is there necessary to produce profitable returns. Here all kinds of
+tree life is rapid, and fruit trees come into bearing much sooner than
+they do in colder climates. In addition to their arriving at early
+maturity, they are also, as a rule, heavy bearers, their fault, if
+anything, being towards over-bearing. Fruits of many kinds are so
+thoroughly acclimatised that it is by no means uncommon to find them
+growing wild, and holding their own in the midst of rank indigenous
+vegetation, without receiving the slightest care or attention. In some
+cases where cultivated fruits have been allowed to become wild, they
+have become somewhat of a pest, and have kept down all other growths, so
+much so that it has been actually necessary to take steps to prevent
+them from becoming a nuisance, so readily do they grow, and so rapidly
+do they increase. The very ease with which fruit can be grown when
+planted under conditions of soil and climate favourable to its
+development has had a tendency to make growers somewhat careless as
+compared with those of other countries who have to grow fruit under
+conditions demanding the most careful attention in order to be made
+profitable. This is enough to show that Queensland is adapted for
+fruit-growing, and the illustrations accompanying the description of our
+chief commercial fruits will show them more forcibly than any words of
+mine that my contention is a correct one. Latterly, however, there has
+been a considerable improvement in the working of our orchards, growers
+finding that it does not pay to grow second-quality fruit, and,
+therefore, they are giving much more attention to the selection of
+varieties, cultivation of the land, pruning the trees, and the keeping
+in check of fruit pests; as, like other parts of the world, we have our
+pests to deal with. This improvement in the care and management of our
+orchards is resulting in a corresponding improvement in the quantity and
+quality of our output, so that now our commercial fruits--that is to
+say, the fruits grown in commercial quantities--compare favourably with
+the best types of similar fruits produced elsewhere. The writer has no
+wish to convey the impression that all that is required in order to grow
+fruit in Queensland is to secure suitable land, plant the trees, let
+Nature do the rest, and when they come into bearing simply gather and
+market the fruit. This has been done in the past, and may be done again
+under favourable conditions, but it is not the usual method adopted, nor
+is it to be recommended. Here, as elsewhere, the progressive
+fruit-growing of to-day has become practically a science, as the
+fruit-grower who wishes to keep abreast of the times depends largely on
+the practical application of scientific knowledge for the successful
+carrying on of his business. There is no branch of agronomy in which
+science and practice are more closely connected than in that of
+fruit-growing. Every operation of the fruit-grower is, or should be,
+carried out on scientific lines and by the best methods of
+propagation--pruning, cultivation, manuring, treatment of diseases, and
+preservation of fruit when grown are all, directly or indirectly, the
+result of scientific research. To be a successful fruit-grower in
+Queensland one must therefore use one's brains as well as one's hands;
+the right tree must be grown in the right kind of soil and under the
+right conditions; it must be properly attended to, and the fruit, when
+grown, must be marketed in the best possible condition, whether same be
+as fresh fruit or dried, canned, or otherwise preserved, and whether
+same be destined for our local, Australian, or oversea markets.
+Fruit-growing on these lines is a success in Queensland to-day, and it
+is capable of considerable extension, so that, in the writer's opinion,
+it offers a good field for the intending settler. Carried out in the
+manner indicated, he has no hesitation in saying that Queensland is a
+good place in which to start fruit-growing, that the advantages it
+possesses cannot be surpassed or even equalled elsewhere, and, further,
+that as our seasons are the opposite of those in countries situated on
+the north of the equator, our fruits ripen in the off-seasons of similar
+fruit grown in those countries, and, with our facilities for cold
+storage and rapid transit, can be placed on their markets at a time that
+they are bare of such fruits, thus securing top prices.
+
+[Illustration: Bunch of Fruit of the Coochin York Mangosteen.]
+
+Queensland has practically an unlimited area of land suitable for fruit
+culture, much of which is at present in its virgin state, and is
+obtainable on easy terms and at a low rate. Government land is worth on
+an average £1 per acre, and privately-owned land suitable for
+fruit-growing can be purchased at from 10s. to £5 per acre, according to
+its quality and its distance from railway or water carriage. We have
+plenty of land, what we lack is population to work it; and there is no
+fear of over-crowding for many years to come. We have not only large
+areas of good fruit land at reasonable rates, but the Government of
+Queensland, through its Department of Agriculture, is always ready to
+give full information to intending settlers, to assist them in their
+selection of suitable land, to advise them as to the kinds of fruit to
+plant, to give practical advice in the cultivation, pruning, manuring,
+and general management of the orchard as well as in the disposal or
+utilisation of the fruit when grown; in short, to help the beginner to
+start on the right lines, so that he will be successful.
+
+[Illustration: Tamarind Fruits--Kamerunga State Nursery, Cairns.]
+
+There is also little if any fear of over-extending the fruit-growing
+industry, as, if it is conducted on the right lines and on sound
+business principles, we can raise fruit of the highest quality at a
+price that will enable us to compete in the markets of the world
+especially now that we have direct and rapid communication at frequent
+intervals with Canada, the United States of America, the East (Japan,
+Manilla, &c.), Europe, and the United Kingdom.
+
+
+
+
+QUEENSLAND FRUIT GROWING.
+
+
+Very few persons have any idea of the magnitude or the resources of this
+State of Queensland, and in no branch of agricultural industry are they
+more clearly shown than in that of fruit-growing. Here, unlike the
+colder parts of the world or the extreme tropics, we are not confined to
+the growing of particular varieties of fruits, but, owing to our great
+extent of country, and its geographical distribution, we are able to
+produce practically all the cultivated fruits of the world, many of them
+to great perfection. There are, however, one or two tropical fruits that
+are exceptions, such as the durien and mangosteen, whose range is
+extremely small, and one or two of the berry fruits of cold countries,
+which require a colder winter than that experienced in any part of this
+State. It will, however, be seen at once that a country that can produce
+such fruits as the mango, pineapple, banana, papaw, granadilla, guava,
+custard apple, litchi, sour sop, cocoa nut, bread fruit, jack fruit,
+monstera, alligator pear, and others of a purely tropical character; the
+date, citrus fruits of all kinds, passion fruit, persimmon, olive, pecan
+nut, cape gooseberry, loquat, and other fruits of a semi-tropical
+character, as well as the fruits of the more temperate regions, such as
+the apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince, almond, cherry, fig,
+walnut, strawberry, mulberry, and others of minor importance, in
+addition to grapes of all kinds, both for wine and table, and of both
+European and American origin, offers a very wide choice of fruits indeed
+to the prospective grower. Of course, it must not be thought for a
+moment that all the fruits mentioned can be grown to perfection at any
+one place in the State, as that would be an impossibility, but they can
+be grown in some part of the State profitably and to great perfection.
+
+The law of successful fruit culture is the same here as in all other
+fruit-producing countries--viz., to grow in your district only those
+fruits which are particularly adapted to your soil and climate, and to
+let others grow those fruits which you cannot grow, but which their
+conditions allow them to produce to perfection. The intending grower
+must, therefore, first decide on what fruits he wishes to grow, and when
+he has done so, select the district best suited to their growth. The
+small map of the State shows the districts in which certain fruits may
+be grown profitably, or, rather, the districts in which they are at
+present being so grown; but there are many other districts in which
+fruit-growing has not been attempted in commercial quantities or for
+other than purely home consumption that, once the State begins to fill
+up with population, are equal, if not superior, to the older
+fruit-growing districts, and are capable of maintaining a large
+population.
+
+[Illustration: Typical Clean Orchard.]
+
+
+
+
+CLIMATE.
+
+
+As previously stated, the successful culture of fruit depends mainly on
+the right kinds of fruit being grown in the right soil and climate. This
+naturally brings us to the question of climate, and here one again gets
+an idea of the extent of our country, as we have not one but many
+climates. Climate is a matter of such vital importance to fruit-growers,
+and there is such a general lack of knowledge respecting the climate of
+Queensland, that a little information on this point is desirable. I am
+afraid that there is a very general impression that Queensland has a
+climate that is only suitable for a coloured race; that it is either in
+the condition of a burnt-up desert or is being flooded out. That it is a
+country of droughts and floods, a country of extremes--in fact, a very
+desirable place to live out of. No more erroneous idea was ever given
+credence to, and, as an Englishman born, who has had many years'
+practical experience on the land in England, Scotland, the United States
+of America, and the various Australian States, I have no hesitation in
+saying that, as far as my experience goes--and it is an experience
+gained by visiting nearly every part of the State that is suited for
+agricultural pursuits--taken as a whole, it is difficult to find a
+better or healthier climate in any other country of equal area. Our
+climate has its disadvantages, no doubt, particularly our dry spells,
+but show me the country that has a perfect climate. We have
+disadvantages, but, at the same time, we have great advantages;
+advantages that, in my opinion, outweigh our disadvantages.
+
+Our eastern seaboard, extending from the New South Wales border in the
+south, a few miles to the south of the 28th degree of south latitude, to
+Cape York, some 20 miles north of the 11th degree of south latitude,
+contains our best districts for the growth of tropical and semi-tropical
+fruits. The coastal climate, however, varies considerably, and is
+governed by the proximity or otherwise of the coast ranges. When they
+approach the coast there is always more rainfall, and as they recede the
+rainfall decreases. With one or two exceptions, where the coastal range
+is a considerable distance inland, the eastern coastal districts have a
+sufficient rainfall for the successful culture of most fruits, though
+they are subject to a dry spell during winter and spring. During this
+period of the year, the weather is extremely enjoyable; in fact, it is
+hard to better it, even in our extreme North. But as summer approaches,
+thunderstorms become prevalent, and are accompanied by more or less
+humid conditions, which, though good for fruit-development, are not
+quite so enjoyable as the drier months. Summer is our rainy season, and
+the rainfalls are occasionally very heavy. The weather is warm and
+oppressive, particularly in the more tropical districts; but these very
+conditions are those that are best suited to the production of tropical
+fruits. The climate of those districts having the heaviest summer
+rainfall is somewhat trying to Europeans, particularly women, but it is
+by no means unhealthy, and in the hottest parts, having the coast range
+nearly on the coast, there is, within a few miles, a tableland of from
+2,000 to 4,000 feet elevation, where the climate is cool and bracing,
+and where the jaded man or woman can soon throw off the feeling of
+lassitude brought about by the heat and humidity of the seaboard. In
+autumn the weather soon cools off, drier conditions supervene, and
+living again becomes a pleasure in one of the best and healthiest
+climates to be met with anywhere. Practically all the district under
+review has a sufficient rainfall for the growth of all fruits suitable
+to the climate, though there are occasionally dry spells during spring,
+when a judicious watering would be a great advantage. This does not
+imply a regular system of irrigation, but simply the conserving of
+surplus moisture in times of plenty by means of dams across small
+natural watercourses or gullies, by tanks where such do not occur, or
+from wells where an available supply of underground water may be
+obtained. The water so conserved will only be needed occasionally, but
+it is an insurance against any possible loss or damage that might accrue
+to the trees during a dry spell of extra length. So far, little has been
+done in coastal districts in conserving water for fruit-growing, the
+natural rainfall being considered by many to be ample; but, in the
+writer's opinion, it will be found to be a good investment, as it will
+be the means of securing regular crops instead of an occasional partial
+failure, due to lack of sufficient moisture during a critical period of
+the tree's growth. The average yearly rainfall in the eastern seaboard
+varies from 149 inches at Geraldton to 41 inches at Bowen, the mean
+average being about 90 inches to the north and 49 inches to the south of
+Townsville. Were this fall evenly distributed throughout the year, it
+would be ample for all requirements. Unfortunately, however, it is not
+evenly distributed, the heavy falls taking place during the summer
+months, so that there is often a dry spell of greater or less extent
+during the winter and spring, during which a judicious watering has a
+very beneficial effect on fruit trees, and secures a good crop for the
+coming season. The rainfall shows that there is no fear of a shortage of
+water at any time, the only question is to conserve the surplus for use
+during a prolonged dry spell. These conditions are extremely favourable
+for the growth of all tropical and semi-tropical fruits, as during our
+period of greater heat, when these fruits make their greatest call for
+moisture, there is an abundance of rain, and during the other portions
+of the year, when the call is not so heavy, it is usually an inexpensive
+matter to conserve or obtain a sufficient supply to keep the trees in
+the best of order. Throughout the southern half of this seaboard frosts
+are not unknown on low-lying ground, but are extremely rare on the
+actual coast, or at an elevation of 300 to 400 feet above the sea, so
+much so that no precautions are necessary to prevent damage from frost.
+We have, unlike Florida and other parts of the United States of
+America--great fruit-growing districts--no killing frosts, and now, at
+the close of one of the coldest winters on record, and one of the
+driest, nowhere have our pineapples--fruit nor plants--been injured,
+except on low-lying ground, over in the Southern part of the State, and
+mangoes, bananas, &c., are uninjured.
+
+[Illustration: Burning-off for fruit growing, Mapleton, Blackall Range.]
+
+[Illustration: Same land one year later. Fruit-grower's family gathering
+strawberries.]
+
+In the more tropical North frosts are unknown on the coast, and there is
+no danger to even the most delicate plants from cold.
+
+Running parallel with the coast we have a series of ranges of low
+mountains, running from 2,000 feet to nearly 6,000 feet, the general
+height being from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, and at the back of these ranges
+more or less level tablelands, sloping generally to the west. On and
+adjacent to these ranges in the Southern part of the State, there are
+fairly sharp frosts in winter, but the days are warm and bright. This is
+the district best adapted for the growth of deciduous fruits and vines,
+table varieties doing particularly well. It is a district well adapted
+for mixed farming and dairying, as well as fruit-growing; the climate
+is even and healthy, and is neither severe in summer nor winter. The
+average rainfall is some 30 inches, and is usually sufficient, though
+there are dry periods, when a judicious watering, as recommended for the
+coast districts, would be of great value to fruit and vegetable growers.
+The more northern end of this tableland country has a much better
+rainfall--some 40 inches per annum--and frosts, though they occur at
+times, are not common. Here the climate is very healthy, there are no
+extremes of heat and cold, and, lying as it does inland from the most
+trying portion of our tropical seaboard, it forms a natural sanatorium
+to this part of our State.
+
+Further west the rainfall decreases, the summers are hot--a dry heat, as
+distinct from the more humid heat of the coast, and much more bearable.
+There are frequent frosts in winter, particularly in the Southern part
+of the State. Fruit-growing is only carried on to a slight extent at
+present, and then only with the help of water, but when the latter is
+obtainable, very good results are obtained. Grapes do well, both wine
+and table, and for raisin-making. Citrus fruits are remarkably fine, the
+lemons especially, being the best grown in the State. The trees are less
+liable to the attack of many pests, the dryness of the air retarding
+their development, if not altogether preventing their occurrence. The
+date palm is quite at home here, and when planted in deep sandy land,
+and supplied with sufficient water, it is a rapid grower and heavy
+bearer. As an offset to the smallness of the rainfall, there is a good
+supply of artesian water, distributed over a wide range of country, that
+can be obtained at a reasonable rate, and that is suitable for
+irrigation purposes. All bore water is not suitable for irrigation,
+however, as some of it is too highly mineralised, but there are large
+areas of country possessing an artesian supply of excellent quality for
+this purpose. It will thus be seen that we have in Queensland, roughly,
+three distinct belts of fruit-growing country--
+
+     1st.--The Eastern Seaboard, and the land adjacent to it, suitable
+     for the growing of tropical and semi-tropical fruit;
+
+     2nd.--The Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the growth of deciduous
+     fruits, vines, olives, and citrus fruits in parts;
+
+     3rd.--The Central Tablelands, suitable for the growth of grapes,
+     for table and drying, dates, citrus fruits, &c., but requiring
+     water for irrigation to produce profitably.
+
+So far, I have confined my remarks mainly to the climatic side of
+fruit-growing, and, before dealing with the growing of the different
+kinds of fruit, I will say a few words about our fruit soils, and will
+deal with them in districts, as I have endeavoured to do in the case of
+climate.
+
+
+1st.--Soils of Eastern Seaboard, and Land adjacent to it, suitable to
+the Growth of Tropical and Semi-Tropical Fruit.
+
+Several distinct types of soil are found that are well adapted for
+fruit-growing, but they all have one general characteristic which is a
+_sine qua non_ of success--viz., they must possess good natural
+drainage, so that there is no danger of their becoming waterlogged or
+soured during periods of continued or heavy rainfall, as these
+conditions are fatal to fruit culture under tropical and semi-tropical
+conditions. Of such soils, the first to be considered are those of
+basaltic origin. They are usually of a chocolate or rich red colour, are
+of great depth, in parts more or less covered with basaltic boulders, in
+others entirely free from stones. The surface soil is friable and easily
+worked, and the subsoil, which is usually of a rich red colour, is
+easily penetrated by the roots of trees and plants grown thereon.
+Occasionally the subsoil is more compact, in which case it is not so
+good for fruit-tree growth, but is better adapted for that of
+sugar-cane, corn, grass, &c. These basaltic soils are usually rich, and
+are covered in their virgin condition with what is termed scrub--a dense
+mass of vegetation closely resembling an Indian jungle. The scrub growth
+is totally distinct from forest growth, which will be described later,
+in that the bulk of the timber growing in it, much of which is of large
+size, is of a soft nature, and once cut down soon rots away. Imagine a
+dense wall of vegetation, consisting of large trees running up to 100 or
+150 feet in height, with trunks ranging from 2 to 8 feet, or even more,
+in diameter, and between these trunks an impenetrable mass of smaller
+growths, all of the most vivid green colours, together with innumerable
+vines and creepers that are suspended from the branches of the trees,
+hanging in festoons, creeping palms and bamboos, ferns and orchids of
+many kinds, both on the ground and growing on the tree trunks, as well
+as many beautiful foliage plants only found in hothouses in England, and
+you will have a faint idea of what a virgin scrub in coastal Queensland
+is like. Much of the timber of the coastal scrubs is of considerable
+commercial value for building purposes and furniture making, and is, or
+should be, so utilised prior to felling and burning off.
+
+True scrub lands are not by any means the most difficult to clear,
+though to a "new chum" the work will appear at first of a Herculean
+character. Brushing the dense undergrowth and then felling the timber at
+a face costs from £1 10s. to £2 per acre, according to density, size of
+timber, and proportion of hardwood trees contained in it, and once this
+is done the fallen mass is allowed to become thoroughly dry, when it is
+burnt off. A good fire is half the battle, as the subsequent work of
+burning off the heavy timber left from the first burn is comparatively
+light. No stumps are taken out, as the bulk are found to rot out in a
+few years, and their presence in the soil is no detriment to the
+planting of such crops as bananas or even citrus fruit trees. No special
+preparation of the land, such as breaking up, &c., is necessary prior to
+planting. Holes are dug, trees or bananas are planted, and the whole
+cultivation for the first few years consists in keeping down weed
+growths with the chipping hoe. Once the stumps have rotted out the
+plough and other implements of culture take the place of the hoe. These
+soils are especially adapted for the growth of oranges, limes,
+mandarins, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, papaws, custard apples,
+strawberries, and cape gooseberries in the South; in fact, for nearly
+every kind of tropical and semi-tropical fruit.
+
+Some basaltic soils are occasionally covered with forest in the place of
+scrub, or a mixture, part scrub and part forest. Forest country, as
+distinct from scrub, is open-timbered country, with little undergrowth,
+and no vines or other creepers. The timbers are also, as a rule, very
+hard, and the stumps will not rot out. Such land, when at all heavily
+timbered, is much harder to clear and get ready for fruit-growing than
+true scrub, as all timber must be felled and burnt off, and all stumps
+and roots taken out, so that the land can be thoroughly broken up and
+brought into a good state of tilth prior to planting. These soils are
+suitable to the growth of similar fruits to the true scrubs, but, as a
+rule, they are not as rich. The second class of soils suitable to
+fruit-growing are of alluvial origin, and are of a sandy, loamy nature,
+of fair depth. They are usually met with along our creeks and rivers, or
+in the deltas of our rivers. In their virgin state they are either
+covered with scrub or forest, or a mixture of both, but the growth is
+seldom as strong as on the red volcanic soils. Heavy alluvial soils are
+not suitable for fruit culture, and are much more valuable for the
+growth of farm crops, but the light sandy loams and free loams of medium
+character suit all kinds of fruit to perfection. These soils usually are
+easy to work. They retain moisture well when well worked, and frequently
+they are capable of being irrigated, either from adjacent creeks or
+rivers, or by water from wells. These soils are some of our best for
+citrus fruits, and are well adapted for the growth of pineapples and
+bananas, as well as most other tropical fruits, when free from frosts.
+The third class of soils are free sandy loams, either scrub or forest.
+They are of various colours, and range in texture from light sandy loams
+to medium loams; they possess excellent drainage, and though, when
+covered with forest, they are not naturally rich, they make excellent
+fruit soils, and respond rapidly to systematic cultivation and manuring.
+They are usually of sandstone or granitic origin, and, when covered with
+scrub in the first place, grow good crops for the first few years, when
+they become more or less exhausted in one or more available plant foods,
+and require manuring. These soils, like the sandy alluvial loams, are
+easy to work, retain moisture well when kept in a state of perfect
+tilth, and respond readily to manuring. They will grow all kinds of
+fruits when free from frost. There are other soils on which fruit can be
+grown, but those mentioned represent those most suitable. The land on
+which these soils occur is often much broken, particularly in rich scrub
+country; it is fairly level when of alluvial origin, and more or less
+rolling, as a rule, when of a sandy loamy nature. High, ridgy, free,
+loamy country is usually the most free from frost, and alluvial flats
+the most liable to it.
+
+
+2nd.--Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the Growth of
+Deciduous Fruit.
+
+Starting from the Southern part of the State, adjoining the New South
+Wales border, the fruit soils are all of granitic origin. The country is
+much broken, but between the ridges and along the creek flats there is a
+considerable area possessing soils varying from a coarse, granitic,
+gritty soil to a fine granitic soil; that on the creeks of an alluvial
+nature, but still granitic. These soils vary considerably in quality,
+but are, as a rule, easy to work and retain moisture well. They are
+covered with open forest and are particularly adapted to the growth of
+apples, plums, peaches, and grapes, though other deciduous fruits are
+grown but not to the same excellence as those mentioned. Proceeding
+north the fruit soils are either sandy loams or loams of a brownish
+colour of volcanic origin. The former are suitable for almonds and wine
+grapes, and the latter for peaches, apricots, pears, apples, and
+especially olives. Further north a few of these fruits may be grown on
+loamy soils, together with citrus fruits, but, commercially, deciduous
+fruits are confined to the southern end of this district, the winter
+temperature being too high for their successful growth further north, as
+the trees get no winter rest, hence do not mature their fruit-bearing
+wood properly.
+
+
+3rd.--Soils of the Central Tablelands, suitable to the Growth of Grapes,
+Dates, Citrus Fruits, Etc.
+
+At the Southern end of the State the fruit soils are all of a sandy
+nature. Nothing else is used in any quantity, as sandy soils alone will
+retain sufficient moisture for the growth of grapes and fruit trees
+during dry spells, and even then only when kept well and deeply worked.
+Further north, where suitable artesian water is available, the best
+fruit soils are also free loams of a sandy nature, either alluvial or
+open forest soils, but deep, and possessing perfect drainage, as
+irrigation on land without good natural drainage is fatal to fruit
+culture. These sandy loams are also easy to work; though by no means
+rich, they, on account of their depth, grow good crops of fruit by means
+of irrigation, and the fruit, such as dates, oranges, lemons, grapes,
+&c., is of very fine quality. The fruit soils of this district are
+covered either with open forest--the trees being of comparatively small
+size--or with a scrubby undergrowth through which a few larger trees are
+scattered. Nearly all the timber of this district is extremely hard, is
+more or less stunted, and burns readily, hence clearing is not a very
+expensive item.
+
+Having now given a very brief description of our climate and the
+fruit-soils in our principal fruit-producing centres, we will next
+consider the culture of those fruits which are grown in commercial
+quantities in the different parts of the State, as well as that of a few
+less well-known fruits which show especial promise. We will first deal
+with our tropical fruits, of which the first to be considered is the
+banana, as its production greatly exceeds that of any other tropical
+fruit, and, as far as Australia is concerned, this is the only State in
+which it is grown in commercial quantities. From tropical fruits we will
+go on to semi-tropical fruits, then to temperate fruits and vines.
+
+
+
+
+THE BANANA.
+
+Under the heading of "Banana," all kinds of plantains will also be
+included, as they belong to one and the same family. The members of this
+family of plants are all tropical, and produce the most typical and best
+known tropical fruits.
+
+[Illustration: Cavendish Bananas on scrub land, Buderim Mountain.]
+
+[Illustration: Cavendish Bananas at Woombye on newly cleared land.]
+
+The rank luxuriance of the growth of this class of fruits, their
+handsome foliage, their productiveness, their high economic value as
+food, and their universal distribution throughout the tropics, all
+combine to place them in a premier position. As a food it is unequalled
+amongst fruits, as no matter whether it is used green as a vegetable,
+ripe as a fruit, dried and ground into flour, or preserved in any other
+way, it is one of the most wholesome and nutritious of foods for human
+consumption. It is a staple article of diet in all tropical countries,
+and the stems of several varieties make an excellent food for all kinds
+of stock.
+
+[Illustration: Twenty-dozen Bunch, Buderim Mountain.]
+
+In Queensland, the culture of bananas is confined to the frostless belts
+of the eastern seaboard, as it is a plant that is extremely susceptible
+to cold, and is injured by the lightest frosts. It is grown in
+favourable locations in the South, where it produces excellent fruit,
+but its cultivation is much greater in the North, where the rainfall is
+heavier and the average annual temperature greater. In the Southern part
+of the State its cultivation is entirely in the hands of white growers,
+who have been growing it on suitable soil in suitable localities for the
+past fifty years or even more. I recently saw an old plantation that was
+set out over twenty years ago, and the present plants are still strong
+and healthy, and bearing good bunches of well-filled fruit, so that
+there is no question as to the suitability of the soil or climate.
+Bananas do best on rich scrub land, and it is no detriment to their
+growth if it is more or less covered with stones as long as there is
+sufficient soil to set the young plants. Shelter from heavy or cold
+winds is an advantage, and the plants thrive better under these
+conditions than when planted in more exposed positions. Bananas are
+frequently the first crop planted in newly burnt off scrub land, as they
+do not require any special preparation of such land, and the large
+amount of ash and partially burnt and decomposed vegetable mould provide
+an ample supply of food for the plants' use. Bananas are rank feeders,
+so that this abundance of available plant food causes a rapid growth,
+fine plants, and correspondingly large bunches of fruit. Though newly
+burnt off scrub land is the best for this fruit, it can be grown
+successfully in land that has been under cultivation for many years,
+provided that the land is rich enough naturally, or its fertility is
+maintained by judicious green and other manuring. In newly burnt off
+scrub land all that is necessary is, to dig holes 15 to 18 inches in
+diameter, and about 2 feet deep, set the young plants in it, and partly
+fill in the hole with good top soil. The young plant, which consists of
+a sucker taken from an older plant, will soon take root and grow rapidly
+under favourable conditions, producing its first bunch in from ten to
+twelve months after planting. At the same time that it is producing its
+first bunch it will send up two or more suckers at the base of the
+parent plant, and these in turn will bear fruit, and so on. After
+bearing, the stalk that has produced the bunch of fruit is cut down; if
+this is not done it will die down, as its work has been completed, and
+other suckers take its place. Too many suckers should not be allowed to
+grow or the plants will become too crowded, and be consequently stunted
+and produce small bunches. All the cultivation that is necessary is the
+keeping down of weed growth, and this, once the plants occupy the whole
+of the land, is not a hard matter. A plantation is at its best when
+about three years old, but remains profitable for six years or longer;
+in fact, there are many plantations still bearing good fruit that have
+been planted from twelve to twenty years. Small-growing or dwarf kinds,
+such as the Cavendish variety, are planted at from 12 to 16 feet apart
+each way, but large-growing bananas, such as the Sugar and Lady's
+Finger, require from 20 to 25 feet apart each way, as do the
+stronger-growing varieties of plantain. Plantains are not grown to any
+extent in Queensland, and our principal varieties are those already
+mentioned, the Cavendish variety greatly predominating. In the North,
+the cultivation of this latter variety is carried out on an extensive
+scale, principally by Chinese gardeners, who send the bulk of their
+produce to the Southern States of the Commonwealth. The industry
+supports a large number of persons other than the actual producers of
+the fruit, and forms one of our principal articles of export from the
+North. As many as 20,000 or more large bunches of bananas frequently
+leave by a single steamer for the South, and the bringing of this
+quantity to the port of shipment gives employment to a number of men on
+tram lines and small coastal steamers. The shipment of a heavy cargo of
+bananas presents a very busy scene that is not soon forgotten, the
+thousands of bunches of fruit that are either piled up on the wharf or
+that are being unloaded from railway trucks, small steamers or sometimes
+Chinese junks, forming such a mass of fruit that one often wonders how
+it is possible to consume it all before it becomes over-ripe. Still, it
+is consumed, or, at any rate, the greater portion of it is, as it is the
+universal fruit of the less wealthy portion of the community, the price
+at which it can be sold being so low that it is within the reach of
+everyone. A banana garden in full bearing is a very pretty sight, the
+thousands of plants, each with their one or more bunches of fruit, as,
+where there are several stems it is not at all uncommon to find two or
+more bunches of fruit in different states of development on the same
+plant, forming a mass of vegetation that must be seen to be appreciated.
+This is the case even with dwarf-growing kinds, but with strong-growing
+varieties, such as the Lady's Finger, the growth is so excessive that
+the wonder is, how the soil can support it.
+
+[Illustration: Bananas for shipment at Innisfail.]
+
+Bananas do remarkably well in Queensland, and there is practically an
+unlimited area of country suitable for their culture, much of which is
+at present in a state of Nature. Only the more easily accessible lands
+have been worked and of these only the richest. Manuring is unknown in
+most parts, and as soon as the plantation shows signs of deterioration
+it is abandoned, and a fresh one planted out in new land, the land
+previously under crop with bananas being either planted in sugar-cane or
+allowed to run to grass. This is certainly a very wasteful method of
+utilising our land, and the time will come, sooner or later, when
+greater care will have to be given to it, and that once land has become
+impoverished by banana culture, it will have to be put under a suitable
+rotation of crops, so as to fit it for being again planted to bananas.
+The trouble is, as I have already stated, we have too much land and too
+few people to work it, hence, so far, we are unable to use it to
+anything like the best advantage. During the year 1904 the production of
+bananas in Queensland was some 2,000,000 bunches, and when it is
+considered that each bunch will average about 12 dozen fruit, it will be
+seen that already we are producing a very large quantity. There is,
+however, plenty of room for extension, and any quantity of available
+country, but before this extension can be profitable, steps will have to
+be taken to utilise the fruit in a manner other than its consumption as
+fresh fruit, and this in itself will mean the opening up of new
+industries and the employment of a considerable amount of labour. I have
+mentioned 12 dozen as being the average quantity of fruit per bunch, but
+it is frequently much more than this, and I have often seen bunches of
+25 to 30 dozen fine fruit grown on strong young plants on rich new land.
+Although the industry in the North is now almost entirely in the hands
+of Chinese gardeners, there is no reason whatever why it should not be
+run by white growers, as is done in the South, and there is no question
+that our white-grown bananas in the South compare more than favourably
+with the Northern Chinese-grown article, despite the fact that the
+latter has every advantage in climate and an abundance of virgin soil.
+Most of the photos of bananas are, I am sorry to say, not by any means
+typical of this industry, as they have been taken during the off-season,
+when the plants look ragged and are showing little new growth, and the
+bunches also are much smaller than usual. Still, I hope that the
+illustrations will give some idea of the growing and handling of this
+crop, and will show what a banana plant and its bunch are like.
+
+
+
+
+THE PINEAPPLE.
+
+
+If there is one fruit that Queensland can grow to perfection, it is
+undoubtedly the pineapple. This is not merely my own personal opinion,
+but is the universal admission of all who are qualified to judge. On
+many occasions I have taken men thoroughly conversant with
+pineapple-growing, and who knew what a good fruit really is, through
+some of our plantations, where I have given them fruit to test, and,
+without exception, they have had no hesitation in saying that they have
+never tasted better fruit. Our fruit has a firmness, freedom from fibre,
+and a flavour that is hard to beat. It is an excellent canning fruit,
+superior in this respect to the Singapore article, which it surpasses in
+flavour. This is admitted by English and European buyers, and its
+superiority is bound eventually to result in a great increase in canning
+and the establishment of large works run on thoroughly up-to-date
+lines.
+
+[Illustration: Picking Pines for market--Woombye District.]
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--showing plants of different
+ages--Woombye, North Coast Line.]
+
+Like the banana, the pineapple is a tropical fruit, and is very
+sensitive to cold, hence its culture is confined to frostless districts.
+It is grown all along our eastern seaboard, where, when planted in
+suitable soils and under suitable conditions, it is, undoubtedly, our
+hardiest fruit, and is practically immune from any serious disease. Its
+culture is entirely in the open, no shelter whatever being given, so
+that we are not put to the great expense that growers of this fruit in
+Florida and some other pineapple-producing countries must incur if they
+wish to secure a crop. Here we have no severe freeze-outs, and, though
+dry spells retard the growth at times, we have never suffered any
+serious injury from this cause. In the Southern part of the State, the
+coolness of the winter retards growth somewhat, and occasionally the
+tops of the leaves and young fruit are slightly injured, particularly in
+low-lying land, or where the plants are growing on land having a cold
+subsoil. When grown under more favourable conditions, however, they
+sustain no injury, and produce fruit, more or less, all the year round.
+Pines are always in season, though there are times when they are
+comparatively scarce. There are usually two main crops a year--viz., a
+summer and a winter crop. The former is the heavier of the two, and the
+fruit is decidedly the best, as its sugar contents are much higher. The
+main summer crop ripens in the North from the beginning of November, and
+in the South from January to as late as March in some seasons. The main
+winter crop is usually at its best in July and August, but there is
+always more or less fruit during the other months of the year. The
+pineapple likes a warm, free, well-drained soil, that is free from frost
+in winter, and that will not become soured by heavy rain during summer.
+Sandy loams are, therefore, our best pineapple soils, though it does
+well on free loams of basaltic or alluvial origin. Unlike the banana,
+the pineapple does not do too well in newly burnt off scrub land, owing
+to the difficulty in working the ground and keeping it clean. It
+requires a thorough preparation of the soil prior to planting in order
+to be grown to perfection. In the case of new land of suitable texture,
+the timber should all be burnt off, and all stumps and roots taken out
+of the soil, which should then be carefully broken up and reduced to a
+fine tilth, all weed or grass growth being destroyed. It should then be
+again ploughed, and, if possible, subsoiled, so as to permit of the
+roots penetrating the ground to a fair depth instead of their merely
+depending on the few top inches of surface soil. Careful preparation of
+the land and deep stirring prior to planting will be found to pay well,
+and turn out far the cheapest in the end. Given suitable soil, well
+prepared, the growing of pineapples is not at all difficult, as the
+plants soon take root, and once they became established, they prove
+themselves to be extremely hardy. Pines will grow and thrive on
+comparatively poor soil, provided it is of suitable texture, but in such
+soils it is necessary to supplement the plant food in the soil by the
+addition of manures, if large fruit and heavy crops are to be obtained.
+Pineapples are propagated by means of suckers coming from the base of
+fruit-bearing plants, or from smaller suckers, or, as they are termed,
+robbers or gill sprouts that start from the fruiting stem just at the
+base of the fruit. They are also sometimes propagated by means of the
+crown, but this method is usually considered too slow. Well-developed
+suckers are usually preferred, as these come into bearing earliest, but
+equally good, if not better, returns are obtained by planting gill
+sprouts. The latter have the advantage in that they always develop a
+good root system before showing signs of fruit, hence their first crop
+is always a good one, and the fruit is of the best, whereas suckers
+sometimes start flowering as soon as they are planted, before they are
+properly established, with the result that the first fruit is small and
+inferior, and the plants have to throw out fresh suckers before a good
+crop is produced. Gill sprouts are slower in coming into bearing than
+suckers, but the results are usually more satisfactory. Like the banana,
+once a pineapple plant has borne fruit the fruiting stalk dies down, and
+its place is taken by one or more suckers, which in their turn bear
+fruit and die. Pineapples are planted in Queensland in several ways, but
+by far the most common method is to set the suckers out in single or
+double rows, from 8 to 9 feet apart, with the plants at from 1 to 2 feet
+apart in the row. The rows soon increase in width by the growth of
+suckers, and the throwing up of ratoons--surface roots thrown off from
+the original plant, which send up plants from below the ground as
+distinct from suckers, which come from the base or even higher up the
+stem of a fruiting plant. It is not at all an uncommon thing to see the
+rows grown together, so that the plantation appears to be a solid mass
+of plants, but pathways have to be kept between the rows to permit of
+gathering the fruit, manuring, &c. Pineapples have been grown in the
+Brisbane district for the past sixty years, and I have been shown beds
+of plants that have not been replanted for over forty years that are
+still producing good fruit. This shows how well at home this fruit is
+with us; but, in my opinion, it is not desirable to keep the plants so
+long in the same ground, as the finest fruit is always obtained from
+comparatively young plantations, the older ones producing too large a
+proportion of small fruit. From the Brisbane district this fruit has
+spread all over the eastern coast, and its production is increasing
+rapidly in several districts. Once the pine is planted, its cultivation
+is comparatively simple. If in single or double rows, all weed growth is
+kept down between the plants, and the ground between the rows is kept in
+a state of good cultivation by means of ploughing or cultivating, the
+soil being worked towards the rows so as to encourage the formation of
+suckers low down on the fruiting plants. Manure is given when necessary,
+the manure being worked in on either side of the rows.
+
+[Illustration: Smooth-leaved Cayenne Pines in fruit, planted 15 months,
+Woombye District.]
+
+The pineapple comes into bearing early, and, except where suckers throw
+fruit as soon as planted, bear their first crop in from twelve to twenty
+months, according to the type of suckers planted and the time of year at
+which they are set. Practically every sucker will produce a fruit at the
+first fruiting, and these will be followed by succeeding crops, borne on
+the successive crops of suckers, so that when the whole of the ground is
+occupied by plants, the returns are very heavy. One thousand dozen
+marketable fruits is by no means an unusual crop for Queen pines in a
+plantation in full bearing, and, taking these at an average of 2-1/2 lb.
+each, you get a return of 30,000 lb., or 15 tons American per acre. The
+illustrations herewith give a good general idea of the usual method of
+growing pines, and the method of handling and marketing, as well as of
+the nature of the country on which they are grown. The illustrations
+are mostly of smooth-leaved pines, which bear a fruit averaging from 6
+to 8 lb. each, but occasionally running up to as much as 14 to 16 lb.,
+though the latter is an extreme weight. The single pine shown is just
+under 12 lb. Several kinds of pines are grown, which are generally
+classified into roughs and smooths. The rough, or rough-leaved pines,
+such as the Common Queen and Ripley Queen, and local seedlings raised
+from them, are very prolific, and though not equal in size and
+appearance to the smooth-leaved Cayenne, our principal smooth-leaved
+kind, are usually considered to be of superior flavour, and to be better
+for canning or preserving. Rough pines run up to as much as 6 lb. weight
+each, but this is uncommon, the best average I have met with being about
+4 lb. per pine, and they were exceptionally good. The price at which
+this fruit sells here seems absurd to those living in cold countries,
+who are accustomed to look upon it as a luxury only found on the tables
+of the wealthy, as good rough-leaved pines are worth about 1s. per dozen
+during the summer season, and smooth-leaved pines from 1s. 6d. to 2s.
+6d. a dozen. Prices are certainly higher during the off-season, but
+growers would be well satisfied to get 1s. per dozen for rough pines all
+the year round. I have no hesitation in saying that pines can be grown
+at a profit at from £3 to £4 per ton, so that the cost of growing is so
+low that there is nothing to prevent us from canning the fruit and
+selling it at a price that will defy competition.
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--Pines packed for market, and
+showing fruit-grower's home, Woombye District.]
+
+Pineapple-growing has been a very profitable industry, particularly in
+the older plantations of the Brisbane district, and still continues to
+be so in many places despite the fact that prices are much lower now
+than they were some years since. The plantations from which the
+illustrations are taken are comparatively new ones, the land having been
+in its virgin state from six to eight years ago, and, as shown, some is
+only now being cleared. The owners of the plantations started without
+capital, and, by dint of hard work and perseverance, are now reaping an
+excellent return of some £50 per acre net profit. This is by no means an
+isolated example, but is one that is typical of what can be done, and
+has therefore been chosen. There is a great opening for the culture of
+this fruit in Queensland, and its cultivation is capable of being
+extended to a practically unlimited extent. We have a large amount of
+land suitable for the growth of this fruit that is available in
+different parts of the State, much of it at very reasonable rates, so
+that there is no difficulty in this direction for anyone wishing to make
+a start. It is an industry from which returns are quickly obtained, and
+is a branch of fruit-growing that holds out strong inducements and every
+prospect of success to intending growers. At present our production is
+about sufficient for our presently existing markets, but there is
+nothing to prevent these markets being widely extended. Our present
+means of utilising our surplus fruits, by canning or otherwise
+preserving same, are by no means as complete or up to date as they
+should be, and before they can become so, it is necessary to greatly
+increase our output. Small works cost too much to run as compared with
+large canning establishments, hence we are not yet in a position to make
+the most of our fruit. With increased production we will have an
+increase in the facilities for utilising the fruit. This requires
+labour, and there is right here an opening for many industrious
+workers, a business that I have no doubt will pay from the start, a
+business of which we have the Australian monopoly, and in which there is
+no reason that I can see in which we should not compete satisfactorily
+in the markets of the world.
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--Showing method of growing the
+fruit, Woombye District.]
+
+Queensland possesses many advantages respecting the growth of this fruit
+as compared with other countries in which it is grown commercially,
+which may be briefly enumerated as follows:--
+
+     1st.--Freedom from loss by freeze-outs;
+
+     2nd.--The ease with which the fruit can be grown, and its freedom
+     from disease;
+
+     3rd.--The large area of land suitable to its culture, and the low
+     price at which suitable land can be obtained;
+
+     4th.--The fine quality of the fruit;
+
+     5th.--The superiority of our fruit for canning purposes;
+
+     6th.--The low price at which it can be produced, and the heavy
+     crops that can be grown.
+
+These are enough reasons to show that in the pineapple we have a fruit
+well suited to our soil and climate, a fruit in the cultivation of which
+there is room for great extension, and which will provide a living for
+many industrious settlers.
+
+[Illustration: Rough-leaved Pines, Redland Bay District.]
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--On virgin soil, showing scrub land
+at back being cleared for fruit growing, Woombye District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE MANGO.
+
+
+This magnificent fruit, which is practically unknown outside of the
+tropics, has become as hardy as a forest tree throughout our eastern
+seaboard, wherever it is planted out of frost. It has been named, and
+well named too, the apple of Queensland, as it stands as much neglect,
+and can be grown with as little care and attention as, or even less,
+than that given to the apple-trees in many of the Somerset or Devonshire
+orchards. It will not, however, stand frost. Droughts and floods have
+little effect on it; it will grow in any soil, from a sand to a heavy
+loam, amongst rocks, or on a gravelly or shaley land. Naturally, it does
+best in good land, but there are hundreds of cases where trees are doing
+well and bearing heavily on land that is by no means fruit land. The
+mango is one of our handsomest fruit trees; the symmetry of its growth,
+its large glossy leaves, the delicate colouring of its young growth,
+which is of different shades in different varieties, the abundance of
+fruit that it produces, varying in colour from dull-green to yellow,
+red, or even purplish tints, all render it conspicuous. As well as being
+one of our handsomest, it is also one of our most widely distributed
+fruits, being found growing luxuriantly the whole length of our eastern
+seaboard. A few trees are also to be met with inland in districts that
+are free from frosts, so that it stands both the dry heat of the
+interior and the humid heat of the coast. As a tropical fruit it
+naturally reaches its greatest perfection under our most tropical
+conditions, the trees there growing practically wild, requiring little
+if any attention, making a rapid growth, coming into bearing early, and
+producing heavy crops of fruit. Further south the growth is somewhat
+slower, though the trees grow to a large size and bear heavily. It is
+one of the easiest of trees to grow, as it is readily propagated by
+means of seed. In many plantations thousands of young seedlings may
+often be seen growing under the old trees, the seeds having taken root
+without even having been planted. In most cases it is propagated from
+seed, the stones of fruit showing especial merit being planted either in
+a nursery, or, better, still, where the tree is to remain permanently,
+as it usually does better when so planted than when grown in a nursery
+and thence transplanted to its permanent location. The land should be
+well worked prior to planting, and the young trees require to be kept
+free from weeds and undergrowth till such time as they occupy the whole
+of the ground, when they are able to look after themselves, and require
+no further attention, at any rate in the warmer parts. It is not at all
+uncommon to come across a mango-tree, in full bearing, in vigorous
+health, that is growing wild, the result of a stone that has been thrown
+away by someone who has eaten the fruit. The young tree has not only
+been able to hold its own against all kinds of indigenous growths, but
+has developed into a vigorous, healthy tree, thus showing that it is
+perfectly at home, and that the soil and climate of Queensland suit it
+to perfection. The fact that by far the greater portion of our
+mango-trees have been grown from seed has resulted in the production of
+innumerable varieties, many of which are of decidedly inferior quality,
+as one never knows when planting the seed what the resultant fruit is
+going to be like. One is more likely to get good fruit by planting the
+seeds from selected fruit of the highest quality, but is by no means
+certain to do so, as a number of seeds always revert to inferior types.
+This has had a bad effect on our mango industry, and has been apt to
+give the fruit as a class a bad name, so much so that we find it
+difficult to get our Southern neighbours to take to it at all readily. I
+can quite understand anyone, whose first experience of a mango is that
+of an inferior fruit, full of fibre, and having a distinctly
+disagreeable flavour, condemning the particular fruit, but because there
+are inferior fruits one should not condemn the whole without knowing
+what a really good mango is like.
+
+[Illustration: Mango Trees, Port Douglas.]
+
+We have many good mangoes in Queensland, but only a few that are really
+first-class, and of the latter I have yet to meet the man or woman, who
+is a fruit-eater, who does not appreciate their exquisite flavour, and
+who does not consider them worthy to rank with any of the finest fruits.
+By many a really fine mango is considered to be the king of fruits, and
+I am not at all certain that they are not right, but, at the same time,
+a really bad mango is indescribably bad.
+
+The mango grows to a large size here, even when comparatively young. I
+know trees over 50 feet in height, having a spread of the branches of
+more than 60 feet, a main trunk nearly 3 feet in diameter, that are
+under thirty years old, and that have borne from 1 to 2 tons of fruit
+for a single crop. Hundreds of tons of fruit go to waste annually for
+want of a market, or are consumed by farm animals, as the consumption of
+the fruit is practically confined to this State, and the production is
+greater than we can consume, despite the fact that mangoes are in season
+from the end of September to March, and that they are a favourite fruit
+with all who have acquired a liking for them. In addition to the
+consumption of the fruit in its fresh state, a quantity is converted
+into chutney, but this is so small that it has no appreciable effect on
+the crop as a whole. The unripe fruit makes an excellent substitute for
+apples, and is used stewed or for pies or tarts, and when sliced and
+dried it may be stored and used in a similar manner to dried apples.
+
+[Illustration: Mango Tree near Brisbane.]
+
+In addition to its value as a fruit, the mango forms a handsome
+ornamental tree, and one that provides a good shade for stock. It is
+very free from disease, as with the exception of one or two species of
+scale insects, which do not cause any very serious damage, it has few
+serious pests. It is a fruit that is bound sooner or later to come into
+more general favour, particularly when the qualities of the finer
+varieties are better known. Until quite recently it was considered to be
+one of the most difficult trees to propagate by means of grafting or
+budding, hence its propagation has been practically confined to raising
+it from seed, but now we have found out how to work it by means of
+plate-budding, and are able to perpetuate our best sorts true to kind.
+This is sure to lead to a general improvement of our existing varieties,
+as old trees can be worked over by this means, or young trees of
+approved kinds can be grown in a nursery and distributed.
+
+The fruit is very wholesome, is much appreciated by all who have
+acquired a taste for it, can be used fresh or dry, ripe or unripe, and
+cans well. It is a great addition to our list of purely tropical fruits,
+and finds a place in all orchards or gardens where it is capable of
+being grown.
+
+
+
+
+THE MANGOSTEEN.
+
+
+Many attempts have been made during past years to introduce this
+delicious fruit into Queensland, but these always resulted in failure.
+True, a certain variety of mangosteen has been successfully grown at
+Port Douglas, also on the Lower Burdekin, and rumours of the existence
+of the true Java mangosteen (_Garcinia mangostana_) have been received,
+but, in nearly every case, they have, on investigation, proved to be
+_Garcinia xanthochymus_, or some other species. At the Kamerunga State
+Nursery, however, trees of undoubted parentage were successfully raised.
+It is said that a thriving young plant, which is unquestionably
+_G. mangostana_, is owned by Mr. Banfield, of Dunk Island. The records of
+the Kamerunga Nursery show that in October, 1891, a quantity--about
+100--of ripe mangosteen fruit was received from the Batavian agency by
+the then manager, Mr. Ebenezer Cowley, from which some 600 seeds were
+obtained. Of these, only a few germinated. The next mention is of the
+distribution, in February, 1892, of six plants to an applicant on the
+Mossman, and of two more in May of that year. Since then several young
+trees have been raised at the nursery, and one of them, in January,
+1913, fruited for the first time for twenty-two years, and is the first
+to have done so in this State. Some of the fruit was sent to the
+Department of Agriculture and Stock, and proved to be fully equal to
+those of Java. A full history of the mangosteen and of its introduction
+into Queensland is given in "The Queensland Agricultural Journal"
+(vol. xxx., June and July, 1913). The photographs were taken from the
+original fruit.
+
+[Illustration: Fruit of Mangosteen.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PAPAW.
+
+
+Continuing our list of tropical fruits, we now come to the papaw, one of
+our most wholesome and useful fruits. It is grown all along our eastern
+seaboard in situations that are free from frost. It comes into bearing
+early, and is a heavy cropper. Like the other tropical fruits already
+described, it does best in our warmer parts, coming to maturity earlier,
+and producing better fruit. In many of the Northern coastal scrubs it is
+often met with growing wild, and producing fruit in abundance, the seeds
+from which the trees have been produced having been dropped by birds or
+distributed by other natural agencies. The papaw fruit resembles a rock
+melon somewhat in shape and flavour, the fruit being produced in the
+axil of the leaves all along the main stem, where they are clustered
+thickly together. The tree does best on well-drained soils, and is very
+sensitive to the presence of clay or stagnant water at the roots, hence
+it usually does best on scrub land or land well supplied with humus. It
+is propagated entirely from seed, which grows readily in such soils, and
+under favourable conditions will bear its first fruit when about ten to
+twelve months old, and continue to bear for three or four years or even
+longer. When the trees becomes old, however, the fruit decreases in size
+and deteriorates in quality, so that it is necessary to plant a number
+yearly in order to keep up a regular supply. It is a very handsome tree,
+with large spreading leaves on long stems, beneath which is its cluster
+of fruit--as many as 100 fruits being sometimes found in different
+stages of development on the one plant. The fruit ranges in size from 2
+lb. to some 6 lb. in weight, and when ripe it is of a greenish-yellow or
+sometimes orange colour. The flesh is yellow, and when quite ripe it is
+moderately juicy, and of a flavour that it not always appreciated at
+first, but which one soon becomes very partial to. It more nearly
+resembles the flavour of a rock melon than that of any other fruit, and
+the seeds, which are found clustered in the centre of the fruit, have a
+flavour that closely resembles that of seeds of the nasturtium. Both the
+seeds and the fruit contain an active principle called papain, which is
+really a vegetable pepsin, that has the effect of greatly assisting in
+the assimilation of all food with which it is eaten, hence it is a
+valuable remedy in the case of dyspepsia, and persons who take the fruit
+regularly are never subject to this exceedingly troublesome disease. The
+fruit can be used both as a vegetable and as a fruit, the former in its
+green state, when it is boiled and served with melted butter, resembles
+a vegetable marrow or squash, but is superior to either of these
+vegetables. As a fruit it is either used by itself, or in conjunction
+with other fruits it forms the basis of a fruit salad. It is largely
+used in the North, and its cultivation is steadily spreading South, as
+its valuable properties are becoming better known. Its cultivation is
+very simple. The seeds are either planted where the tree is to remain,
+or are raised in a bed and transplanted to their permanent position in
+the orchard when strong enough to stand shifting, care being taken to
+select a dull moist day. The young plants are protected from the sun for
+a few days till they have become established, after which all that is
+necessary is to keep down weeds and to work the soil round them,
+taking care not to injure the roots. A good mulch of decomposed
+vegetable matter round the plants is an advantage, but they are usually
+so easily grown that little extra care is given to them. The papaw bears
+male and female flowers, which may be on the same trees, but are usually
+on different trees, so that it is usual to speak of male and female
+trees. This is, however, a mistake, as according to Bailey the plant is
+polygamous--that is to say, male, female, or hermaphrodite flowers may
+be found on the same or on distinct plants. The male flowers are usually
+on long scantily-branched auxiliary panicles, whereas the female flowers
+are mostly in the axils of the leaves close to the stem. The two trees
+are not distinguishable from each other till they come into flower,
+hence it is advisable to set the young plants fairly close
+together--say, 6 feet apart--and thin out the male trees when same can
+be distinguished by their blossoms.
+
+Besides its use as a fruit and vegetable, the papaw makes a fair
+conserve and an excellent sauce, and its medicinal principle, "papain,"
+is an article of commerce.
+
+[Illustration: Papaw in fruit, near Brisbane.]
+
+
+
+
+THE COCOA-NUT.
+
+
+Although this palm can be grown for ornamental purposes as far south as
+Brisbane, its cultivation on commercial lines will be confined to the
+coast district north of Townsville, and to the islands off the coast,
+as, in order to develop its fruit to perfection, it requires a tropical
+climate. Where the climate is suitable it does well, it makes a rapid
+growth, and bears heavy crops of nuts. Old palms on the beach at Cairns
+compare favourably with any growing in the South Seas, and I am of
+opinion that its culture in commercial quantities on suitable land will
+be found profitable. The cocoa-nut palm does best right on or adjacent
+to the seashore, in comparatively poor sandy soil--soil that is usually
+of little value for general crops, though it will grow mangoes well. So
+far, it is not grown in any large numbers, and although there is a ready
+sale for the ripe nuts, there is no attempt to make copra or to utilise
+the coir. Copra is the dried flesh of the nut, from which oil is
+extracted, and is largely used in the manufacture of soap, candles, &c.,
+the refuse left after the oil has been extracted being used for cattle
+feed. Coir is the fibre surrounding the nut, and is used for the
+manufacture of matting, door mats, &c.
+
+There is a considerable area of land suitable to the culture of this
+fruit on our Northern coast, which is at present lying idle, that, in my
+opinion, can be turned to a profitable use by planting it in cocoa-nuts
+as, in addition to utilising land otherwise of little value, we would be
+building up a new industry. The trees come into bearing in about eight
+years after planting the seed, and will continue to produce crops for
+many years without any attention. Care will have to be given for the
+first few years, whilst the plants are small, to keep down undergrowth
+and to prevent fires from running through the plantation, but, once
+fairly established, the plants will look after themselves. A cocoa-nut
+plantation gives a distinctly tropical look to the district in which it
+is grown, and the palms, particularly when young, are very ornamental;
+when old the long bare stems detract somewhat from the beauty of the
+top. It is a palm that I believe has a good future before it in the
+North, and for that reason I have included it amongst our tropical
+fruits, though it is cultivated at present more as an ornamental plant
+than as an article of commerce.
+
+[Illustration: Cocoa-nut Palms, Port Douglas.]
+
+
+
+
+THE GRANADILLA.
+
+
+A vine, belonging to the natural order Passifloreæ, that produces one of
+our most delicious tropical fruits. The papaw and the passion fruit
+belong to this same order. It can be grown all along our eastern
+seaboard, but comes to greatest perfection in the North. The fruit is of
+a pale greenish-yellow colour, cylindrical in shape, and varies in
+weight from about 1 to 5 lb., the largest fruits being produced on a
+sub-species. The fruit consists of an outer pulpy covering, which can be
+used for cooking if desired, which surrounds a cavity filled with seeds
+which are encased in a jelly-like mass. This is the portion eaten, and
+to use an Americanism, "It is not at all hard to take." It is either
+eaten by itself, or is used in conjunction with papaw and other fruits
+to make a fruit salad, a dish that is fit for the food of the gods, and
+once taken is never forgotten.
+
+The granadilla is easily grown from seed, and the plants are trained on
+an overhead trellis, the fruit hanging down on the underside. It is a
+heavy bearer, and once planted requires little attention. It requires a
+free, warm soil, that is fairly rich, to be grown to perfection, hence
+it is most commonly grown on scrub land. It can, however, be grown on
+any well-prepared land of a free nature. Unfortunately, it is a
+difficult fruit to ship any distance, hence its consumption is mainly
+confined to the districts in which it is grown, and where, needless to
+say, it is greatly appreciated. It is in fruit more or less all the year
+round, its main crop being in early spring in the North, and during the
+summer months further South. It is sometimes made into jam or jelly, but
+when preserved loses much of its characteristic flavour.
+
+[Illustration: Granadilla Vine at Kuranda, Cairns district.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PASSION FRUIT.
+
+
+This fruit is very closely related to the granadilla, but is much
+hardier than it, and can be grown to perfection much further South. It
+is not injured by frost to any extent in any part of coastal Queensland,
+and can be grown a considerable distance inland. It is more rightly a
+semi-tropical than a tropical fruit, though, as it is so nearly related
+to the granadilla, I have included it amongst the tropical fruits. It is
+also a vine, and, when grown commercially, is trained along a horizontal
+trellis, in a somewhat similar manner to a grape vine. It is readily
+grown from seed, and will produce fruit in less than twelve months from
+the time that it is planted, and will continue to bear fruit for some
+years. It does best on a free, warm soil of fair quality, though it may
+be grown anywhere with care, and often thrives well in very poor soils
+with the addition of manure. It is found growing wild on the borders of
+many of our scrubs and elsewhere, the seeds having been deposited by
+birds or other agencies, and under such conditions it produces an
+abundance of fruit. The fruit is of a roundish oval shape, and is of a
+dark-purple colour. It is about the size of a large hen's egg, the outer
+skin being hard and shell-like, and the centre filled with the seeds,
+which are surrounded with a jelly-like mass and a yellowish pulp. It is
+a very fine flavoured fruit, and is universally liked. It is grown in
+considerable quantities in the Southern part of the State, and is one of
+our commonest fruits. It has usually two crops a year--a summer and a
+winter crop--but can be got to produce its fruit at any particular time
+that is desired by systematic pruning at different times of the year. It
+is often grown over sheds, dead trees, fallen logs, &c., which it covers
+with a mass of dense green foliage, and converts what would otherwise be
+an unsightly object into an ornament. The illustration herewith shows
+this well, and gives a good idea of the growth of a single vine.
+Commercially it is grown on trellis, so that the land between the rows
+can be kept well cultivated, and also to permit of ease in the gathering
+of the fruit. When ripe, the fruit drops, and the gathering is usually
+from the ground. The fruit carries well, but will not keep for any
+length of time, as it shrivels up. It is principally used as a fresh
+fruit, though it is also made into jam or jelly, and it often forms part
+of a fruit salad, taking the place of the granadilla. It has few pests,
+and is one of the easiest fruits to grow.
+
+[Illustrations: Passion Fruit, Redland Bay--Showing method of culture (1)
+and part of a vine in fruit (2).]
+
+
+
+
+CUSTARD APPLES.
+
+
+Under this heading I will include all the Anonas, such as the sour sop,
+sweet sop, bullock's heart, and cherimoya. The sour sop is purely
+tropical, and is very sensitive to frost, but the other species are by
+no means so tender, and can be grown anywhere along the coast where the
+soil is suitable, as well as at many inland places. All the species
+produce very fine fruits, that vary somewhat in shape, in the roughness
+of the skin, and in size. The sour sop is the largest, and attains a
+size of 6 to 8 lb. The fruit is covered with soft spines, and is of an
+irregular oval, or even pyriform, shape. It ripens very soon after it is
+gathered, consequently cannot be sent any distance. It is a pleasant
+fruit of an aromatic sub-acid flavour. The pulp surrounding the seeds is
+of a woolly consistency, and this is surrounded by a custard-like mass
+which is much appreciated by those who have acquired a liking for it. It
+is a comparatively uncommon fruit, and is confined to the tropics.
+
+The sweet sop is the commonest of the Anonas, and is grown throughout a
+considerable part of coastal Queensland. It is usually of an irregular
+roundish shape, very full of seeds, which are surrounded by a
+custard-like pulp of very pleasant flavour. It is usually a heavy
+bearer, and is the variety most commonly met with in our fruit stores.
+The tree is hardy and is easily grown.
+
+The bullock's heart is a stronger-growing variety than the previous one,
+the fruit is larger, and, as its name implies, heart-shaped. It is also
+fairly seedy, the pulp of a light-brown colour, and more gritty, and
+not, in my opinion, of first-rate quality. It is most commonly grown in
+the North, where it is a very hardy and prolific tree.
+
+The cherimoya is the best of the custard apples. The tree is a strong
+grower, with large handsome leaves, but, as a rule, it is not a very
+heavy bearer. There are many varieties, the fruit of which varies
+considerably in size and shape, and the skin is sometimes smooth and
+sometimes warted, or even covered with short soft spines. It has
+usually comparatively few seeds, and these are surrounded by a rich
+custard-like pulp, which in the better kinds is of very fine flavour,
+and is generally much liked. The fruit is not a good keeper, still,
+given careful handling and packing, it can be kept for nearly a week.
+All custard apples are easily raised from seed, but the better varieties
+are propagated by grafting strong seedlings with wood taken from a tree
+producing fruit of especial merit. Any good fruit soil will grow them,
+and they do not require any especial treatment.
+
+[Illustration: Custard Apples, Brisbane District.]
+
+There are still a large number of tropical fruits that I have not
+mentioned, but space will not permit of my giving them more than a
+passing notice, as they are not of any great value from a commercial
+standpoint at present. Of these fruits the litchi, whampee, averoha,
+longan, vi-apple, and Chinese mangosteen are practically confined to the
+North. The guava, of which there are many species, grows anywhere; in
+fact, it is a pest in many cases, taking complete possession of the
+land. It is not cultivated to any great extent, as it grows so readily
+without, and, further, it harbours several pests whose presence it is
+desirable to remove from the orchard. It is a useful fruit for home
+consumption, as it stews well, makes an excellent jam, and its jelly is
+one of the best.
+
+The rosella, a species of hibiscus, is an annual fruit that is grown to
+a considerable extent in several parts of the State, and is used for
+pies, jams, and jellies. The latter is remarkably good, equal to that
+made from the red currant of colder climes, and will no doubt become an
+article of export at no very distant date. The fruit also dries well,
+and makes an excellent pickle. It is raised from seed, the young
+seedlings being set out in well-prepared land when all danger of frost
+is past. It is a rapid grower, and forms a bush some 4 feet across by 4
+or 5 feet high. It is a heavy bearer, and the fruit meets with a ready
+sale. To do well, the plants require a warm, free, well-drained soil, as
+they do not thrive where there is any stagnant water at or near the
+roots.
+
+The avocado or alligator pear is not grown to any extent, though it
+thrives well, particularly to the north of the tropic of Capricorn, and
+can also be grown successfully as far south as the New South Wales
+border. It is a fruit that deserves to be cultivated to a much greater
+extent than it is at present, and once it becomes better known I have no
+doubt that it will be planted in considerable numbers, and prove a very
+welcome addition to our already long list of fruits, as it is
+unequalled, in my opinion, as a salad. As far as my experience goes, it
+is likely to become a profitable fruit to grow, as once persons acquire
+a liking for it, they become very partial to it, and eat it whenever
+they can get it.
+
+In addition to purely tropical fruits a number of semi-tropical fruits
+are grown on our eastern seaboard, but are not entirely confined
+thereto, as many of them are cultivated to a considerable extent in some
+parts of our coastal and inland tablelands, particularly in sheltered
+positions. Under the heading of semi-tropical fruits, all kinds of
+citrus fruits, persimmons, loquats, date palm, wine palm, pecan nut,
+Brazilian cherry, Natal plum, ki-apple, and many other fruits are
+included, as well as several fruits that more properly belong to the
+temperate regions, such as Japanese plums, Chickasaw plum, peaches of
+Chinese origin, figs, mulberries of sorts, strawberries, cape
+gooseberries, &c. Of all of these the citrus fruits, which include the
+orange, mandarin, Seville, lemon, lime, grape fruit, kumquat, citron,
+and pomelo are by far the most important, and are grown successfully
+over a very large portion of the State, so that we will consider them
+first.
+
+[Illustration: Sour Sop, Mossman District.]
+
+
+
+
+CITRUS FRUIT.
+
+
+Quite a number of fruits are included under this heading, and all reach
+a very high state of perfection in this State. The whole of the family,
+the lemon-shaped citron excepted, is noted for the beauty and symmetry
+of growth that its trees make, and I know of few more beautiful sights
+in the vegetable world than a well-kept citrus grove in full bearing.
+Take the common round orange as an example, its well-balanced and evenly
+grown head, its dark glossy green foliage, its wealth of white blossoms,
+which perfume the whole neighbourhood, or its mass of golden fruit
+between its dark-green leaves, render it one of the most beautiful of
+fruit trees at all times, but especially so when covered with blossoms
+or ripe fruit. A typical Queensland grove is even more beautiful than
+those of many other places, as the vigour and size of our trees, their
+exceptionally healthy appearance, their dark foliage, and the heavy crop
+of high-class fruit that they bear, are at once evident to a stranger
+who has never seen the orange grown under such favourable conditions as
+are experienced here. The yield is often so heavy that the trees
+actually bend to the ground with the weight of their fruit, and a
+stack of props has to be used to prevent the tree from splitting into
+pieces. Those who have seen the enormous crops of apples that are
+produced on some trees in Tasmania or the old cider orchards of Devon or
+Somerset can form an idea of the crops; but the writer, who has seen
+both, as well as our Queensland trees, has no hesitation in saying that
+a Queensland mandarin can give points to either as a heavy cropper; in
+fact, if it has a fault, it is its proneness to overbear, particularly
+when young. This all tends to prove how well adapted Queensland is to
+the growth of citrus fruits, and were I asked to select a country
+particularly suited to their culture I should have no hesitation in
+naming this State, as I know of nowhere where their culture can be
+carried out with less trouble, or where the trees will produce better
+fruit or heavier crops. Queensland may well be termed the home of citrus
+fruits, as we have no less than three native species which are
+indigenous to the State, and are by no means uncommon in our scrubs.
+Their presence gives unmistakable proof of the suitability of this State
+for the culture of fruits of the same family, so that I think a short
+description of these native species may not be out of place, but will be
+of some interest to my readers.
+
+[Illustration: Young Orange Orchard (6 years old) on scrub land, near
+Mapleton, Blackall Range. Showing the standing scrub in the background.]
+
+_Citrus australis_, the native orange or lime, is both the largest and
+most common. It grows into a large tree, having a diameter of 15 to 18
+inches in the trunk, and a height of 60 feet or more. It produces a
+quantity of thick-skinned acid fruit, of from 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
+The skin is full of a resinous sap, and the fruit is of little value. It
+is a slow-growing tree, though, as just mentioned, it attains a
+considerable size, is very hardy, and produces a quantity of fruit. Its
+slow growth, when young, has prevented its use as a stock on which to
+work improved varieties, but I have no doubt it would make a very hardy
+stock that would be distinctly disease-resistant.
+
+The second variety is _Citrus australasica_, the so-called finger lime,
+a thorny bush, producing a fruit of from 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter, and
+3 to 4 inches long. The fruit has a thin skin, and contains an agreeable
+acid pulp that varies in colour, in some specimens being of a reddish
+tinge that resembles the pulp of a blood orange. These two varieties are
+met with in the Southern part of the State, but the third is a Northern
+species, to which Mr. F. M. Bailey, our Colonial Botanist, has given the
+name of _Citrus inodora_, the North Queensland lime. It is met with in
+the scrubs of the Russell River, and is described by Mr. Bailey as
+bearing a greater resemblance to the cultivated species than the two
+former varieties. It produces a fruit over 2 inches long by 1-1/4 inches
+in diameter, having a thin rind and a juicy pulp of a sharply acid
+flavour, so that even in its wild state it is a desirable fruit, and
+takes the place of the cultivated lemon. Where native species flourish
+as they do here, there is every probability of cultivated species
+thriving equally well, and this is found to be the case in practice.
+
+[Illustration: A young Orange Orchard, Woombye District.]
+
+No fruits are more generally distributed or have a wider range in this
+State than those of the Citrus family, as, with the exception of the
+colder parts of the Downs, where the winter temperature is too low, the
+Gulf country, and the dry Western districts, where there is no water
+available for irrigation, they can be grown from one end of the State to
+the other, provided that they are planted in suitable soil, and that, in
+the drier parts, there is an available supply of suitable water with
+which to irrigate them during the prevalence of long dry spells. The
+country adjoining the eastern seaboard, extending from the Tweed River
+in the South to Cooktown in the North--a distance of about 1,100 miles,
+and extending inland for nearly 100 miles--is naturally suited to the
+growth of citrus fruits, and there is probably no country in the world
+that is better adapted to, or that can produce the various kinds of
+these fruits to greater perfection or with less trouble, than this
+portion of Queensland. Of course, the whole of this large area is not
+adapted for citrus culture, as it contains many different kinds of
+soils, several of which are not suitable for the growth of these fruits,
+and there is also a large extent of country which is too broken and
+otherwise unsuitable. At the same time there are hundreds of thousands
+of acres of land in this area in which the soil and natural conditions
+are eminently suited to the growth of citrus fruit, and in which the
+tenderest varieties of these fruits may be grown to perfection without
+the slightest chance of their being injured by frost; and where the
+natural rainfall is such that, provided the trees receive ordinary care
+and cultivation, there is seldom any necessity for artificial
+irrigation. At the present time there are hundreds of citrus trees
+growing practically wild in different parts of the coastal country that
+are in vigorous health and producing heavy crops of good fruit, even
+though they are uncultivated, unpruned, unmanured, and have to hold
+their own against a vigorous growth of native and introduced shrubs,
+trees, and weeds. When the orange, lime, citron, or common lemon become
+established under conditions that are favourable for their proper
+development, they apparently become as hardy as the indigenous plants,
+and are able to hold their own against them, thus showing how well the
+climate and suitable soils of coastal Queensland are adapted for the
+cultivation of citrus fruits. The commercial cultivation of citrus
+fruits is at present practically confined to this coastal area, the most
+important centres, starting from the South, being Nerang, Coomera,
+Redland Bay, Brisbane, Enoggera, Gatton, Grantham, Toowoomba, North
+Coast line from North Pine to Gympie including the Blackall Range and
+Buderim Mountain; the Wide Bay district, including Maryborough, Tiaro,
+Mount Bauple, Gayndah, Pialba, and Burrum; the Burnett district,
+including Bundaberg and Mullet Creek; the Fitzroy district, including
+Rockhampton and Yeppoon; Bowen, Cardwell, Murray River, Tully River,
+Cairns and district, Port Douglas, and Cooktown. In addition to these
+districts a few citrus fruits are grown at Mackay, Townsville, and
+several other places. Citrus fruits are also grown further inland, but
+their cultivation here is largely dependent on the ability to supply the
+trees with suitable water for irrigation during dry spells. Frosts have
+also to be taken into consideration, for, though the days are warm, the
+temperature often falls considerably during the night, owing to the
+great radiation, and citrus-trees in districts like Roma, Emerald, &c.,
+are liable to injury thereby. West of Emerald, at Bogantungan,
+Barcaldine, and other places, citrus fruits do very well with
+irrigation. Some of the finest lemons, Washington Navel, and other
+improved varieties of oranges are grown here to perfection, the lemons
+especially being of high quality, and curing down equal to the imported
+Italian or Californian article. The soil in many of the inland districts
+is well suited to the culture of citrus fruits, and when the trees are
+given the necessary water, and are uninjured by frost, they produce
+excellent fruit. I stated, some short distance back, that there is
+probably no country in the world that is better adapted to the
+cultivation of or that can produce the various kinds of citrus fruits to
+greater perfection or with less trouble than the eastern seaboard of
+Queensland. To many of my readers this may seem to be a very broad
+statement; but I am certain that, if suitable trees are planted in the
+right soil and under favourable conditions, and are given anything like
+the same care and attention that is devoted to the culture of citrus
+fruits in the great producing centres for these fruits in other parts of
+the world, we have nothing to fear either as regards the cost of
+production or the quality of the fruit produced. In order to exemplify
+this, it may be interesting to compare our capabilities with those of
+the principal citrus-producing districts north of the equator. To begin
+with, I will take Florida, which more nearly approaches our climatic
+conditions than any other citrus-growing country that I know of, and
+which is noted for the excellence of its citrus fruit, and we find that
+we have all its advantages except that of proximity to the world's
+markets, without its disadvantages. We have a better and richer soil,
+requiring far less expensive artificial fertilisers to maintain its
+fertility, and at a very much lower price. We can grow equally as good
+fruit; in fact, it is questionable if Florida ever produced a citrus
+fruit equal in quality to the Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarin, a
+Queensland production. We get as heavy, if not heavier, crops, and our
+trees come into bearing very early. We have no freeze-outs similar to
+those which have crippled the industry in Florida so severely in the
+past that many of their wealthy growers are actually covering in whole
+orchards of many acres in extent as a protection from frost. This
+covering-in is accomplished by means of a framework of timber having
+slat-work or panel sides and tops--in fact, by enclosing their orchards
+in a huge elaborate bush-house, which is further protected by the heat
+produced by six large heating stoves or salamanders to each acre of
+trees enclosed. If it pays the Florida growers to go to all this expense
+in order to prevent freeze-outs and to produce first-class fruit, surely
+we can compete with them when a seed stuck in the right soil under
+favourable conditions will produce a strong, vigorous, healthy tree,
+bearing good crops without any attention whatever.
+
+[Illustration: An Orange Orchard, near Woombye.]
+
+[Illustration: Orange Trophy in the Moreton District Exhibit at the
+Brisbane Exhibition.]
+
+In comparing Queensland with the citrus-producing districts of Southern
+Europe, we have the advantage of better and cheaper land, absence of
+frost, more vigorous growth, earlier maturity of the trees, and superior
+fruit; but with the advantage of cheaper and more skilful labour,
+especially in the handling and marketing of fruit, and proximity to the
+world's markets in their favour.
+
+As compared with California, our soil is no better than theirs, but it
+costs much less, and their citrus industry is dependent on artificial
+irrigation, their natural rainfall being altogether inadequate for the
+growth of citrus fruits. Californian conditions more nearly approach
+those of our inland districts, such as Barcaldine, with the exception
+that the only rainfall in California is during the winter, whereas in
+Barcaldine and similar districts the heaviest fall is during the summer
+months, but, in both, the successful culture of these fruits depends on
+irrigation.
+
+In Jaffa, also, where the oranges are of large size and extra quality,
+the trees have to be carefully irrigated and manured, as these
+operations are found to be essential to the production of marketable
+fruit.
+
+These few instances show how favourably the conditions prevailing in
+Queensland compare with those of the great citrus-growing districts of
+Europe and America, especially in the matter of soil and climate, and I
+feel confident that, if the industry were taken up in the same
+business-like manner that it has been done in California and Florida, we
+could easily hold our own against any part of the world. In comparing
+Queensland with the rest of the world we have the advantage--also shared
+by New South Wales and South Africa--of ripening our fruit at a time of
+the year which is the off season in the citrus-producing countries to
+the north of the equator, so that our fruit does not clash with theirs,
+their ripening period and ours being at different times of the year. As
+regards our Australian market, our fruit ripening earlier than that of
+the Southern States, we are enabled to dispose of a considerable portion
+of our crop in the Southern markets before the local fruit is ready for
+gathering. This gives us three markets--first, a local one; secondly, a
+Southern one; and, finally, when this demand is supplied, an oversea
+market to Europe, America, and the East.
+
+When grown under favourable conditions, citrus-trees are heavy bearers
+in this State, it being no uncommon thing to meet with seedling or
+worked orange-trees of from ten to twelve years of age producing over
+twenty cases of marketable fruit to the tree, averaging about 10 dozen
+medium-sized fruit.
+
+[Illustration: Bunch of Valencia late Oranges, Blackall Range District.]
+
+[Illustration: Washington Navel Oranges, Barcaldine District, Central
+Line.]
+
+Citrus-trees of all kinds, particularly worked trees, come into bearing
+very early, and the returns obtained from an orchard rapidly increase.
+The illustrations give a good idea of the rapid growth, and a fair one
+of the crop of fruit the young trees are bearing, but the following
+examples, taken at random for the crop that was marketed in January,
+1906, will show better how our trees bear:--
+
+     Mr. A., Blackall Range, marketed 7-1/4 cases per tree from a row of
+     twenty-five Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins, planted April, 1900.
+     A return of £1 10s. per tree.
+
+     Mr. B., from the same district, averaged 7 cases of Washington
+     Navel Oranges per tree from trees six years old, which realised £1
+     15s. per tree, and 8 cases of Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins from
+     trees of the same age. The navels were large, and averaged 5 dozen
+     per case, and the mandarins 10 dozen per case.
+
+     Mr. C, another district, averaged 6 cases of Valencia Late Oranges,
+     from trees six years planted, and 10 cases per tree from Emperor
+     Mandarins, nine years old.
+
+     One twelve years old orange-tree in this district produced over 25
+     cases of fruit.
+
+     Mr. D., same district as last; Washington Navels averaged 10 cases
+     per tree, ten years planted, and have borne regular crops since
+     three years old.
+
+Numerous other cases might be given, but the above are sufficient to
+show the earliness at which our trees bear, and the crops they yield.
+Trees in full bearing often yield up to 40 cases, but these are usually
+old seedlings, which bear a very heavy crop one year and a comparatively
+light crop the next. All the instances I have quoted are from worked
+trees, which are found to give the most regular and constant yields.
+Until quite recently, citrus-trees were almost entirely grown from seed
+in this State, with the result that we have a very large number of
+types, and many crosses between different species. This was not
+advisable, as a uniformity in type is desirable for marketing, hence the
+greater number of trees now being planted are of selected varieties of
+proved merit. Many of the seedlings have produced most excellent fruit,
+but a seedling has usually the disadvantage of being very full of
+seeds, and having a lot of rag (the indigestible fibre round the pulp)
+as compared with the worked varieties, which have either no seeds or
+very few seeds and little rag. Seedlings are also of many types, and
+they produce a lot of small fruit, thereby making an uneven sample,
+whereas worked trees produce fruit even in size and quality. Seedlings
+are probably the hardiest, and will stand the most neglect, but
+experience is showing that worked trees are the most profitable to grow.
+The growth of all kinds of citrus-trees from seed is a very simple
+matter, all that is necessary being a well-prepared seed bed of friable
+soil that is partially shaded from the heat of the sun, so as to protect
+the young plants. Selected, fully ripe fruit from well-grown, prolific,
+healthy trees is taken, and the seeds sown in rows in the seed bed, or
+broadcast when weeds are not likely to be any trouble. Fresh seed
+germinates quickly, and the young plants are soon ready to be
+transplanted into the nursery bed, where they are either worked over or
+allowed to remain seedlings. At twelve months old, from seed, a tree
+will have a stem-diameter of about 3/4-inch, and a height of 3 to 4
+feet, a growth about twice that made in the Southern States.
+
+The general remarks I have given respecting our fruit soils apply with
+equal force to those best adapted for citrus culture--viz., they must
+possess perfect drainage, and be of a friable nature. We are growing
+most of the best varieties of citrus fruit, the original trees from
+which they are now being propagated having been introduced into the
+State from the most celebrated citrus-producing districts in the world,
+and, as stated and shown by the accompanying illustrations, they are all
+doing well.
+
+The Washington Navel, the variety of orange most commonly grown in
+California, does remarkably well on our rich volcanic scrub soils, where
+it has proved itself a regular bearer of high-class fruit. The
+Mediterranean Sweet Orange, Valencia Late, and Jaffa also do well in
+many parts, the Valencia Late adapting itself to most districts. Many
+other kinds of oranges are grown, but the varieties mentioned are some
+of the best, and are the ones now being planted in the greatest
+quantity.
+
+[Illustration: Spray of Orange Blossom.]
+
+In mandarins, all kinds do remarkably well, and I never saw this fruit
+produced to greater perfection in any part of the world than it is in
+Queensland. The varieties most commonly grown are: The Emperor or
+Canton, the Scarlet or Scarlet Emperor, Thorny or Tangerine, and Beauty
+of Glen Retreat, though there are many types of seedlings in addition to
+these well-known sorts. The grape fruit which is now so popular in
+America does well, but, so far, has not taken on in our markets. Citrons
+grow practically wild, and produce good fruit, for which there is a
+limited demand for peel. Their cultivation could be extended with ease
+were there a better demand for peel. The Seville Orange, which is used
+for the manufacture of marmalade, is an exceptionally hardy and prolific
+tree, and, were it required, we could easily grow enough of this fruit
+to supply the world. Lemons do best inland, or at an elevation of some
+2,000 feet above sea-level, as this fruit is apt to become too coarse in
+the skin when grown in a humid climate. In suitable localities very good
+fruit can be grown, which compares very favourably with the European or
+American grown fruit.
+
+The lime does well in the more humid districts, taking the place of the
+lemon, and one variety--the Tahiti--has proved itself to be a heavy and
+regular bearer. The West Indian lime, from which the lime juice of
+commerce is made, is very easily grown, particularly in the more
+tropical parts, where it is often met with growing in an entirely
+uncultivated condition, and bearing heavy crops of fruit. Kumquats are
+easily grown, and are heavy bearers, and all the different types of
+pomelos or shaddocks do well. Seedlings of the latter are very hardy, as
+they are deep-rooted plants that stand dry weather well and are,
+consequently, not liable to injury during dry spells. There is very
+little demand for the fruit, but I am of opinion that the seedlings will
+prove to be of value as stocks on which to work our best kinds of
+oranges.
+
+The culture of all kinds of citrus fruits, when grown in suitable soil,
+is by no means difficult, as it consists mainly of keeping the land well
+stirred and keeping down all weed growth during dry spells, the keeping
+of the trees well pruned out in the centre, and the keeping in check of
+all diseases, both insect and fungus. Although citrus fruits are subject
+to many pests, they are for the most part easily kept in check by either
+spraying or cyaniding, or both, provided that reasonable care is taken,
+and the pests are destroyed before they have obtained control. Taken as
+a whole, our citrus fruits are remarkably clean, and compare more than
+favourably with those grown in the Southern States. The culture of these
+fruits is extending rapidly, with a corresponding increase in
+production, but, despite this, our prices have been better during the
+past season than for some years, as the quality of our fruit is such
+that it will command a good market. When properly handled, it has good
+keeping qualities, and I have no doubt that we will, in time, be able to
+supply the markets of the Old and New Worlds with good fruit, in the
+best of condition, at the time of the year that their markets are bare
+of locally-grown citrus fruit.
+
+There is a good opening for the growth of citrus fruits in this State,
+as the writer knows of no country where they do better, where they can
+be produced with as little trouble and expense, where they can be
+successfully grown over such a large area, or where the soil and climate
+is more suited to the production of fruits of the highest quality as in
+Queensland.
+
+[Illustration: Lisbon Lemon, Esk District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PERSIMMON.
+
+
+This exceedingly handsome fruit of Japanese origin is grown to a high
+state of perfection in this State, particularly in the coastal districts
+south of the tropic of Capricorn. It is a fruit of comparatively recent
+introduction, the oldest trees being less than thirty years of age, but
+has already become widely distributed, as well as a favourite fruit
+amongst many. It is a very showy fruit when well grown, but must be
+thoroughly ripe before it is eaten, as, if not, it is extremely
+astringent, and anyone who has tackled an unripe fruit has no wish to
+repeat the experience in a hurry. There are many varieties of this
+fruit, some of which are seedless, and others more or less seedy. The
+seedless kinds are usually preferred, as, as well as being seedless,
+they are the largest and handsomest fruit. The different kinds vary
+considerably in the size of tree, habit of growth, foliage, size and
+colour of fruit, &c. All are easily grown, and most kinds are good and
+regular bearers. They do well on any fruit soil, and some of the
+dwarf-growing kinds are well adapted for growing in private gardens, on
+account of the small amount of room they take up. The trees are
+deciduous, and, as a rule, are not much troubled with pests. So far, the
+use of the fruit is confined to its consumption fresh, though in Japan
+it is dried in a similar manner to apricots or peaches.
+
+[Illustration: Persimmons.]
+
+
+
+
+THE LOQUAT.
+
+
+A handsome evergreen tree, that can be grown in the more Southerly coast
+districts, in the foothills of the coast range, and on the coast
+tablelands. There are several types of the fruit, whose chief value
+consists in that it ripens its fruit in early spring, when there is a
+shortage of stone fruits, and that it withstands wind well, so makes a
+good break for the protection of exposed orchards. Its cultivation is
+not extensive, nor is it likely to become so.
+
+[Illustration: Fruit of Loquat (1/2 natural size).]
+
+
+
+
+THE DATE PALM.
+
+
+Although this extremely valuable fruit is grown in this State more as an
+ornament than for its commercial value, there is nothing to prevent its
+culture on a scale sufficiently large to supply the Australian
+requirements. It is grown in many places along the coast, as well as in
+the foothills country of the coastal range, but it does best in
+situations that more nearly resemble its natural habitat--viz., in
+districts having a hot dry air, a deep sandy loam or sandy soil, and a
+good supply of moisture in the soil. This latter condition does not
+occur naturally, but can be supplied artificially in our Western lands,
+where there is a good supply of artesian water of a quality suitable to
+the plants' requirements. Here the date palm thrives, and produces huge
+bunches of fruit. Little, if any, cultivation is necessary when once the
+palm is firmly established; provided it has an ample but not excessive
+supply of moisture, it is able to take care of itself.
+
+The date palm is a dioecious plant--that is to say, the male organs,
+or stamens, are produced on one plant, and the female organs, or
+pistils, on another, and this necessitates the growing of the two sexes
+in proximity to each other, in order that the female flowers may be
+fertilised and produce perfect fruit. This is best accomplished
+artificially, the pollen from a fully developed bunch of male flowers
+being shaken over the bunch of female flowers. Infertile fruit contains
+no seeds, and is of small size and inferior quality, whereas the fertile
+fruit is both large and good.
+
+The date palm is a handsome ornamental plant, and in the hot and dry
+Western districts, where it thrives best, it forms a splendid shelter
+from the sun for both man and beast. So far, very little attention has
+been given to its growth, few persons knowing how to fertilise the
+flowers or even taking the trouble to see that they have plants of both
+sexes. There is no reason why this should be so, as there would be a
+good local demand for the properly-cured fruit, and I believe that, were
+its culture carried out in a thorough business manner, it would become a
+profitable industry, and one capable of supplying our Australian market.
+
+[Illustration: Date Palms in fruit at Barcaldine.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PECAN NUT.
+
+
+Another little-known fruit which does well in this State. It belongs to
+the hickory family, and closely resembles the walnut. There are trees
+now growing in the Maryborough district that are some 15 inches in
+diameter at the trunk, and from 40 to 50 feet in height, that bear
+regular and heavy crops of nuts, and that have stood drought and been
+under flood. For years the trees have received no cultivation, and they
+have shown themselves to be as hardy as the adjacent indigenous trees.
+The trees are easily raised from seed, and come into bearing in about
+eight years. Like all nut fruits, it is advisable to set the nut where
+the tree is to remain permanently, if it is possible to do so, as it
+produces a very deep taproot, with few laterals, and is consequently
+difficult to shift. The soil on which it does best is an alluvial loam,
+and, if possible, it should not be more than 30 feet to water, as the
+tree, being a very deep rooter, will penetrate a free soil to that
+depth. It will do on other free loamy soils, but will not make the same
+growth as when planted in free alluvials. It has been tested in several
+parts of the State, and it is probable that it will be found to thrive
+over a considerable area of the coastal and coastal tablelands
+districts. It produces an olive or acorn shaped nut, having a thin
+shell, and of a flavour closely resembling that of a good walnut, and
+will be a valuable addition to our list of nut fruits once it becomes
+better known.
+
+[Illustration: Date Fruit (natural size).]
+
+
+
+
+JAPANESE PLUMS.
+
+
+All varieties of this fruit thrive well and bear heavily in the more
+Southerly part of our coast country, as well as on the country
+immediately adjacent to it, the coastal tablelands, and several other
+parts of the State. The trees are rapid growers, come into bearing very
+early, and often bear enormous crops of fruit. They are good fruits for
+home consumption or for the fresh-fruit trade, but are not equal to
+European varieties of plums for preserving, drying, or jam-making. In
+this State they have one very great drawback, and that is their
+liability to the attack of the fruit fly, a pest that very frequently
+destroys the entire crop. For home use they are, however, a very useful
+fruit to grow, provided that the trees are kept dwarf, so that they can
+be covered with a cheap mosquito netting as a protection from the fly,
+as they are very easily grown, are by no means particular as to the kind
+of soil on which planted, and are heavy bearers.
+
+
+
+
+CHICKASAW PLUMS.
+
+
+This family of American plums does well in the same districts as the
+Japanese varieties just dealt with, but has the advantage of being
+resistant to the fruit fly. The trees are usually more or less
+straggling growers, the fruit is of small size, but good for cooking or
+jam-making. One or more of the varieties of this plum are bad setters,
+though they blossom profusely, but this may be overcome either by
+working two varieties which bloom at the same time on to the same stock,
+or by planting varieties that bloom at the same time together, as the
+pollen from the one will set the fruit of the other. It is a good plum
+for home use or marketing, despite its small size, as it is easily
+grown, requires little attention, and is not over particular as to soil.
+
+
+
+
+CHINESE PEACHES.
+
+
+Peaches of Chinese origin thrive well on the coast, and are extremely
+hardy. The fruit is not, as a rule, of high quality when compared with
+that of the Persian varieties, but their earliness and ease with which
+they can be grown causes them to be planted by many who have small
+gardens. Like the Japanese plums they are, however, very subject to the
+attack of fruit fly, and require to be kept dwarf and covered in a
+similar manner if any good is to be got from them. On the coast, they
+are practically evergreen, as they never lose their leaves entirely,
+and are in blossom during the winter. When grown on the tablelands, this
+early blossoming is a disadvantage, as the blossoms are liable to be
+injured by frost, but in these districts peaches of Persian origin can
+be grown instead.
+
+
+
+
+FIGS.
+
+
+Several kinds of figs can be grown successfully in the Southern coast
+districts, the first crop ripening before Christmas, but the second or
+main crop is often a failure, owing to the fact that it ripens during
+our wet season, and the fruit consequently sours and bursts. As one
+recedes from the coast, the fruit does better, and is less liable to
+injury from excessive wet. The coastal tablelands and the more Western
+Downs grow it well, and the trees, when planted on soil of a rich
+friable nature, grow to a large size and bear heavily. Many varieties
+are grown, which are used fresh or converted into jam, but no attempt
+has been made to dry them, though it is possible that this industry may
+eventually be found profitable in the drier parts of the State, where
+there is water available for the trees' use at certain periods of the
+year, but not during the fruiting period, as it cannot well be too dry
+then if a good quality of dried figs is to be turned out. This fruit is
+easily grown, and is not at all subject to serious pests, so that anyone
+who will take reasonable care can produce all that is required for home
+use or local sale, as its softness renders it a difficult fruit to ship
+long distances in a hot climate.
+
+
+
+
+THE MULBERRY.
+
+
+This is one of the hardiest fruits we have, one of the most rapid
+growers, and one of the most prolific. There are several varieties in
+cultivation, and those of Japanese or Chinese origin will grow from the
+coast to the interior, and thrive either in an extremely dry or humid
+climate. The common English or black mulberry does not do too well as a
+rule, though there are many fine trees scattered throughout the State,
+but the other sorts are as hardy as native trees. The fruit is not of
+any great value, still, as it is so easily grown, it finds a place in
+most gardens, and in time of drought the leaves and young branches are
+readily eaten by all kinds of stock, so that it is a good standby for
+stock as well as a fruit.
+
+
+
+
+THE STRAWBERRY.
+
+
+To those who have been accustomed to look upon the strawberry as a fruit
+of the purely temperate regions, it will be somewhat of a revelation to
+know that exceptionally fine fruit can be grown right on the Queensland
+coast, and well within the tropics, and that on the coast, between the
+26th to the 28th degrees of south latitude, we are probably producing as
+fine fruit and obtaining as heavy crops as are produced in any of the
+older strawberry-growing countries. Not only this, but that we are able
+to supply the Southern markets of Australia with finer fruit than they
+can produce locally, and at a time of the year that they cannot grow it.
+As I have already mentioned when dealing with other fruits, one thing
+that particularly impresses strangers is the early age at which our
+fruits come into bearing. This is borne out in the case of the
+strawberry to a marked degree, as runners set in April fruit in July,
+and often earlier, and will continue to bear, given reasonable weather,
+right up to Christmas or even longer. New plants are set out every
+year, and the plantation is seldom allowed to stand more than two years,
+as the young plants produce the finest fruit. There is a good demand for
+the fruit, the larger berries being packed in flat cases holding a
+single layer of fruit, as shown in the illustration, and being sold for
+consumption fresh, whereas the smaller berries are packed in kegs and
+sent direct to the factories for conversion into jam. The strawberry
+grows well on various soils, but does best with us on a rich loam of
+medium texture, of a reddish-brown or even black colour. It should be
+planted in districts that are free from frosts where early fruit is
+desired, as frosts injure the blossoms, but where jam fruit only is
+wanted this is not so necessary. The land requires to be thoroughly well
+prepared, and the plants are usually set out in rows about 2 feet
+apart, with the plants about 1 foot apart in the row. Under favourable
+conditions they grow very rapidly, and soon start flowering. Their
+cultivation is usually confined to comparatively small areas of 2 or 3
+acres in extent, as the labour of picking and packing is usually done by
+the grower himself with the assistance of his family. They are often
+planted between the rows of trees in young orchards, thus bringing in a
+return whilst the trees are coming into bearing, and helping to keep the
+pot boiling. They grow well on our coastal scrub lands, and have proved
+a great assistance to many a beginner, as one has not long to wait
+before obtaining a return.
+
+[Illustration: Strawberry Garden, Mooloolah District.]
+
+The productiveness of this fruit in Queensland is phenomenal, as high as
+5 tons of berries having been taken off 1 acre in a single season. There
+are many varieties of strawberries in cultivation, some of which have
+been produced locally from seed, and have turned out extremely well,
+being of better flavour, stronger growers, and heavier bearers than
+introduced varieties--in fact, local seedlings have adapted themselves
+to local conditions, and stand our climate better than those varieties
+which are natives of colder countries.
+
+[Illustration: Marguerite Strawberry.]
+
+[Illustration: Marguerite Strawberry packed for market.]
+
+The case berries, which are used for fresh consumption, fetch a fair
+price, especially early in the season, but jam fruit sells at an average
+of 2-1/2d. per lb., at which price it pays fair wages, but is not a
+bonanza. As a rule the plants are very healthy, and any fungus pests to
+which they are subject, such as leaf blight, are easily kept in check by
+spraying, a knapsack pump being used for this purpose. The ground is
+kept well worked and free from weeds, whilst the plants are fruiting,
+and occasionally the ground is mulched, as is the case in the plot shown
+in the illustration. No special knowledge is necessary for their
+culture, but, at the same time, thorough cultivation and careful
+attention to details in the growing of the plants make a considerable
+difference in the total returns.
+
+[Illustration: Forman's Strawberry, Brisbane District.]
+
+
+
+
+CAPE GOOSEBERRY.
+
+
+This Peruvian fruit, introduced into this State _viâ_ the Cape of Good
+Hope, hence its name, has now spread throughout the greater part of the
+tropical and semi-tropical portions of Queensland. Its spread has
+largely been brought about by the agency of fruit-eating birds, that
+have distributed the seeds widely by means of their castings. It is one
+of the first plants to make its appearance in newly burnt-off scrub
+land, and often comes up in such numbers as to give a full crop of
+fruit. In other cases it is usual to scatter a quantity of seed on such
+land, so as to be sure of securing a plant. No cultivation is given; the
+plant grows into a straggling bush bearing a quantity of fruit which is
+enclosed in a parchment-like husk. The fruit is gathered, husked, and is
+then ready for market. The bulk of the fruit is grown in this manner,
+and as it can be grown on land that is not yet ready for any other crop
+(grass or maize excepted) it is a great help to the beginner, as a good
+crop and fair prices can usually be obtained. The name "gooseberry" is
+somewhat misleading, as it is not a gooseberry at all, is not like it,
+nor does it belong to the same natural order. It is a plant belonging to
+the order Solanaceæ, which includes such well-known plants as the
+potato, tomato, tobacco, &c., and altogether unlike the common
+gooseberry, which, by the way, is one of the fruits that we cannot do
+much with. In addition to being grown in the wild manner I have
+described, it is occasionally cultivated in a systematic manner,
+somewhat like the tomato, but not to any extent; growers preferring to
+depend on it as a first return from newly fallen and burnt-off scrub
+land. As a fruit it meets with a very ready sale, as it is one of the
+best cooking fruits grown; plainly stewed and served with cream, made
+into puddings or pies, or converted into jam, it is hard to beat. The
+jam has a distinct flavour of its own, one that one soon becomes very
+partial to, besides which it is an attractive-looking jam that, were it
+better known in the world's markets, would, I feel sure, meet with a
+ready sale at satisfactory rates. The plant is somewhat susceptible to
+cold, hence it does best in a district free from frost, but it is not
+killed out by light frosts, only killed back, and its crop put back.
+Like all plants belonging to the same natural order, it likes a good
+soil, rich in available potash, and this is probably the reason why it
+does so well on newly burnt-off scrub, the ashes of which provide an
+ample supply of available potash.
+
+
+
+
+THE OLIVE.
+
+
+A much-neglected fruit in this State, as it is also in most
+English-speaking countries. Few English people are fond of either the
+fruit or the oil, and yet it is probable that there is no tree that for
+the space it occupies will produce a greater annual return of food than
+the olive. A number of trees are scattered throughout the State, some of
+which are now of large size and fair age, but, so far, practically
+nothing beyond making a few gallons of oil and pickling a few gallons of
+fruit has been attempted, and this only in a purely experimental manner.
+
+The present condition of the olive industry is destined to have a
+wakening up ere long, as a country that can produce this fruit in such
+quantities and of such a quality as the lighter soils of the Darling
+Downs is destined some day to be one of the largest producers of olives
+on earth. Some years since I planted a number of the best varieties of
+olives--trees obtained direct from California--on the Darling Downs, in
+land that I considered suitable for their growth, and which was properly
+prepared prior to planting. The trees here have made a really phenomenal
+growth, they came into bearing within three years of planting, and have
+borne steadily ever since. They have proved enormous bearers, and an
+experimental crushing showed that the oil was of high quality.
+
+There are large areas of similar country to that in which they are
+planted in different parts of the State, and I feel certain that this
+really valuable food fruit is bound some day to be a considerable source
+of our national wealth. So far, the drawback to the growth of olives has
+been the cost of gathering the fruit and the limited demand for the oil
+or pickled fruit, but, against this, it has many advantages, one, and by
+no means the least, of which is its value as a shade and shelter tree on
+our open treeless plains. It is also a very hardy tree, withstanding
+drought well, and thriving in land that is too stony for the cultivation
+of ordinary farm crops. It is a healthy tree, free from most fruit pests
+other than the olive scale, which can be kept in check by spraying or
+cyaniding; and last, but not least, it is an ornamental tree whose wood
+is of considerable value. The olive does best with us in loamy soils of
+fair depth and basaltic origin, that are moderately rich in lime and
+potash, and have a fair drainage. A subsoil of decomposed rock answers
+well. It will, however, do on several other kinds of soil, but it is in
+the type that I have just described that it does so well, and in which I
+would recommend its culture on a large scale. It will stand a fair
+amount of frost as well as great heat, and I have never seen the trees
+injured by either on our Downs country. I have also seen trees doing
+well right on the coast, where they have been subject to heavy
+rainfalls, so that it appears to adapt itself to the conditions
+prevailing in many parts of our State.
+
+In addition to the fruits I have briefly described, there are several
+others of minor importance that can be grown successfully, but, as they
+are not of any great value commercially, I will leave them out, and go
+on to the fruits of our more temperate districts, as, in addition to
+growing the tropical and semi-tropical fruits which I have already dealt
+with, Queensland can also produce temperate climate fruits to a very
+high degree of perfection.
+
+The fruits of the temperate regions that we are able to grow include the
+apple, pear, plum, prune, quince, apricot, Persian peach, nectarine,
+almond, walnut, chestnut, cherry, &c., as well as some of the hardier
+fruits which I have classed as semi-tropical--viz., the Japanese plum,
+persimmon, Chickasaw plum, strawberry, &c. The districts adapted for the
+growth of the distinctly temperate fruits are mostly situated in the
+Southern portion of the State, and at an elevation of from 2,000 to
+3,000 feet above sea-level--districts having a warm summer but a
+comparatively cold winter, during which frosts are by no means uncommon,
+but where snow rarely falls; a healthy climate, with warm days and cool
+nights, to which many visitors go during the heat of summer, when the
+humidity of the coast is somewhat trying to persons not naturally
+robust. The Downs country, particularly its southern or Stanthorpe end,
+is the most suitable; the soil is mainly of granitic origin, and is very
+suitable for the growth of apples, stone fruit, and grapes, but the
+latter I will deal with by themselves later on. The country is by no
+means rich from an agricultural standpoint, and is considerably broken,
+but, as already stated, it is admirably adapted for the growth of fruit,
+and within the last ten years at least 100,000 fruit trees, mostly
+apples, plums, and peaches, have been planted out and are doing well.
+The Stanthorpe show, which is held annually during the month of
+February, is always noted for the excellence of its fruit exhibits,
+which would be hard to beat, both for size, quality, and appearance. The
+fruits ripen earlier than similar varieties grown in the Southern
+States, hence supply our markets at a time when there is little outside
+competition, and, consequently, meet with a ready sale at fair prices.
+The fruit grown in the largest quantity is the apple, so I will deal
+with it first.
+
+
+
+
+THE APPLE.
+
+
+As a description of this well-known and universally used fruit is
+entirely superfluous, I will confine my remarks to the types of fruit
+grown, and their method of growth. Owing to the fact that our fruits
+ripen much earlier than similar varieties in more southern parts of
+Australia, we have gone in largely for early varieties of apples, both
+for cooking and table use, but have not confined our attention to them
+entirely, as good-keeping sorts are found to do equally well, and have
+been shown at the annual exhibition that is held in Brisbane during
+August, in perfect condition, showing that the fruit has good keeping
+qualities. The soil on which the apple is mostly grown is largely
+composed of granitic matter, and is of a sharp, sandy, loamy nature,
+often of a gritty character. It is usually rich in potash, the
+predominating felspar being orthoclase, but somewhat deficient in
+nitrogen and phosphoric acid. It is usually easy to work, of fair depth,
+and retains moisture well when kept in a thorough state of tilth. The
+trees are usually planted at from 20 to 25 feet apart each way, when
+they are either one year or two years old from the graft or bud. They
+are headed low, so as to shade the ground from the heat of the sun, and
+also so as to facilitate the handling of the crop when grown, as well as
+to prevent their swaying about with the wind. The trees make a rapid
+growth, come into bearing very early, often bearing a fair crop three
+years after planting, and fruiting even earlier. The fruit of the early
+varieties has usually a handsome appearance, but lacks keeping
+qualities, but the later fruits are both handsome, high-coloured fruit,
+and good keepers. The trees are not very liable to disease, as, thanks
+to all varieties being worked on blight-resistant stocks, there is very
+little American blight (woolly aphis). Scale insects do a certain amount
+of damage, but are easily kept in check by winter spraying, and codling
+moth is not bad unless grossly neglected, many orchards being quite free
+from this great pest of the apple-grower. So far, the growing of apples
+has been confined entirely to the growing of fruit for the local
+markets, no attempt having been made to export same. A very small
+quantity is dried, and a little is used for jelly.
+
+Many varieties of apples have been tested in this State, but growers
+have found out that it pays them best to confine their attention to
+comparatively few sorts that have proved to be the best suited to the
+soil and climate, as a few good kinds are much more profitable to grow
+than a mere collection of varieties. Many varieties are prone to
+overbear, and trees of large size have produced enormous crops of fruit,
+whereas young trees frequently break down under the weight of their
+crop. The usual plan is to plant a few varieties that ripen in
+succession, so as to extend the season over as long a period as
+possible, and not to cause a glutted market at any one time. Early
+fruits particularly are not noted for their keeping qualities, and a
+market glutted with such would entail a heavy loss to growers, hence a
+succession of varieties that suit the district as well as the market is
+grown.
+
+Nearly all kinds of apples do well, those that are resistant to the
+attack of woolly aphis are, however, generally chosen in preference,
+even though they may not be of the highest quality, as their
+prolificness and freedom from this pest renders them more profitable
+than varieties of superior quality that are liable to blight, and that
+are at the same time often somewhat indifferent bearers. It is outside
+the scope of this paper to go into the question of varieties, but I may
+mention that such sorts as Irish Peach, Gravenstein, Summer Scarlet
+Pearmain, Twenty-ounces, Jonathan, Lord Suffield, Rome Beauty, and
+Prince Bismarck do remarkably well, and many other well-known kinds can
+be grown to perfection.
+
+[Illustration: Prince of Pippins Apple, Darling Downs District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PEACH.
+
+
+This king of the temperate fruits grows with us to perfection. The tree
+is hardy, a rapid grower, comes into bearing early, and is, if anything,
+inclined to overbear. It can be grown over a considerable part of our
+coastal and inland downs, as well as the Stanthorpe district, and
+thrives in many kinds of soil, from light sandy loams of poor quality to
+rich loams of medium texture or even heavier. In this State, the peach
+is always grown on peach roots, the desired variety being either budded
+or grafted on to a seedling peach, and the resulting tree is planted out
+when it has made one year's growth. No tree is easier to grow, but if
+the best returns are desired, it requires very careful pruning for the
+first three years, after which an annual winter pruning is usually all
+that is necessary. The young tree is such a strong grower that unless it
+is heavily cut back it becomes top-heavy and breaks to pieces with the
+weight of fruit, but when hard cut back for the first two years, so that
+it has a good main stem and strong primary branches, it will form a
+strong tree, and stand up well under a heavy crop of fruit. The strong
+growth it makes necessitates heavy pruning when large fruit is
+desired--and it is large showy fruit which sells best here--as were the
+tree allowed to go unpruned, it would bear enormous numbers of fruit,
+many of which would be of small size. Growers now realise this, and many
+of our orchards are well pruned, whereas a few years since the trees
+were allowed to grow pretty much as they like.
+
+The peach remains profitable much longer here than it does in
+California, as the trees do not wear out so quickly, the roots remaining
+sound up to the last, so that, unless the top is too far gone, the life
+of the tree may usually be extended for several years by heading hard
+back and forming an entirely new head to the tree. Trees in full bearing
+often produce fully 1,000 lb. weight of fruit in a single season. This
+is, of course, very much above the average, but by no means exceptional.
+When in their third season, they should bear enough to pay for all
+working expenses.
+
+A very large number of varieties have been tested in Queensland, most of
+which do well, but, as in the case of apples, we find from experience
+that it is best to stick to a few kinds, and those that have proved to
+be most suitable to our soil and climate, rather than to experiment with
+a large number of varieties.
+
+The usual plan is to plant a number of varieties that ripen in
+succession, as with the apple, so as to spread the season over as long a
+time as possible, and to stick to kinds that bear well, look well, and
+ship well, for appearance will usually beat quality, and fetch more
+money.
+
+So far, little has been done in the way of utilising the peach, as the
+demand for the fresh fruit has been equal to our supply. There is,
+however, no reason why we should not be able to establish and maintain
+a fair canning and drying trade, should the production overcome the
+demand for the fresh fruit, as our peaches are of large size, and will
+can and dry well--that is to say, varieties adapted to those purposes
+will do so.
+
+The nectarine, which is simply a smooth-skinned peach, does equally
+well, many varieties bear heavily, and some produce fruit of exceptional
+merit. I have seen as fine nectarines grown in the Stanthorpe district
+as I have met with in any part of Australia or America, fruit of large
+size and the highest flavour, that compared favourably with the finest
+hothouse-grown fruit of the Old World.
+
+[Illustration: Peach Avenue, Darling Downs District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PLUM.
+
+
+As already mentioned, plums of Japanese and American origin (Chickasaw)
+do well in the more coastal districts. They also bear heavily on our
+coastal downs and more western country, but some kinds of Japanese plums
+blossom too early for the Stanthorpe district. European plums, however,
+do well, and are heavy bearers. All kinds do not bear heavily, the
+freest bearers being those of the damson family--White Magnum Bonum and
+Diamond type. Prunes also do well. Plums of European origin do best in
+the coldest districts, but their cultivation is not confined entirely to
+these, as some varieties thrive well in warmer and drier parts of the
+country. So far, there has been a ready sale for all the plums we can
+produce for fresh consumption, excepting some of the smaller plums of
+the damson type, which have been converted into jam. It is not a fruit,
+however, in which there is much money, as it is too easily grown in the
+Southern States, and can there be converted into jam or canned at a
+lower rate than we can do here, hence our cultivation will be more or
+less confined to the growing of large fruits for supplying our local
+markets rather than to the production of the fruit in quantity.
+
+
+
+
+THE APRICOT.
+
+
+Most varieties of this fruit do well on our coastal downs country in the
+South, and to a certain extent further west. The trees are very rapid
+growers, and bear heavily. The earlier ripening fruit usually escapes
+damage from fruit fly, but the late fruit often suffers considerably.
+
+The apricot does best in a fairly strong rich soil, when it makes a
+great growth, and bears heavy crops of large-sized fruit. It also does
+well on sandier soils, which produce a firmer and better-drying fruit.
+So far, although a number of trees are planted throughout the State, the
+cultivation of the fruit is mainly confined to the production of table
+fruit, drying or canning having been carried out to a small extent only.
+The apricot grows to a large tree, and lives to a good old age. Like the
+peach, it is a very vigorous grower when young, requiring severe pruning
+in consequence, but, when once shaped, the trees require little in the
+way of pruning other than the removal of superfluous branches and an
+annual shortening in winter.
+
+
+
+
+THE CHERRY.
+
+
+Queensland is almost outside the limit of the successful growth of this
+fruit, but not quite, as we produce the first fruit to ripen in
+Australia, which realises a high price on account of its earliness. Many
+varieties have been tested, but, so far, no one variety can be said to
+be a complete success in our climate, nor do the trees grow to the large
+size or produce as heavily as they do in the Southern States, where the
+winters are more clearly defined than they are in Queensland. Another
+drawback to the growth of this fruit is that the soils of our coldest
+district are not the best of cherry soils. The cherry likes a deep,
+moderately rich loam, whereas we are growing it mostly on sandy loams of
+a granitic origin. What fruit we do grow is good, and pays well on
+account of its earliness, but I do not consider that this State will
+ever be able to compete with the South in the growth of the cherry.
+
+[Illustration: Litchi, Mossman District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PEAR.
+
+
+Many kinds of pears do well, but, unfortunately, this fine fruit is very
+liable to be attacked by fruit fly. It does well generally in the
+districts that I have mentioned as suitable for the apple, plum, and
+apricot. The tree is healthy, grows rapidly and to a large size. It
+comes into bearing remarkably early as compared with the pear in colder
+climates, and produces excellent fruit. I have grown as good Bartletts
+here as could be obtained anywhere, and the trees have proved to be good
+bearers and doers. This fruit does best on deep soils of a medium to
+strong loamy nature, and of good quality, though it does well in much
+freer soils, but does not make as good a growth or bear as heavily. It
+is usually grown on seedling-pear stocks, but the growing of suitable
+varieties on quince stocks and keeping the resultant trees dwarfed is to
+be recommended. This method of growing the pear does well here, and
+dwarf trees can be easily protected from fly, whereas it is practically
+impossible to deal with big trees, which the pear becomes when grown on
+pear roots.
+
+
+
+
+THE ALMOND.
+
+
+This fruit does well in parts of our coastal tableland country, though
+its habit of blossoming too early in the season renders it very liable
+to injury from late frosts. The trees do remarkably well, grow rapidly,
+and bear heavily when the blossoms are uninjured by frost, hence it is a
+good tree to grow in selected situations containing suitable soil, as it
+commands a ready sale, and is very little troubled with pests. A free,
+sandy, loamy soil is best suited to the growth of the almond, and the
+situation should be well protected from frost. The trees are usually
+worked on peach stocks, on which they make a very rapid growth. Several
+varieties should be grown together, as a better set of fruit will be
+obtained by doing so, most almonds requiring the pollen of another
+variety flowering at the same time to render their flowers fertile. The
+almond grows into a handsome, shapely tree, and, when in blossom, an
+orchard is a sight not easily forgotten, the wealth of flowers being
+such that it must be seen to be fully appreciated.
+
+The walnut, chestnut, quince, blackberry, raspberry, and one or two
+other fruits of the temperate regions are also cultivated to a small
+extent, but are of no great value so far, though there is no reason why
+the walnut, which does well with us, should not be cultivated to a much
+greater extent than it is, as there is always a fair demand for the
+nuts. Blackberries of different kinds have been introduced, and do well,
+the common English blackberry almost too well, as unless kept in check
+it is apt to spread to such an extent as to be a nuisance. In addition
+to the cultivated fruits I have briefly mentioned as growing in
+Queensland, we have a number of native fruits growing in our scrubs and
+elsewhere that are worthy of cultivation with a view to their ultimate
+improvement. Of such are the Queensland nut, a handsome evergreen tree,
+bearing heavy crops of a very fine flavoured nut. The nut is about
+3/4-inch in diameter, but the shell is very hard and thick. It could no
+doubt be improved by selection and careful breeding. The Davidsonian
+plum is also another fruit of promise. It is a handsome tree of our
+tropical North coast, and bears a large plum-shaped fruit of a dark
+purple colour, with dark reddish purple flesh, which is extremely acid,
+but which is well worth cultivation. Several species of eugenias also
+produce edible fruit, and there are two species of wild raspberries
+common to our scrubs. There are the native citrus fruits I referred to
+in an earlier part of this paper, as well as several other less
+well-known fruits that are edible.
+
+[Illustration: Tamarind Tree, Port Douglas District.]
+
+
+
+
+GRAPE CULTURE.
+
+
+No work on fruit-growing in Queensland, however small, would be complete
+without due reference being made to the vine, the last but by no means
+the least important of our many fruits. Although the cultivation of this
+most useful and popular fruit has not reached to anything like the
+dimensions that vine culture has attained in the Southern States,
+particularly in the production of wine, there is no reason why it should
+not do so at no very distant future. We have many advantages not
+possessed by our Southern neighbours in the culture of the grape, the
+first and most important of which is that our crop ripens so much
+earlier than that of the South that we can secure the whole of the early
+markets without fear of any serious opposition. Until quite recently,
+grape culture was in a very backward state in Queensland, the grapes
+grown on the coast being nearly all American varieties, which are by no
+means the best wine or table sorts. A few grapes of European origin were
+grown on the Downs and in the Roma district, but their cultivation was
+practically confined thereto. Now, however, things have altered very
+much for the better. Many good varieties of European grapes have been
+proved suitable to the coastal climate of the Southern half of the
+State, and many inland districts other than Roma and the Downs have also
+proved that they, too, can and do grow first-class fruit both for table
+and wine.
+
+[Illustration: Grosse Kölner Vine in Fruit, Roma District (Gros
+Colman).]
+
+[Illustration: Picking Grapes, Roma.]
+
+Now the culture of the grape extends over a great part of the State,
+from the coast to the interior; in the latter, its successful growth
+depending on the necessary suitable water for irrigation, and on the
+coast to our knowledge of how to keep fungus pests, such as anthracnose,
+in check by winter treatment and spring spraying.
+
+In the Brisbane district many kinds of excellent table grapes are now
+grown, which meet with a ready sale, such as the well-known Black
+Hamburgh of English vineries, the Sweetwater, Snow's Muscat Hamburgh,
+Royal Ascot, &c., as well as all the better kinds of American grapes,
+such as Iona, Goethe, Wilder, &c. A little wine is made, but more
+attention is given to table fruit.
+
+[Illustration: A Grape Vine in Fruit, Stanthorpe District.]
+
+[Illustration: Madresfield Court Grape.]
+
+In the Maryborough, Gympie, and Bundaberg districts, similar grapes are
+also grown, and do well, ripening somewhat earlier than they do in
+Brisbane; and in the Rockhampton district, right on the tropic of
+Capricorn, some of the best table grapes I have seen in the State are
+produced. Further north a few grapes are grown, but not in any great
+quantities, and I consider that the profitable cultivation of good table
+grapes on the coast extends from our Southern border to a short distance
+north of the tropic of Capricorn and inland to all districts where there
+is either a sufficient rainfall or a supply of water from artesian
+bores, or otherwise, to enable them to be grown. Grapes here, as in
+other parts of the world, like moderately rich, free, loamy soils of
+good depth, free sandy loams, and free alluvial loams. In such soils
+they make a vigorous growth, and are heavy bearers. The granitic soils
+of the Stanthorpe district, that produce such good peaches, plums, and
+apples, grow excellent grapes, which ripen late. They are of large size,
+and conspicuous for their fine colour. The sandy soils of Roma and the
+Maranoa country generally grow excellent wine and table grapes, the
+latter being of large size, full flavour, and handsome appearance. Wine
+grapes also do well here, and some excellent wine has been made, both
+dark and light, natural and fortified. I have no doubt that eventually
+good rich port and the best of sherries will be produced in this
+district, as the soil and climate are admirably adapted to the
+production of these classes of wine. Our difficulty, so far, has been to
+find out the exact kinds of grapes to grow for this purpose, but now I
+am glad to say that we are on the right track, and the excellence of
+Queensland ports and sherries will be a recognised thing before many
+years are past. There is a big and good opening for up-to-date
+viticulturists in this State. We have any amount of suitable land at low
+rates, and, thanks to the generous sun heat of our interior, we can grow
+grapes capable of producing wines equal to the best that can be turned
+out by Spain, Portugal, or Madeira. In those districts that do not
+possess such an extreme climate, such as the coastal downs and the
+Stanthorpe districts, good wines of a lighter character can be produced,
+and, as already stated, good wines are now being made on the coast.
+
+It is only now that we are beginning to realise the value of the grape
+to Queensland, as, until our production increased to such an extent that
+our local markets were being over-supplied, our growers made no attempt
+to supply outside markets. Now this is being done, and better means of
+handling and packing the fruit, so as to enable it to be shipped long
+distances, are now coming into vogue. With improved methods of handling
+and packing, we have a greatly extended market, in which we will have no
+local competition, hence will be able to secure good returns, so much so
+that I consider that grape-growing in Queensland has a very promising
+outlook for some years to come at any rate. In addition to growing
+grapes to supply the fresh-fruit trade and for winemaking, our western
+country is capable of producing good raisins and sultanas. So far, this
+industry has not been entered into commercially, the fresh fruit
+realising far too high a price for it to pay to convert it into raisins.
+Still, with increased production, this will have to take place, and when
+it does I am of opinion that we will be able to turn out a very saleable
+article. The growing of grapes here certainly requires considerable
+experience of a practical nature. This is not at all hard to obtain, and
+there are no insurmountable difficulties to the beginner, once he has
+learnt how to work his land so as to cause it to retain moisture during
+a dry spell, and to plant and prune his vines. These are matters in
+which any beginner can obtain practical advice from the Queensland
+Agricultural Department, as the Government of Queensland, recognising
+the importance of fruit-growing, grape-growing, and general agriculture
+to the State, have devoted considerable sums of money to the
+establishment of experiment farms, orchards, and vineyards in different
+parts of the State. All these Government institutions are under the
+control of thoroughly qualified managers, who are willing at all times
+to give any assistance to beginners, thereby enabling the latter to keep
+free from mistakes, and to obtain the best returns as the result of
+their labour. Instructors, thoroughly conversant with the State as a
+whole, are also available for giving practical advice, so that there is
+no necessity for a beginner, through lack of experience, to waste any
+time in finding out for himself what his soil and climate are suited
+for. He can start on the right lines from the beginning, and keep to
+right lines if he will only take advantage of the advice, based on
+practical experience, that is given him. Queensland is a good land for
+the intending fruit-grower. We offer you good soil, a choice of
+climates, suitable for the growing of practically every kind of
+commercial fruit, a healthy climate to live in, cheap land, free
+education for your children, and free advice from competent experts for
+yourselves. This is a country that has not been advertised or puffed up;
+that is, in consequence, not by any means well known; but it is a
+country that, taken all in all, will take a lot of beating when one is
+looking out for a home. Its natural advantages and the other inducements
+it offers to intending settlers, particularly those interested in fruit
+culture, cannot, in my opinion, be equalled, and certainly not excelled,
+elsewhere; and, as I stated in the beginning of this paper, my opinion
+is based on practical experience gained in various parts of the
+fruit-producing parts of the world.
+
+[Illustration: Black Mammoth Grape.]
+
+[Illustration: Cinsaut Grape.]
+
+
+
+
+List of Fruits Grown in Queensland.
+
+
+     Almonds, several varieties
+     Almond, Fiji
+     Apples, many varieties
+     Apricots, many varieties
+     Averrhoa
+     Avocada Pear
+     Bael Fruit
+     Banana, several varieties
+     Barberry
+     Blackberry
+     Brazilian Cherry
+     Bread Fruit
+     Burdekin Plum
+     Carob Bean
+     Chalta
+     Cherries, several varieties
+     Chestnut--Spanish
+     Chestnut--Japanese
+     Chinese Raisin
+     Citrons, several varieties
+     Cocoa-nut, many varieties
+     Custard Apples (Cherimoyers)
+     Dates
+     Davidsonia Plum
+     Figs, several varieties
+     Gooseberries--Cape
+     Gooseberries--Otaheitan
+     Granadillas
+     Grapes, many varieties
+     Guavas, many varieties
+     Jujube
+     Kai Apple
+     Kumquat
+     Litchi
+     Longan
+     Lemons, several varieties
+     Limes, several varieties
+     Loquats
+     Mandarins, several varieties
+     Mangoes, many varieties
+     Mangosteen--Sour or Coochin York
+     Medlars
+     Melons, many varieties
+     Monstera
+     Mulberries, several varieties
+     Natal Plum
+     Nectarines, several varieties
+     Olives, several varieties
+     Oranges, many varieties
+     Papaw, several types
+     Passion Fruit, several types
+     Peaches--Persian, many varieties
+     Peaches--China, several varieties
+     Peaches--Ceylon, several varieties
+     Pears, many varieties
+     Pecan Nut
+     Persimmons, several varieties
+     Pineapples, several varieties
+     Pistachio Nut
+     Plums--European, several varieties
+     Plums--Japanese, several varieties
+     Plums--American, several varieties
+     Pomegranate
+     Quince--European, several varieties
+     Quince--Japanese
+     Queensland Nut
+     Raspberries, several types
+     Rosellas
+     Rose Apple
+     Sapodilla Plum
+     Shaddock or Pomelo, several types
+     Star Apple
+     Strawberries, many varieties
+     Tamarinds
+     Tree Tomato
+     Vi Apple
+     Walnut
+     Whampee
+
+
+
+
+List of Vegetables Grown in Queensland.
+
+
+     Artichokes--Jerusalem and Globe
+     Asparagus
+     Beans of all kinds
+     Beetroot
+     Broccoli
+     Brussels Sprouts
+     Cabbage
+     Cabbage--Chinese
+     Capsicums
+     Cardoons
+     Carrots
+     Cassava
+     Cauliflowers
+     Celery
+     Chicory
+     Chokos
+     Cress
+     Cucumbers
+     Earth Nuts (Peanuts)
+     Egg Plant
+     Endive
+     Eschalots
+     Garlic
+     Herbs--all kinds
+     Horseradish
+     Kohl-rabi
+     Leeks
+     Lettuce
+     Mushrooms
+     Mustard
+     Nasturtiums
+     Ockra
+     Onions
+     Peas
+     Potatoes--English and Sweet
+     Pumpkins
+     Radishes
+     Rhubarb
+     Salsify
+     Seakale
+     Spinach
+     Squashes
+     Sweet Corn
+     Swedes
+     Taro
+     Tomatoes
+     Turnips
+     Vegetable Marrows
+     Yams
+
+
+By Authority: ANTHONY JAMES CUMMING, Government Printer, Brisbane.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Fruits of Queensland, by Albert Benson
+
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+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Fruits of Queensland, by Albert H. Benson,
+Queensland Goverment Intelligence and Tourist Bureau</title>
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fruits of Queensland, by Albert Benson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Fruits of Queensland
+
+Author: Albert Benson
+
+Release Date: September 7, 2008 [EBook #26552]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Nick Wall and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div class="tn">
+<p>Transcriber's Note:<br /><br />
+
+Links to a larger view showing more detail have been
+provided only for selected illustrations.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i-title600.jpg" alt="Front Cover" width="462" height="768" /></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h1>FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND</h1>
+
+
+<h3>BY</h3>
+<h2>ALBERT H. BENSON, M.R.A.C.,</h2>
+
+<div class="center"><br />Late Instructor in Fruit Culture, Queensland Government;<br />
+now Director of Agriculture, Hobart, Tasmania.</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<br />BRISBANE:<br />
+BY AUTHORITY: ANTHONY J. CUMMING, GOVERNMENT PRINTER.<br />
+1914.<br /></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus001-1400.jpg" width="287" height="300" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Fruit of Mangosteen.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class="center">
+<h2>CONTENTS.</h2>
+
+<table summary="Contents" width="80%">
+<colgroup span="2">
+<col width="90%"></col>
+<col width="10%"></col>
+</colgroup>
+<tr>
+<th align='right' colspan='2'><small>PAGE</small></th>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#PREFACE">Preface</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>5</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#INTRODUCTION">Introduction</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>7</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#QUEENSLAND_FRUIT_GROWING">Queensland Fruit-growing</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>17</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#CLIMATE">Climate</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>18</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top' style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><a href="#SOILA">1st.&mdash;Soils of Eastern Seaboard, and land adjacent to it, suitable to the growth of Tropical and Semi-tropical Fruit</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>21</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top' style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><a href="#SOILB">2nd.&mdash;Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the growth of Deciduous Fruit</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>23</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top' style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><a href="#SOILC">3rd.&mdash;Soils of the Central Tablelands, suitable for the growth of Grapes, Dates, Citrus Fruits, &amp;c.</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>24</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_BANANA">The Banana</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>24</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PINEAPPLE">The Pineapple </a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>24</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_MANGO">The Mango</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>31</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_MANGOSTEEN">The Mangosteen</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>41</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PAPAW">The Papaw</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>45</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_COCOA-NUT">The Cocoa-nut</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>47</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_GRANADILLA">The Granadilla</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>49</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PASSION_FRUIT">The Passion Fruit</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>51</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_CUSTARD_APPLE">Custard Apples</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>53</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#CITRUS_FRUIT">Citrus Fruit</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>57</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PERSIMMON">The Persimmon</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>71</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_LOQUAT">The Loquat</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>73</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_DATE_PALM">The Date Palm</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>75</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PECAN_NUT">The Pecan Nut</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>75</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#JAPANESE_PLUMS">Japanese Plums</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>77</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#CHICKASAW_PLUMS">Chickasaw Plums</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>77</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#CHINESE_PEACHES">Chinese Peaches</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>77</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#FIGS">Figs</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>79</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_MULBERRY">The Mulberry</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>79</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_STRAWBERRY">The Strawberry</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>79</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#CAPE_GOOSEBERRY">Cape Gooseberry</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>82</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_OLIVE">The Olive</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>83</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_APPLE">The Apple</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>85</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PEACH">The Peach</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>87</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PLUM">The Plum</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>89</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_APRICOT">The Apricot</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>89</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_CHERRY">The Cherry</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>90</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_PEAR">The Pear</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>91</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#THE_ALMOND">The Almond</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>91</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#GRAPE_CULTURE">Grape Culture</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>93</td>
+</tr><tr>
+<td align='left' valign='top'><a href="#List_of_Fruits_Grown_in_Queensland">List of Fruits and Vegetables Grown in Queensland</a></td>
+<td align='right' valign='top'>102</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus004-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus004-1400.jpg" width="286" height="400" alt="Map of Queensland" /></a></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE.</h2>
+
+
+<p>In the more thickly populated portions of the Old and New World, and,
+to a certain extent, in the large cities of Australia, the question of how to
+make a living has became one of vital importance to a large portion of the
+population, and is the cause of considerable anxiety to fathers of families who
+are endeavouring to find employment for their sons.</p>
+
+<p>This difficulty of obtaining employment is a very serious question, and
+one demanding the most earnest consideration. It is probably the result of
+many different causes, but, in the writer's opinion, it is due mainly to the
+fact that for years past the trend of population has been from the country
+districts to the towns, with the result that many of the great centres of
+population are now very badly congested, and profitable employment of any
+kind is often extremely difficult to obtain. The congested towns offer no
+possible outlet for surplus labour, hence it is necessary that such labour must
+find an outlet in the less thickly populated parts of the world where there is
+still plenty of room for development and population is badly needed. Queensland
+is a country possessing these qualifications; but is, unfortunately, a
+country that is little known to the general mass of home-seekers, and, further,
+what little is known of it is usually so inaccurate that a very erroneous opinion
+of the capabilities of this really fine country exists. The great flow of
+emigration is naturally to those countries that are nearest to the Old World&mdash;viz.,
+the United States of America and Canada&mdash;and little attention is given
+to Australia, although we have many advantages not possessed by either the
+United States or Canada, and are not subject to the disadvantage of an
+intensely cold winter such as that experienced throughout the greater portion
+of those countries for several months yearly.</p>
+
+<p>To those looking for homes the following pages are addressed, so that
+before deciding to what part of the world they will go they may know what
+sort of a country Queensland really is, what one of its industries is like, the
+kind of life they may look forward to spending here, and the possibility of
+their making a comfortable home amongst us. The life of a fruit-grower is
+by no means a hard one in Queensland, the climate of the fruit-growing
+districts is a healthy and by no means a trying one, and is thoroughly adapted
+to the successful cultivation of many fruits; and, finally, a living can be made
+under conditions that are much more conducive to the well-being of our race
+than those existing in the overcrowded centres of population. The writer has
+no wish to infer that there are big profits to be made by growing fruit, but, at
+the same time, he has no hesitation in saying that where the industry is
+conducted in an up-to-date manner, on business lines, a good living can be
+made, and that there is a good opening for many who are now badly in want
+of employment. The illustrations represent various phases of the industry, and
+have been specially prepared by H. W. Mobsby, the Artist of the Intelligence
+and Tourist Bureau. Most of the Illustrations have been taken at an exceptionally
+dry time, and at the close of one of the coldest winters on record,
+so that they do not show the crops or trees at their best; at the same time,
+they give a fair idea of some of our fruits, orchards, and fruit lands.</p>
+
+<p>
+ALBERT H. BENSON.<br />
+Brisbane, Queensland, January, 1906.<br />
+</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus005-1400.jpg" width="138" height="200"  alt="Decorative Pineapple" /></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION"></a>INTRODUCTION.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Queensland's greatest want to-day is population: Men and women to
+develop our great natural resources, to go out into our country districts as
+farmers, dairymen, or fruit-growers&mdash;not to stick in our towns, but to become
+primary producers, workers, home-builders&mdash;not the scourings of big cities,
+the dissatisfied, the loafer, but the honest worker whose wish is to make a
+home for himself and his family. There are many such in the overcrowded
+cities of older countries, striving in vain to make a living&mdash;existing, it can
+hardly be called living, under conditions that are by no means conducive to
+their well-being&mdash;often poorly fed and poorly clad&mdash;who would better themselves
+by coming to Queensland, and by whom Queensland would be benefited.
+Queensland has room for many such annually: men and women who come here
+for the express intention of settling amongst us and building homes for themselves;
+who come here prepared to work, and, if needs be, to work hard; who
+do not expect to become rich suddenly, but will be contented with a comfortable
+home, a healthy life, and a moderate return for their labour&mdash;results
+that are within the reach of all, and which compare more than favourably
+with the conditions under which they are at present existing.</p>
+
+<p>Queensland's most valuable asset is her soil, and this requires population
+to develop it: soil that, in the different districts and climates best adapted for
+their growth, is capable of producing most of the cultivated crops of the world,
+and, with very few exceptions, all the fruits of commercial value, many of
+them to a very high degree of perfection. This pamphlet is practically confined
+to the fruit-growing possibilities of Queensland, and an endeavour is made to
+show that there is a good opening for intending settlers in this branch of
+agriculture, but the general remarks respecting the climate, rainfall, soils, &amp;c.,
+will be of equal interest to any who wish to take up any other branch, such
+as general farming, dairying, &amp;c. The Queensland Department of Agriculture
+has received a number of inquiries from time to time, and from various parts
+of the world, respecting the possibilities of profitable commercial fruit-growing
+in this State, and this pamphlet is intended in part to be an answer to such
+inquiries; but, at the same time, it is hoped that it will have a wider scope,
+and give a general idea of one of our staple industries to many who are now
+on the look-out for a country in which to settle and an occupation to take up
+when they arrive there.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus007-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus007-1400.jpg" width="400" height="245" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Woombye, North Coast Railway. The centre of a large fruit growing district.</div>
+
+<p>No branch of agriculture has made a greater advance during the past
+quarter-century than that of fruit-growing, and none has become more popular.
+The demand for fruit of all kinds, whether fresh or preserved, has increased
+enormously throughout the world, and it is now generally looked upon more
+as a necessity than a luxury. Hence there are continually recurring inquiries
+as to the best place to start fruit-growing with a reasonable prospect of success.
+It is not only the increased demand for fruit that causes these inquiries, but
+fruit-growing has a strong attraction for many would-be agriculturists as
+compared with general farming, dairying, or stock-raising, and this attraction
+is probably due to a certain fascination it possesses that only those who have
+been intimately acquainted with the industry for years can fully appreciate.
+In addition to the fact that living under one's own vine and fig-tree is in itself
+a very pleasant ideal to look forward to, there is no branch of agronomy that
+calls for a keener appreciation of the laws of Nature, that brings man into
+closer touch with Nature, that makes a greater demand on a man's patience,
+skill, and energy, or in which science and practice are more closely related,
+than in that of fruit-growing. To all those who are considering the advantages
+of taking up fruit-growing as an occupation, and to those who feel the attraction
+I have just described, these few words on fruit-growing in Queensland
+are addressed, as the writer wishes them to learn something of the fruit-growing
+capabilities of this State, so that before deciding on the country in which
+they will make a start they may not be in complete ignorance of a land that is
+especially adapted for the growth of a larger number of distinct varieties of
+fruit than any other similar area of land with which he is acquainted either
+in the Old or New World.</p>
+
+<p>Queensland is a country whose capabilities are at present comparatively
+unknown even to those living in the Southern States of Australia, and,
+naturally, very much less so to the rest of the world, hence a little general
+information respecting our country and one of its industries may be of some
+help to those who are looking for an opening in this particular branch of
+agriculture.</p>
+
+<p>Queensland is a country having a population of a little over half a million,
+and an area of 429,120,000 acres; the population of a city of the second
+magnitude, and an area of some seven and one-half times greater than that of
+Great Britain, or two and one-half times greater than the State of Texas,
+United States of America.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus009-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus009-1400.jpg" width="400" height="301" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">A Tropical Orchard, Port Douglas.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus010-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus010-1400.jpg" width="304" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Coochin York Mangosteen, Port Douglas District.</div>
+
+<p>A country embracing 18 degrees of latitude, from the 11th to the 29th
+degrees of south latitude, and extending from a humid eastern seaboard to an
+extremely dry interior, some 15 degrees of longitude west. A country, therefore,
+of many climates and varied rainfall. A country possessing a great
+diversity of soils, many of which are of surprising richness. A country more
+or less heavily timbered with either scrub or forest growth, or consisting of
+wide open plains that are practically treeless. A country of infinite resources,
+that is capable of producing within its own borders all that man requires,
+from the extreme tropical to temperate products. A country that, once its
+possibilities are realised and turned to a profitable account, is destined to
+become one of the most fruitful in the globe, to support a large and thriving
+population of our own people; and last, but not least, a country that, from a
+fruit-grower's point of view, cannot be excelled elsewhere. We have a healthy
+climate, not by any means an extreme climate as is often represented&mdash;extreme
+cold is unknown, frost being unusual on any portion of the seaboard, but
+common during the winter months on our tablelands. But even where there
+are frosts the days are pleasantly warm. Summer is undoubtedly warm, but it
+is usually a bearable heat, and sudden changes are extremely rare, so that
+though trying in the humid tropical seaboard, it is not unbearable, and
+compares favourably with the tropical heat met with elsewhere. This is clearly
+shown by the stamina of the white race, particularly those living in the country
+districts, where both men and women compare favourably with those of any
+other part of the Empire. Except in very isolated places, communication
+with the outside world and between the different centres of population is
+regular and frequent; in fact, in all the coastal and coastal tableland districts
+of the State one is kept daily in touch with all the important matters that
+are taking place in the world. In the home life there is a freedom not met
+with in older countries; there is an almost entire absence of artificiality&mdash;people
+are natural, and are interested in each other's welfare. They are
+certainly fond of pleasure, but at the same time are extremely generous and
+hospitable. The writer can speak of this from a large practical experience, as
+for some years past he has annually travelled many thousands of miles amongst
+fruit-growers and others who are settled on the land, and, without exception,
+he has everywhere been met with the greatest kindness from rich and poor
+alike&mdash;in short, a hearty welcome&mdash;and the best that the house affords is the
+rule, without exception. In brief, should any of my readers decide on coming
+to Queensland, the only difference that they will find as compared with the
+older countries is, that our climate is somewhat warmer in summer, but to
+compensate for this we have no severe cold in winter. There is more freedom
+and less conventionality, life to all who will work is much easier, and there is
+not the same necessity for expensive clothing or houses as exists in more
+rigorous climates. The people they will meet are of their own colour and race,
+no doubt fond of sport and pleasure, perhaps inclined to be a little self-opinionated,
+but solid grit at the bottom. As previously stated, Queensland
+offers exceptional advantages to the intending fruit-grower, and the following
+may be quoted as examples. The ease with which fruit can be produced, when
+grown under conditions suitable to its proper development, is often remarkable,
+and is a constant source of wonder to all who have been accustomed to the comparatively
+slow growth of many of our commoner varieties of fruits when grown
+in less favoured climes, and to the care that is there necessary to produce
+profitable returns. Here all kinds of tree life is rapid, and fruit trees come into
+bearing much sooner than they do in colder climates. In addition to their
+arriving at early maturity, they are also, as a rule, heavy bearers, their fault,
+if anything, being towards over-bearing. Fruits of many kinds are so
+thoroughly acclimatised that it is by no means uncommon to find them growing
+wild, and holding their own in the midst of rank indigenous vegetation, without
+receiving the slightest care or attention. In some cases where cultivated fruits
+have been allowed to become wild, they have become somewhat of a pest, and
+have kept down all other growths, so much so that it has been actually
+necessary to take steps to prevent them from becoming a nuisance, so readily
+do they grow, and so rapidly do they increase. The very ease with which fruit
+can be grown when planted under conditions of soil and climate favourable to
+its development has had a tendency to make growers somewhat careless as compared
+with those of other countries who have to grow fruit under conditions
+demanding the most careful attention in order to be made profitable. This
+is enough to show that Queensland is adapted for fruit-growing, and the illustrations
+accompanying the description of our chief commercial fruits will show
+them more forcibly than any words of mine that my contention is a correct
+one. Latterly, however, there has been a considerable improvement in the
+working of our orchards, growers finding that it does not pay to grow second-quality
+fruit, and, therefore, they are giving much more attention to the
+selection of varieties, cultivation of the land, pruning the trees, and the keeping
+in check of fruit pests; as, like other parts of the world, we have our pests
+to deal with. This improvement in the care and management of our orchards
+is resulting in a corresponding improvement in the quantity and quality of
+our output, so that now our commercial fruits&mdash;that is to say, the fruits grown
+in commercial quantities&mdash;compare favourably with the best types of similar
+fruits produced elsewhere. The writer has no wish to convey the impression
+that all that is required in order to grow fruit in Queensland is to secure
+suitable land, plant the trees, let Nature do the rest, and when they come into
+bearing simply gather and market the fruit. This has been done in the past,
+and may be done again under favourable conditions, but it is not the usual
+method adopted, nor is it to be recommended. Here, as elsewhere, the progressive
+fruit-growing of to-day has become practically a science, as the fruit-grower
+who wishes to keep abreast of the times depends largely on the
+practical application of scientific knowledge for the successful carrying on of his
+business. There is no branch of agronomy in which science and practice are
+more closely connected than in that of fruit-growing. Every operation of the
+fruit-grower is, or should be, carried out on scientific lines and by the best
+methods of propagation&mdash;pruning, cultivation, manuring, treatment of diseases,
+and preservation of fruit when grown are all, directly or indirectly, the
+result of scientific research. To be a successful fruit-grower in Queensland one
+must therefore use one's brains as well as one's hands; the right tree must
+be grown in the right kind of soil and under the right conditions; it must be
+properly attended to, and the fruit, when grown, must be marketed in the best
+possible condition, whether same be as fresh fruit or dried, canned, or otherwise
+preserved, and whether same be destined for our local, Australian, or oversea
+markets. Fruit-growing on these lines is a success in Queensland to-day,
+and it is capable of considerable extension, so that, in the writer's opinion, it
+offers a good field for the intending settler. Carried out in the manner
+indicated, he has no hesitation in saying that Queensland is a good place in
+which to start fruit-growing, that the advantages it possesses cannot be surpassed
+or even equalled elsewhere, and, further, that as our seasons are the
+opposite of those in countries situated on the north of the equator, our fruits
+ripen in the off-seasons of similar fruit grown in those countries, and, with
+our facilities for cold storage and rapid transit, can be placed on their markets
+at a time that they are bare of such fruits, thus securing top prices.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus012-1400.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="296"  /></div>
+<div class="center">Bunch of Fruit of the Coochin York Mangosteen.</div>
+
+<p>Queensland has practically an unlimited area of land suitable for fruit
+culture, much of which is at present in its virgin state, and is obtainable on
+easy terms and at a low rate. Government land is worth on an average
+&pound;1 per acre, and privately-owned land suitable for fruit-growing can be purchased
+at from 10s. to &pound;5 per acre, according to its quality and its distance
+from railway or water carriage. We have plenty of land, what we lack is
+population to work it; and there is no fear of over-crowding for many years
+to come. We have not only large areas of good fruit land at reasonable rates,
+but the Government of Queensland, through its Department of Agriculture, is
+always ready to give full information to intending settlers, to assist them in
+their selection of suitable land, to advise them as to the kinds of fruit to plant,
+to give practical advice in the cultivation, pruning, manuring, and general
+management of the orchard as well as in the disposal or utilisation of the fruit
+when grown; in short, to help the beginner to start on the right lines, so that
+he will be successful.</p>
+
+<p>There is also little if any fear of over-extending the fruit-growing
+industry, as, if it is conducted on the right lines and on sound business principles,
+we can raise fruit of the highest quality at a price that will enable us
+to compete in the markets of the world especially now that we have direct
+and rapid communication at frequent intervals with Canada, the United States
+of America, the East (Japan, Manilla, &amp;c.), Europe, and the United Kingdom.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus013-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus013-1400.jpg" width="400" height="325" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Tamarind Fruits&mdash;Kamerunga State Nursery, Cairns.</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="QUEENSLAND_FRUIT_GROWING" id="QUEENSLAND_FRUIT_GROWING"></a>QUEENSLAND FRUIT GROWING.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Very few persons have any idea of the magnitude or the resources of this
+State of Queensland, and in no branch of agricultural industry are they more
+clearly shown than in that of fruit-growing. Here, unlike the colder parts of
+the world or the extreme tropics, we are not confined to the growing of particular
+varieties of fruits, but, owing to our great extent of country, and its
+geographical distribution, we are able to produce practically all the cultivated
+fruits of the world, many of them to great perfection. There are, however,
+one or two tropical fruits that are exceptions, such as the durien and
+mangosteen, whose range is extremely small, and one or two of the berry
+fruits of cold countries, which require a colder winter than that experienced
+in any part of this State. It will, however, be seen at once that a country that
+can produce such fruits as the mango, pineapple, banana, papaw, granadilla,
+guava, custard apple, litchi, sour sop, cocoa nut, bread fruit, jack fruit,
+monstera, alligator pear, and others of a purely tropical character; the date,
+citrus fruits of all kinds, passion fruit, persimmon, olive, pecan nut, cape
+gooseberry, loquat, and other fruits of a semi-tropical character, as well as the
+fruits of the more temperate regions, such as the apple, pear, plum, peach,
+apricot, quince, almond, cherry, fig, walnut, strawberry, mulberry, and others
+of minor importance, in addition to grapes of all kinds, both for wine and table,
+and of both European and American origin, offers a very wide choice of fruits
+indeed to the prospective grower. Of course, it must not be thought for a
+moment that all the fruits mentioned can be grown to perfection at any one
+place in the State, as that would be an impossibility, but they can be grown
+in some part of the State profitably and to great perfection.</p>
+
+<p>The law of successful fruit culture is the same here as in all other fruit-producing
+countries&mdash;viz., to grow in your district only those fruits which are
+particularly adapted to your soil and climate, and to let others grow those
+fruits which you cannot grow, but which their conditions allow them to produce
+to perfection. The intending grower must, therefore, first decide on what
+fruits he wishes to grow, and when he has done so, select the district best
+suited to their growth. The small map of the State shows the districts in
+which certain fruits may be grown profitably, or, rather, the districts in which
+they are at present being so grown; but there are many other districts in
+which fruit-growing has not been attempted in commercial quantities or for
+other than purely home consumption that, once the State begins to fill up with
+population, are equal, if not superior, to the older fruit-growing districts, and
+are capable of maintaining a large population.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus015-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus015-1400.jpg" width="400" height="229" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Typical Clean Orchard.</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CLIMATE" id="CLIMATE"></a>CLIMATE.</h2>
+
+
+<p>As previously stated, the successful culture of fruit depends mainly on the
+right kinds of fruit being grown in the right soil and climate. This naturally
+brings us to the question of climate, and here one again gets an idea of the
+extent of our country, as we have not one but many climates. Climate is a
+matter of such vital importance to fruit-growers, and there is such a general
+lack of knowledge respecting the climate of Queensland, that a little information
+on this point is desirable. I am afraid that there is a very general
+impression that Queensland has a climate that is only suitable for a coloured
+race; that it is either in the condition of a burnt-up desert or is being flooded
+out. That it is a country of droughts and floods, a country of extremes&mdash;in
+fact, a very desirable place to live out of. No more erroneous idea was ever
+given credence to, and, as an Englishman born, who has had many years' practical
+experience on the land in England, Scotland, the United States of America,
+and the various Australian States, I have no hesitation in saying that, as far
+as my experience goes&mdash;and it is an experience gained by visiting nearly every
+part of the State that is suited for agricultural pursuits&mdash;taken as a
+whole, it is difficult to find a better or healthier climate in any other country
+of equal area. Our climate has its disadvantages, no doubt, particularly our
+dry spells, but show me the country that has a perfect climate. We have
+disadvantages, but, at the same time, we have great advantages; advantages
+that, in my opinion, outweigh our disadvantages.</p>
+
+<p>Our eastern seaboard, extending from the New South Wales border in the
+south, a few miles to the south of the 28th degree of south latitude, to Cape
+York, some 20 miles north of the 11th degree of south latitude, contains our
+best districts for the growth of tropical and semi-tropical fruits. The coastal
+climate, however, varies considerably, and is governed by the proximity or
+otherwise of the coast ranges. When they approach the coast there is always
+more rainfall, and as they recede the rainfall decreases. With one or two
+exceptions, where the coastal range is a considerable distance inland, the
+eastern coastal districts have a sufficient rainfall for the successful culture of
+most fruits, though they are subject to a dry spell during winter and spring.
+During this period of the year, the weather is extremely enjoyable; in fact, it
+is hard to better it, even in our extreme North. But as summer approaches,
+thunderstorms become prevalent, and are accompanied by more or less humid
+conditions, which, though good for fruit-development, are not quite so enjoyable
+as the drier months. Summer is our rainy season, and the rainfalls are
+occasionally very heavy. The weather is warm and oppressive, particularly
+in the more tropical districts; but these very conditions are those that are
+best suited to the production of tropical fruits. The climate of those districts
+having the heaviest summer rainfall is somewhat trying to Europeans, particularly
+women, but it is by no means unhealthy, and in the hottest parts,
+having the coast range nearly on the coast, there is, within a few miles, a
+tableland of from 2,000 to 4,000 feet elevation, where the climate is cool and
+bracing, and where the jaded man or woman can soon throw off the feeling of
+lassitude brought about by the heat and humidity of the seaboard. In autumn
+the weather soon cools off, drier conditions supervene, and living again becomes
+a pleasure in one of the best and healthiest climates to be met with anywhere.
+Practically all the district under review has a sufficient rainfall for the growth
+of all fruits suitable to the climate, though there are occasionally dry spells
+during spring, when a judicious watering would be a great advantage. This
+does not imply a regular system of irrigation, but simply the conserving of
+surplus moisture in times of plenty by means of dams across small natural
+watercourses or gullies, by tanks where such do not occur, or from wells where
+an available supply of underground water may be obtained. The water so
+conserved will only be needed occasionally, but it is an insurance against any
+possible loss or damage that might accrue to the trees during a dry spell of
+extra length. So far, little has been done in coastal districts in conserving
+water for fruit-growing, the natural rainfall being considered by many to be
+ample; but, in the writer's opinion, it will be found to be a good investment,
+as it will be the means of securing regular crops instead of an occasional
+partial failure, due to lack of sufficient moisture during a critical period of the
+tree's growth. The average yearly rainfall in the eastern seaboard varies from
+149 inches at Geraldton to 41 inches at Bowen, the mean average being about
+90 inches to the north and 49 inches to the south of Townsville. Were this fall
+evenly distributed throughout the year, it would be ample for all requirements.
+Unfortunately, however, it is not evenly distributed, the heavy falls taking
+place during the summer months, so that there is often a dry spell of greater
+or less extent during the winter and spring, during which a judicious watering
+has a very beneficial effect on fruit trees, and secures a good crop for the
+coming season. The rainfall shows that there is no fear of a shortage of water
+at any time, the only question is to conserve the surplus for use during a
+prolonged dry spell. These conditions are extremely favourable for the growth
+of all tropical and semi-tropical fruits, as during our period of greater heat,
+when these fruits make their greatest call for moisture, there is an abundance
+of rain, and during the other portions of the year, when the call is not so
+heavy, it is usually an inexpensive matter to conserve or obtain a sufficient
+supply to keep the trees in the best of order. Throughout the southern half of
+this seaboard frosts are not unknown on low-lying ground, but are extremely
+rare on the actual coast, or at an elevation of 300 to 400 feet above the
+sea, so much so that no precautions are necessary to prevent damage from
+frost. We have, unlike Florida and other parts of the United States of
+America&mdash;great fruit-growing districts&mdash;no killing frosts, and now, at the close
+of one of the coldest winters on record, and one of the driest, nowhere have
+our pineapples&mdash;fruit nor plants&mdash;been injured, except on low-lying ground,
+over in the Southern part of the State, and mangoes, bananas, &amp;c., are
+uninjured.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus018-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus018-1400.jpg" width="400" height="253" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center"> Burning-off for fruit growing, Mapleton, Blackall Range.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus018-2.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus018-2400.jpg" width="400" height="288" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Same land one year later. Fruit-grower's family gathering strawberries.</div>
+
+<p>In the more tropical North frosts are unknown on the coast, and there is
+no danger to even the most delicate plants from cold.</p>
+
+<p>Running parallel with the coast we have a series of ranges of low mountains,
+running from 2,000 feet to nearly 6,000 feet, the general height being
+from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, and at the back of these ranges more or less level
+tablelands, sloping generally to the west. On and adjacent to these ranges in
+the Southern part of the State, there are fairly sharp frosts in winter, but the
+days are warm and bright. This is the district best adapted for the growth
+of deciduous fruits and vines, table varieties doing particularly well. It is a
+district well adapted for mixed farming and dairying, as well as fruit-growing;
+the climate is even and healthy, and is neither severe in summer nor winter.
+The average rainfall is some 30 inches, and is usually sufficient, though there
+are dry periods, when a judicious watering, as recommended for the coast
+districts, would be of great value to fruit and vegetable growers. The more
+northern end of this tableland country has a much better rainfall&mdash;some
+40 inches per annum&mdash;and frosts, though they occur at times, are not common.
+Here the climate is very healthy, there are no extremes of heat and cold, and,
+lying as it does inland from the most trying portion of our tropical seaboard,
+it forms a natural sanatorium to this part of our State.</p>
+
+<p>Further west the rainfall decreases, the summers are hot&mdash;a dry heat, as
+distinct from the more humid heat of the coast, and much more bearable.
+There are frequent frosts in winter, particularly in the Southern part of the
+State. Fruit-growing is only carried on to a slight extent at present, and then
+only with the help of water, but when the latter is obtainable, very good results
+are obtained. Grapes do well, both wine and table, and for raisin-making.
+Citrus fruits are remarkably fine, the lemons especially, being the best grown
+in the State. The trees are less liable to the attack of many pests, the dryness
+of the air retarding their development, if not altogether preventing their
+occurrence. The date palm is quite at home here, and when planted in deep
+sandy land, and supplied with sufficient water, it is a rapid grower and heavy
+bearer. As an offset to the smallness of the rainfall, there is a good supply of
+artesian water, distributed over a wide range of country, that can be obtained
+at a reasonable rate, and that is suitable for irrigation purposes. All bore
+water is not suitable for irrigation, however, as some of it is too highly
+mineralised, but there are large areas of country possessing an artesian supply
+of excellent quality for this purpose. It will thus be seen that we have in
+Queensland, roughly, three distinct belts of fruit-growing country&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>1st.&mdash;The Eastern Seaboard, and the land adjacent to it, suitable for
+the growing of tropical and semi-tropical fruit;</p>
+
+<p>2nd.&mdash;The Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the growth of deciduous
+fruits, vines, olives, and citrus fruits in parts;</p>
+
+<p>3rd.&mdash;The Central Tablelands, suitable for the growth of grapes, for
+table and drying, dates, citrus fruits, &amp;c., but requiring water for
+irrigation to produce profitably.</p></div>
+
+<p>So far, I have confined my remarks mainly to the climatic side of fruit-growing,
+and, before dealing with the growing of the different kinds of fruit, I
+will say a few words about our fruit soils, and will deal with them in districts,
+as I have endeavoured to do in the case of climate.</p>
+
+
+<p><a name="SOILA" id="SOILA"></a><b>1st.&mdash;Soils of Eastern Seaboard, and Land adjacent to it, suitable to the
+Growth of Tropical and Semi-Tropical Fruit</b>.</p>
+
+<p>Several distinct types of soil are found that are well adapted for fruit-growing,
+but they all have one general characteristic which is a <i>sine qua non</i>
+of success&mdash;viz., they must possess good natural drainage, so that there is no
+danger of their becoming waterlogged or soured during periods of continued
+or heavy rainfall, as these conditions are fatal to fruit culture under tropical
+and semi-tropical conditions. Of such soils, the first to be considered are those
+of basaltic origin. They are usually of a chocolate or rich red colour, are of
+great depth, in parts more or less covered with basaltic boulders, in others
+entirely free from stones. The surface soil is friable and easily worked, and
+the subsoil, which is usually of a rich red colour, is easily penetrated by the
+roots of trees and plants grown thereon. Occasionally the subsoil is more
+compact, in which case it is not so good for fruit-tree growth, but is better
+adapted for that of sugar-cane, corn, grass, &amp;c. These basaltic soils are usually
+rich, and are covered in their virgin condition with what is termed scrub&mdash;a
+dense mass of vegetation closely resembling an Indian jungle. The scrub
+growth is totally distinct from forest growth, which will be described later,
+in that the bulk of the timber growing in it, much of which is of large size,
+is of a soft nature, and once cut down soon rots away. Imagine a dense wall
+of vegetation, consisting of large trees running up to 100 or 150 feet in height,
+with trunks ranging from 2 to 8 feet, or even more, in diameter, and between
+these trunks an impenetrable mass of smaller growths, all of the most vivid
+green colours, together with innumerable vines and creepers that are suspended
+from the branches of the trees, hanging in festoons, creeping palms and
+bamboos, ferns and orchids of many kinds, both on the ground and growing
+on the tree trunks, as well as many beautiful foliage plants only found in
+hothouses in England, and you will have a faint idea of what a virgin scrub
+in coastal Queensland is like. Much of the timber of the coastal scrubs is of
+considerable commercial value for building purposes and furniture making,
+and is, or should be, so utilised prior to felling and burning off.</p>
+
+<p>True scrub lands are not by any means the most difficult to clear, though
+to a "new chum" the work will appear at first of a Herculean character.
+Brushing the dense undergrowth and then felling the timber at a face costs
+from &pound;1 10s. to &pound;2 per acre, according to density, size of timber, and proportion
+of hardwood trees contained in it, and once this is done the fallen mass
+is allowed to become thoroughly dry, when it is burnt off. A good fire is half
+the battle, as the subsequent work of burning off the heavy timber left from
+the first burn is comparatively light. No stumps are taken out, as the bulk
+are found to rot out in a few years, and their presence in the soil is no
+detriment to the planting of such crops as bananas or even citrus fruit trees.
+No special preparation of the land, such as breaking up, &amp;c., is necessary prior
+to planting. Holes are dug, trees or bananas are planted, and the whole cultivation
+for the first few years consists in keeping down weed growths with the
+chipping hoe. Once the stumps have rotted out the plough and other implements
+of culture take the place of the hoe. These soils are especially adapted
+for the growth of oranges, limes, mandarins, mangoes, bananas, pineapples,
+papaws, custard apples, strawberries, and cape gooseberries in the South; in
+fact, for nearly every kind of tropical and semi-tropical fruit.</p>
+
+<p>Some basaltic soils are occasionally covered with forest in the place of
+scrub, or a mixture, part scrub and part forest. Forest country, as distinct
+from scrub, is open-timbered country, with little undergrowth, and no vines or
+other creepers. The timbers are also, as a rule, very hard, and the stumps
+will not rot out. Such land, when at all heavily timbered, is much harder to
+clear and get ready for fruit-growing than true scrub, as all timber must be
+felled and burnt off, and all stumps and roots taken out, so that the land can
+be thoroughly broken up and brought into a good state of tilth prior to planting.
+These soils are suitable to the growth of similar fruits to the true scrubs,
+but, as a rule, they are not as rich. The second class of soils suitable to fruit-growing
+are of alluvial origin, and are of a sandy, loamy nature, of fair depth.
+They are usually met with along our creeks and rivers, or in the deltas of our
+rivers. In their virgin state they are either covered with scrub or forest, or a
+mixture of both, but the growth is seldom as strong as on the red volcanic soils.
+Heavy alluvial soils are not suitable for fruit culture, and are much more
+valuable for the growth of farm crops, but the light sandy loams and free
+loams of medium character suit all kinds of fruit to perfection. These soils
+usually are easy to work. They retain moisture well when well worked, and
+frequently they are capable of being irrigated, either from adjacent creeks or
+rivers, or by water from wells. These soils are some of our best for citrus
+fruits, and are well adapted for the growth of pineapples and bananas, as well
+as most other tropical fruits, when free from frosts. The third class of soils are
+free sandy loams, either scrub or forest. They are of various colours, and
+range in texture from light sandy loams to medium loams; they possess excellent
+drainage, and though, when covered with forest, they are not naturally
+rich, they make excellent fruit soils, and respond rapidly to systematic cultivation
+and manuring. They are usually of sandstone or granitic origin, and,
+when covered with scrub in the first place, grow good crops for the first few
+years, when they become more or less exhausted in one or more available plant
+foods, and require manuring. These soils, like the sandy alluvial loams, are
+easy to work, retain moisture well when kept in a state of perfect tilth, and
+respond readily to manuring. They will grow all kinds of fruits when free
+from frost. There are other soils on which fruit can be grown, but those
+mentioned represent those most suitable. The land on which these soils occur
+is often much broken, particularly in rich scrub country; it is fairly level when
+of alluvial origin, and more or less rolling, as a rule, when of a sandy loamy
+nature. High, ridgy, free, loamy country is usually the most free from frost,
+and alluvial flats the most liable to it.</p>
+
+
+<p><a name="SOILB" id="SOILB"></a><b>2nd.&mdash;Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the Growth of
+Deciduous Fruit.</b></p>
+
+<p>Starting from the Southern part of the State, adjoining the New South
+Wales border, the fruit soils are all of granitic origin. The country is much
+broken, but between the ridges and along the creek flats there is a considerable
+area possessing soils varying from a coarse, granitic, gritty soil to a fine granitic
+soil; that on the creeks of an alluvial nature, but still granitic. These soils
+vary considerably in quality, but are, as a rule, easy to work and retain
+moisture well. They are covered with open forest and are particularly adapted
+to the growth of apples, plums, peaches, and grapes, though other deciduous
+fruits are grown but not to the same excellence as those mentioned. Proceeding
+north the fruit soils are either sandy loams or loams of a brownish colour
+of volcanic origin. The former are suitable for almonds and wine grapes, and
+the latter for peaches, apricots, pears, apples, and especially olives. Further
+north a few of these fruits may be grown on loamy soils, together with citrus
+fruits, but, commercially, deciduous fruits are confined to the southern end of
+this district, the winter temperature being too high for their successful growth
+further north, as the trees get no winter rest, hence do not mature their fruit-bearing
+wood properly.</p>
+
+
+<p><a name="SOILC" id="SOILC"></a><b>3rd.&mdash;Soils of the Central Tablelands, suitable to the Growth of Grapes,
+Dates, Citrus Fruits, Etc</b>.</p>
+
+<p>At the Southern end of the State the fruit soils are all of a sandy nature.
+Nothing else is used in any quantity, as sandy soils alone will retain sufficient
+moisture for the growth of grapes and fruit trees during dry spells, and even
+then only when kept well and deeply worked. Further north, where suitable
+artesian water is available, the best fruit soils are also free loams of a sandy
+nature, either alluvial or open forest soils, but deep, and possessing perfect
+drainage, as irrigation on land without good natural drainage is fatal to fruit
+culture. These sandy loams are also easy to work; though by no means rich,
+they, on account of their depth, grow good crops of fruit by means of irrigation,
+and the fruit, such as dates, oranges, lemons, grapes, &amp;c., is of very fine
+quality. The fruit soils of this district are covered either with open forest&mdash;the
+trees being of comparatively small size&mdash;or with a scrubby undergrowth
+through which a few larger trees are scattered. Nearly all the timber of this
+district is extremely hard, is more or less stunted, and burns readily, hence
+clearing is not a very expensive item.</p>
+
+<p>Having now given a very brief description of our climate and the fruit-soils
+in our principal fruit-producing centres, we will next consider the culture
+of those fruits which are grown in commercial quantities in the different parts
+of the State, as well as that of a few less well-known fruits which show
+especial promise. We will first deal with our tropical fruits, of which the first
+to be considered is the banana, as its production greatly exceeds that of any
+other tropical fruit, and, as far as Australia is concerned, this is the only State
+in which it is grown in commercial quantities. From tropical fruits we will
+go on to semi-tropical fruits, then to temperate fruits and vines.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_BANANA" id="THE_BANANA"></a>THE BANANA.</h2>
+
+<p>Under the heading of "Banana," all kinds of plantains will also be
+included, as they belong to one and the same family. The members of this
+family of plants are all tropical, and produce the most typical and best known
+tropical fruits.</p>
+
+<p>The rank luxuriance of the growth of this class of fruits, their handsome
+foliage, their productiveness, their high economic value as food, and their
+universal distribution throughout the tropics, all combine to place them in a
+premier position. As a food it is unequalled amongst fruits, as no matter
+whether it is used green as a vegetable, ripe as a fruit, dried and ground into
+flour, or preserved in any other way, it is one of the most wholesome and
+nutritious of foods for human consumption. It is a staple article of diet in
+all tropical countries, and the stems of several varieties make an excellent
+food for all kinds of stock.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus024-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus024-1400.jpg" width="400" height="275" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Cavendish Bananas on scrub land, Buderim Mountain.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus025-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus025-1400.jpg" width="400" height="241" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Cavendish Bananas at Woombye on newly cleared land.</div>
+
+<p>In Queensland, the culture of bananas is confined to the frostless belts of
+the eastern seaboard, as it is a plant that is extremely susceptible to cold, and
+is injured by the lightest frosts. It is grown in favourable locations in the
+South, where it produces excellent fruit, but its cultivation is much greater in
+the North, where the rainfall is heavier and the average annual temperature
+greater. In the Southern part of the State its cultivation is entirely in the
+hands of white growers, who have been growing it on suitable soil in suitable
+localities for the past fifty years or even more. I recently saw an old plantation
+that was set out over twenty years ago, and the present plants are still
+strong and healthy, and bearing good bunches of well-filled fruit, so that there
+is no question as to the suitability of the soil or climate. Bananas do best on
+rich scrub land, and it is no detriment to their growth if it is more or less
+covered with stones as long as there is sufficient soil to set the young plants.
+Shelter from heavy or cold winds is an advantage, and the plants thrive better
+under these conditions than when planted in more exposed positions. Bananas
+are frequently the first crop planted in newly burnt off scrub land, as they do
+not require any special preparation of such land, and the large amount of ash
+and partially burnt and decomposed vegetable mould provide an ample supply
+of food for the plants' use. Bananas are rank feeders, so that this abundance
+of available plant food causes a rapid growth, fine plants, and correspondingly
+large bunches of fruit. Though newly burnt off scrub land is the best for this
+fruit, it can be grown successfully in land that has been under cultivation for
+many years, provided that the land is rich enough naturally, or its fertility is
+maintained by judicious green and other manuring. In newly burnt off scrub
+land all that is necessary is, to dig holes 15 to 18 inches in diameter, and about
+2 feet deep, set the young plants in it, and partly fill in the hole with good top
+soil. The young plant, which consists of a sucker taken from an older plant,
+will soon take root and grow rapidly under favourable conditions, producing its
+first bunch in from ten to twelve months after planting. At the same time that
+it is producing its first bunch it will send up two or more suckers at the base of
+the parent plant, and these in turn will bear fruit, and so on. After bearing,
+the stalk that has produced the bunch of fruit is cut down; if this is not done
+it will die down, as its work has been completed, and other suckers take its
+place. Too many suckers should not be allowed to grow or the plants will
+become too crowded, and be consequently stunted and produce small bunches.
+All the cultivation that is necessary is the keeping down of weed growth, and
+this, once the plants occupy the whole of the land, is not a hard matter. A
+plantation is at its best when about three years old, but remains profitable
+for six years or longer; in fact, there are many plantations still bearing good
+fruit that have been planted from twelve to twenty years. Small-growing or
+dwarf kinds, such as the Cavendish variety, are planted at from 12 to 16 feet
+apart each way, but large-growing bananas, such as the Sugar and Lady's
+Finger, require from 20 to 25 feet apart each way, as do the stronger-growing
+varieties of plantain. Plantains are not grown to any extent in Queensland,
+and our principal varieties are those already mentioned, the Cavendish variety
+greatly predominating. In the North, the cultivation of this latter variety is
+carried out on an extensive scale, principally by Chinese gardeners, who send
+the bulk of their produce to the Southern States of the Commonwealth. The
+industry supports a large number of persons other than the actual producers
+of the fruit, and forms one of our principal articles of export from the North.
+As many as 20,000 or more large bunches of bananas frequently leave by a
+single steamer for the South, and the bringing of this quantity to the port of
+shipment gives employment to a number of men on tram lines and small
+coastal steamers. The shipment of a heavy cargo of bananas presents a very
+busy scene that is not soon forgotten, the thousands of bunches of fruit that are
+either piled up on the wharf or that are being unloaded from railway trucks,
+small steamers or sometimes Chinese junks, forming such a mass of fruit that
+one often wonders how it is possible to consume it all before it becomes over-ripe.
+Still, it is consumed, or, at any rate, the greater portion of it is, as it is
+the universal fruit of the less wealthy portion of the community, the price at
+which it can be sold being so low that it is within the reach of everyone. A
+banana garden in full bearing is a very pretty sight, the thousands of plants,
+each with their one or more bunches of fruit, as, where there are several stems
+it is not at all uncommon to find two or more bunches of fruit in different
+states of development on the same plant, forming a mass of vegetation that
+must be seen to be appreciated. This is the case even with dwarf-growing
+kinds, but with strong-growing varieties, such as the Lady's Finger, the
+growth is so excessive that the wonder is, how the soil can support it.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus026-1400.jpg" width="370" height="281" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Twenty-dozen Bunch, Buderim Mountain.</div>
+
+<p>Bananas do remarkably well in Queensland, and there is practically an
+unlimited area of country suitable for their culture, much of which is at present
+in a state of Nature. Only the more easily accessible lands have been worked
+and of these only the richest. Manuring is unknown in most parts, and as soon
+as the plantation shows signs of deterioration it is abandoned, and a fresh one
+planted out in new land, the land previously under crop with bananas being
+either planted in sugar-cane or allowed to run to grass. This is certainly a
+very wasteful method of utilising our land, and the time will come, sooner or
+later, when greater care will have to be given to it, and that once land has
+become impoverished by banana culture, it will have to be put under a suitable
+rotation of crops, so as to fit it for being again planted to bananas. The
+trouble is, as I have already stated, we have too much land and too few people
+to work it, hence, so far, we are unable to use it to anything like the best
+advantage. During the year 1904 the production of bananas in Queensland
+was some 2,000,000 bunches, and when it is considered that each bunch will
+average about 12 dozen fruit, it will be seen that already we are producing
+a very large quantity. There is, however, plenty of room for extension, and
+any quantity of available country, but before this extension can be profitable,
+steps will have to be taken to utilise the fruit in a manner other than its
+consumption as fresh fruit, and this in itself will mean the opening up of new
+industries and the employment of a considerable amount of labour. I have
+mentioned 12 dozen as being the average quantity of fruit per bunch, but it
+is frequently much more than this, and I have often seen bunches of 25 to
+30 dozen fine fruit grown on strong young plants on rich new land. Although
+the industry in the North is now almost entirely in the hands of Chinese
+gardeners, there is no reason whatever why it should not be run by white
+growers, as is done in the South, and there is no question that our white-grown
+bananas in the South compare more than favourably with the Northern
+Chinese-grown article, despite the fact that the latter has every advantage
+in climate and an abundance of virgin soil. Most of the photos of bananas
+are, I am sorry to say, not by any means typical of this industry, as they
+have been taken during the off-season, when the plants look ragged and are
+showing little new growth, and the bunches also are much smaller than usual.
+Still, I hope that the illustrations will give some idea of the growing and
+handling of this crop, and will show what a banana plant and its bunch are
+like.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus027-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus027-1400.jpg" width="400" height="240" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Bananas for shipment at Innisfail.</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PINEAPPLE" id="THE_PINEAPPLE"></a>THE PINEAPPLE.</h2>
+
+
+<p>If there is one fruit that Queensland can grow to perfection, it is
+undoubtedly the pineapple. This is not merely my own personal opinion, but
+is the universal admission of all who are qualified to judge. On many occasions
+I have taken men thoroughly conversant with pineapple-growing, and who
+knew what a good fruit really is, through some of our plantations, where I
+have given them fruit to test, and, without exception, they have had no hesitation
+in saying that they have never tasted better fruit. Our fruit has a firmness,
+freedom from fibre, and a flavour that is hard to beat. It is an excellent
+canning fruit, superior in this respect to the Singapore article, which it surpasses
+in flavour. This is admitted by English and European buyers, and its
+superiority is bound eventually to result in a great increase in canning and the
+establishment of large works run on thoroughly up-to-date lines.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus029-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus029-1400.jpg" width="400" height="242" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Picking Pines for market&mdash;Woombye District.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus031-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus031-1400.jpg" width="400" height="231" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Pineapple Plantation&mdash;showing plants of different ages&mdash;Woombye, North Coast Line.</div>
+
+<p>Like the banana, the pineapple is a tropical fruit, and is very sensitive
+to cold, hence its culture is confined to frostless districts. It is grown all
+along our eastern seaboard, where, when planted in suitable soils and under
+suitable conditions, it is, undoubtedly, our hardiest fruit, and is practically
+immune from any serious disease. Its culture is entirely in the open, no shelter
+whatever being given, so that we are not put to the great expense that growers
+of this fruit in Florida and some other pineapple-producing countries must
+incur if they wish to secure a crop. Here we have no severe freeze-outs, and,
+though dry spells retard the growth at times, we have never suffered any serious
+injury from this cause. In the Southern part of the State, the coolness of the
+winter retards growth somewhat, and occasionally the tops of the leaves and
+young fruit are slightly injured, particularly in low-lying land, or where the
+plants are growing on land having a cold subsoil. When grown under more
+favourable conditions, however, they sustain no injury, and produce fruit, more
+or less, all the year round. Pines are always in season, though there are times
+when they are comparatively scarce. There are usually two main crops a year&mdash;viz.,
+a summer and a winter crop. The former is the heavier of the two, and
+the fruit is decidedly the best, as its sugar contents are much higher. The
+main summer crop ripens in the North from the beginning of November, and
+in the South from January to as late as March in some seasons. The main
+winter crop is usually at its best in July and August, but there is always more
+or less fruit during the other months of the year. The pineapple likes a warm,
+free, well-drained soil, that is free from frost in winter, and that will not
+become soured by heavy rain during summer. Sandy loams are, therefore, our
+best pineapple soils, though it does well on free loams of basaltic or alluvial
+origin. Unlike the banana, the pineapple does not do too well in newly burnt
+off scrub land, owing to the difficulty in working the ground and keeping it
+clean. It requires a thorough preparation of the soil prior to planting in order
+to be grown to perfection. In the case of new land of suitable texture, the
+timber should all be burnt off, and all stumps and roots taken out of the soil,
+which should then be carefully broken up and reduced to a fine tilth, all weed or
+grass growth being destroyed. It should then be again ploughed, and, if
+possible, subsoiled, so as to permit of the roots penetrating the ground to a fair
+depth instead of their merely depending on the few top inches of surface soil.
+Careful preparation of the land and deep stirring prior to planting will be
+found to pay well, and turn out far the cheapest in the end. Given suitable soil,
+well prepared, the growing of pineapples is not at all difficult, as the plants
+soon take root, and once they became established, they prove themselves to be
+extremely hardy. Pines will grow and thrive on comparatively poor soil, provided
+it is of suitable texture, but in such soils it is necessary to supplement the
+plant food in the soil by the addition of manures, if large fruit and heavy crops
+are to be obtained. Pineapples are propagated by means of suckers coming
+from the base of fruit-bearing plants, or from smaller suckers, or, as they
+are termed, robbers or gill sprouts that start from the fruiting stem just at
+the base of the fruit. They are also sometimes propagated by means of the
+crown, but this method is usually considered too slow. Well-developed suckers
+are usually preferred, as these come into bearing earliest, but equally good,
+if not better, returns are obtained by planting gill sprouts. The latter have
+the advantage in that they always develop a good root system before showing
+signs of fruit, hence their first crop is always a good one, and the fruit is
+of the best, whereas suckers sometimes start flowering as soon as they are
+planted, before they are properly established, with the result that the first
+fruit is small and inferior, and the plants have to throw out fresh suckers
+before a good crop is produced. Gill sprouts are slower in coming into bearing
+than suckers, but the results are usually more satisfactory. Like the banana,
+once a pineapple plant has borne fruit the fruiting stalk dies down, and its
+place is taken by one or more suckers, which in their turn bear fruit and die.
+Pineapples are planted in Queensland in several ways, but by far the most
+common method is to set the suckers out in single or double rows, from 8 to
+9 feet apart, with the plants at from 1 to 2 feet apart in the row. The rows
+soon increase in width by the growth of suckers, and the throwing up of
+ratoons&mdash;surface roots thrown off from the original plant, which send up plants
+from below the ground as distinct from suckers, which come from the base or
+even higher up the stem of a fruiting plant. It is not at all an uncommon
+thing to see the rows grown together, so that the plantation appears to be a
+solid mass of plants, but pathways have to be kept between the rows to permit
+of gathering the fruit, manuring, &amp;c. Pineapples have been grown in the
+Brisbane district for the past sixty years, and I have been shown beds of
+plants that have not been replanted for over forty years that are still producing
+good fruit. This shows how well at home this fruit is with us; but, in my
+opinion, it is not desirable to keep the plants so long in the same ground, as
+the finest fruit is always obtained from comparatively young plantations, the
+older ones producing too large a proportion of small fruit. From the Brisbane
+district this fruit has spread all over the eastern coast, and its production is
+increasing rapidly in several districts. Once the pine is planted, its cultivation
+is comparatively simple. If in single or double rows, all weed growth is kept
+down between the plants, and the ground between the rows is kept in a state of
+good cultivation by means of ploughing or cultivating, the soil being worked
+towards the rows so as to encourage the formation of suckers low down on the
+fruiting plants. Manure is given when necessary, the manure being worked
+in on either side of the rows.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus033-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus033-1400.jpg" width="400" height="245" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Smooth-leaved Cayenne Pines in fruit, planted 15 months, Woombye District.</div>
+
+<p>The pineapple comes into bearing early, and, except where suckers throw
+fruit as soon as planted, bear their first crop in from twelve to twenty months,
+according to the type of suckers planted and the time of year at which they
+are set. Practically every sucker will produce a fruit at the first fruiting, and
+these will be followed by succeeding crops, borne on the successive crops of
+suckers, so that when the whole of the ground is occupied by plants, the returns
+are very heavy. One thousand dozen marketable fruits is by no means an
+unusual crop for Queen pines in a plantation in full bearing, and, taking these
+at an average of 2&frac12; lb. each, you get a return of 30,000 lb., or 15 tons
+American per acre. The illustrations herewith give a good general idea of
+the usual method of growing pines, and the method of handling and marketing,
+as well as of the nature of the country on which they are grown. The illustrations
+are mostly of smooth-leaved pines, which bear a fruit averaging from
+6 to 8 lb. each, but occasionally running up to as much as 14 to 16 lb., though
+the latter is an extreme weight. The single pine shown is just under 12 lb.
+Several kinds of pines are grown, which are generally classified into roughs
+and smooths. The rough, or rough-leaved pines, such as the Common Queen
+and Ripley Queen, and local seedlings raised from them, are very prolific, and
+though not equal in size and appearance to the smooth-leaved Cayenne, our
+principal smooth-leaved kind, are usually considered to be of superior flavour,
+and to be better for canning or preserving. Rough pines run up to as much as
+6 lb. weight each, but this is uncommon, the best average I have met with
+being about 4 lb. per pine, and they were exceptionally good. The price at
+which this fruit sells here seems absurd to those living in cold countries, who
+are accustomed to look upon it as a luxury only found on the tables of the
+wealthy, as good rough-leaved pines are worth about 1s. per dozen during
+the summer season, and smooth-leaved pines from 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. a dozen.
+Prices are certainly higher during the off-season, but growers would be well
+satisfied to get 1s. per dozen for rough pines all the year round. I have no
+hesitation in saying that pines can be grown at a profit at from &pound;3 to &pound;4 per
+ton, so that the cost of growing is so low that there is nothing to prevent us
+from canning the fruit and selling it at a price that will defy competition.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus035-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus035-1400.jpg" width="246" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Pineapple Plantation&mdash;Pines packed for market, and showing fruit-grower's home,
+Woombye District.</div>
+
+<p>Pineapple-growing has been a very profitable industry, particularly in the
+older plantations of the Brisbane district, and still continues to be so in many
+places despite the fact that prices are much lower now than they were some
+years since. The plantations from which the illustrations are taken are comparatively
+new ones, the land having been in its virgin state from six to eight
+years ago, and, as shown, some is only now being cleared. The owners of the
+plantations started without capital, and, by dint of hard work and perseverance,
+are now reaping an excellent return of some &pound;50 per acre net profit.
+This is by no means an isolated example, but is one that is typical of what can
+be done, and has therefore been chosen. There is a great opening for the
+culture of this fruit in Queensland, and its cultivation is capable of being
+extended to a practically unlimited extent. We have a large amount of land
+suitable for the growth of this fruit that is available in different parts of the
+State, much of it at very reasonable rates, so that there is no difficulty in this
+direction for anyone wishing to make a start. It is an industry from which
+returns are quickly obtained, and is a branch of fruit-growing that holds out
+strong inducements and every prospect of success to intending growers. At
+present our production is about sufficient for our presently existing markets,
+but there is nothing to prevent these markets being widely extended. Our
+present means of utilising our surplus fruits, by canning or otherwise preserving
+same, are by no means as complete or up to date as they should be, and
+before they can become so, it is necessary to greatly increase our output. Small
+works cost too much to run as compared with large canning establishments,
+hence we are not yet in a position to make the most of our fruit. With
+increased production we will have an increase in the facilities for utilising the
+fruit. This requires labour, and there is right here an opening for many
+industrious workers, a business that I have no doubt will pay from the start, a
+business of which we have the Australian monopoly, and in which there is no
+reason that I can see in which we should not compete satisfactorily in the
+markets of the world.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus037-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus037-1400.jpg" width="400" height="243" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Pineapple Plantation&mdash;Showing method of growing the fruit, Woombye District.</div>
+
+<p>Queensland possesses many advantages respecting the growth of this fruit
+as compared with other countries in which it is grown commercially, which
+may be briefly enumerated as follows:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>1st.&mdash;Freedom from loss by freeze-outs;</p>
+
+<p>2nd.&mdash;The ease with which the fruit can be grown, and its freedom from
+disease;</p>
+
+<p>3rd.&mdash;The large area of land suitable to its culture, and the low price at
+which suitable land can be obtained;</p>
+
+<p>4th.&mdash;The fine quality of the fruit;</p>
+
+<p>5th.&mdash;The superiority of our fruit for canning purposes;</p>
+
+<p>6th.&mdash;The low price at which it can be produced, and the heavy crops
+that can be grown.</p></div>
+
+<p>These are enough reasons to show that in the pineapple we have a fruit well
+suited to our soil and climate, a fruit in the cultivation of which there is room
+for great extension, and which will provide a living for many industrious
+settlers.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus038-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus038-1400.jpg" width="400" height="246" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Rough-leaved Pines, Redland Bay District.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus039-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus039-1400.jpg" width="400" height="238" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Pineapple Plantation&mdash;On virgin soil, showing scrub land at back being cleared for fruit growing, Woombye District.</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_MANGO" id="THE_MANGO"></a>THE MANGO.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This magnificent fruit, which is practically unknown outside of the tropics,
+has become as hardy as a forest tree throughout our eastern seaboard, wherever
+it is planted out of frost. It has been named, and well named too, the apple
+of Queensland, as it stands as much neglect, and can be grown with as little
+care and attention as, or even less, than that given to the apple-trees in many
+of the Somerset or Devonshire orchards. It will not, however, stand frost.
+Droughts and floods have little effect on it; it will grow in any soil, from a
+sand to a heavy loam, amongst rocks, or on a gravelly or shaley land.
+Naturally, it does best in good land, but there are hundreds of cases where
+trees are doing well and bearing heavily on land that is by no means fruit
+land. The mango is one of our handsomest fruit trees; the symmetry of its
+growth, its large glossy leaves, the delicate colouring of its young growth,
+which is of different shades in different varieties, the abundance of fruit that it
+produces, varying in colour from dull-green to yellow, red, or even purplish
+tints, all render it conspicuous. As well as being one of our handsomest, it
+is also one of our most widely distributed fruits, being found growing luxuriantly
+the whole length of our eastern seaboard. A few trees are also to be met
+with inland in districts that are free from frosts, so that it stands both the dry
+heat of the interior and the humid heat of the coast. As a tropical fruit it
+naturally reaches its greatest perfection under our most tropical conditions,
+the trees there growing practically wild, requiring little if any attention,
+making a rapid growth, coming into bearing early, and producing heavy crops
+of fruit. Further south the growth is somewhat slower, though the trees grow
+to a large size and bear heavily. It is one of the easiest of trees to grow, as
+it is readily propagated by means of seed. In many plantations thousands of
+young seedlings may often be seen growing under the old trees, the seeds
+having taken root without even having been planted. In most cases it is
+propagated from seed, the stones of fruit showing especial merit being planted
+either in a nursery, or, better, still, where the tree is to remain permanently, as
+it usually does better when so planted than when grown in a nursery and thence
+transplanted to its permanent location. The land should be well worked prior
+to planting, and the young trees require to be kept free from weeds and undergrowth
+till such time as they occupy the whole of the ground, when they are
+able to look after themselves, and require no further attention, at any rate in
+the warmer parts. It is not at all uncommon to come across a mango-tree, in
+full bearing, in vigorous health, that is growing wild, the result of a stone that
+has been thrown away by someone who has eaten the fruit. The young tree
+has not only been able to hold its own against all kinds of indigenous growths,
+but has developed into a vigorous, healthy tree, thus showing that it is perfectly
+at home, and that the soil and climate of Queensland suit it to perfection.
+The fact that by far the greater portion of our mango-trees have been grown
+from seed has resulted in the production of innumerable varieties, many of
+which are of decidedly inferior quality, as one never knows when planting the
+seed what the resultant fruit is going to be like. One is more likely to get
+good fruit by planting the seeds from selected fruit of the highest quality, but
+is by no means certain to do so, as a number of seeds always revert to inferior
+types. This has had a bad effect on our mango industry, and has been apt
+to give the fruit as a class a bad name, so much so that we find it difficult
+to get our Southern neighbours to take to it at all readily. I can quite understand
+anyone, whose first experience of a mango is that of an inferior fruit,
+full of fibre, and having a distinctly disagreeable flavour, condemning the
+particular fruit, but because there are inferior fruits one should not condemn
+the whole without knowing what a really good mango is like.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus041-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus041-1400.jpg" width="400" height="265" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Mango Trees, Port Douglas.</div>
+
+<p>We have many good mangoes in Queensland, but only a few that are
+really first-class, and of the latter I have yet to meet the man or woman, who
+is a fruit-eater, who does not appreciate their exquisite flavour, and who does
+not consider them worthy to rank with any of the finest fruits. By many a
+really fine mango is considered to be the king of fruits, and I am not at all
+certain that they are not right, but, at the same time, a really bad mango is
+indescribably bad.</p>
+
+<p>The mango grows to a large size here, even when comparatively young.
+I know trees over 50 feet in height, having a spread of the branches of more
+than 60 feet, a main trunk nearly 3 feet in diameter, that are under thirty
+years old, and that have borne from 1 to 2 tons of fruit for a single crop.
+Hundreds of tons of fruit go to waste annually for want of a market, or are
+consumed by farm animals, as the consumption of the fruit is practically confined
+to this State, and the production is greater than we can consume, despite
+the fact that mangoes are in season from the end of September to March, and
+that they are a favourite fruit with all who have acquired a liking for them.
+In addition to the consumption of the fruit in its fresh state, a quantity is
+converted into chutney, but this is so small that it has no appreciable effect
+on the crop as a whole. The unripe fruit makes an excellent substitute for
+apples, and is used stewed or for pies or tarts, and when sliced and dried it may
+be stored and used in a similar manner to dried apples.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus043-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus043-1400.jpg" width="400" height="293" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Mango Tree near Brisbane.</div>
+
+<p>In addition to its value as a fruit, the mango forms a handsome ornamental
+tree, and one that provides a good shade for stock. It is very free
+from disease, as with the exception of one or two species of scale insects, which
+do not cause any very serious damage, it has few serious pests. It is a fruit
+that is bound sooner or later to come into more general favour, particularly
+when the qualities of the finer varieties are better known. Until quite recently
+it was considered to be one of the most difficult trees to propagate by means
+of grafting or budding, hence its propagation has been practically confined to
+raising it from seed, but now we have found out how to work it by means of
+plate-budding, and are able to perpetuate our best sorts true to kind. This is
+sure to lead to a general improvement of our existing varieties, as old trees
+can be worked over by this means, or young trees of approved kinds can be
+grown in a nursery and distributed.</p>
+
+<p>The fruit is very wholesome, is much appreciated by all who have acquired
+a taste for it, can be used fresh or dry, ripe or unripe, and cans well. It is a
+great addition to our list of purely tropical fruits, and finds a place in all
+orchards or gardens where it is capable of being grown.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+
+<h2><a name="THE_MANGOSTEEN" id="THE_MANGOSTEEN"></a>THE MANGOSTEEN.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Many attempts have been made during past years to introduce this
+delicious fruit into Queensland, but these always resulted in failure.
+True, a certain variety of mangosteen has been successfully grown at
+Port Douglas, also on the Lower Burdekin, and rumours of the existence
+of the true Java mangosteen (<i>Garcinia mangostana</i>) have been received,
+but, in nearly every case, they have, on investigation, proved to be
+<i>Garcinia xanthochymus</i>, or some other species. At the Kamerunga State
+Nursery, however, trees of undoubted parentage were successfully raised.
+It is said that a thriving young plant, which is unquestionably <i>G. mangostana</i>,
+is owned by Mr. Banfield, of Dunk Island. The records of the
+Kamerunga Nursery show that in October, 1891, a quantity&mdash;about 100&mdash;of
+ripe mangosteen fruit was received from the Batavian agency by
+the then manager, Mr. Ebenezer Cowley, from which some 600 seeds
+were obtained. Of these, only a few germinated. The next mention is
+of the distribution, in February, 1892, of six plants to an applicant on
+the Mossman, and of two more in May of that year. Since then several
+young trees have been raised at the nursery, and one of them, in January,
+1913, fruited for the first time for twenty-two years, and is the first to
+have done so in this State. Some of the fruit was sent to the Department
+of Agriculture and Stock, and proved to be fully equal to those of Java.
+A full history of the mangosteen and of its introduction into Queensland
+is given in "The Queensland Agricultural Journal" (vol. xxx., June
+and July, 1913). The photographs were taken from the original fruit.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus045-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus045-1400.jpg" width="171" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Fruit of Mangosteen.</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PAPAW" id="THE_PAPAW"></a>THE PAPAW.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Continuing our list of tropical fruits, we now come to the papaw, one of
+our most wholesome and useful fruits. It is grown all along our eastern
+seaboard in situations that are free from frost. It comes into bearing early,
+and is a heavy cropper. Like the other tropical fruits already described, it
+does best in our warmer parts, coming to maturity earlier, and producing
+better fruit. In many of the Northern coastal scrubs it is often met with
+growing wild, and producing fruit in abundance, the seeds from which the trees
+have been produced having been dropped by birds or distributed by other
+natural agencies. The papaw fruit resembles a rock melon somewhat in shape
+and flavour, the fruit being produced in the axil of the leaves all along the main
+stem, where they are clustered thickly together. The tree does best on well-drained
+soils, and is very sensitive to the presence of clay or stagnant water
+at the roots, hence it usually does best on scrub land or land well supplied
+with humus. It is propagated entirely from seed, which grows readily in such
+soils, and under favourable conditions will bear its first fruit when about ten to
+twelve months old, and continue to bear for three or four years or even longer.
+When the trees becomes old, however, the fruit decreases in size and deteriorates
+in quality, so that it is necessary to plant a number yearly in order to keep up
+a regular supply. It is a very handsome tree, with large spreading leaves on
+long stems, beneath which is its cluster of fruit&mdash;as many as 100 fruits being
+sometimes found in different stages of development on the one plant. The
+fruit ranges in size from 2 lb. to some 6 lb. in weight, and when ripe it is
+of a greenish-yellow or sometimes orange colour. The flesh is yellow, and when
+quite ripe it is moderately juicy, and of a flavour that it not always appreciated
+at first, but which one soon becomes very partial to. It more nearly resembles
+the flavour of a rock melon than that of any other fruit, and the seeds, which
+are found clustered in the centre of the fruit, have a flavour that closely
+resembles that of seeds of the nasturtium. Both the seeds and the fruit
+contain an active principle called papain, which is really a vegetable pepsin,
+that has the effect of greatly assisting in the assimilation of all food with
+which it is eaten, hence it is a valuable remedy in the case of dyspepsia, and
+persons who take the fruit regularly are never subject to this exceedingly
+troublesome disease. The fruit can be used both as a vegetable and as a
+fruit, the former in its green state, when it is boiled and served with melted
+butter, resembles a vegetable marrow or squash, but is superior to either of
+these vegetables. As a fruit it is either used by itself, or in conjunction with
+other fruits it forms the basis of a fruit salad. It is largely used in the North,
+and its cultivation is steadily spreading South, as its valuable properties are
+becoming better known. Its cultivation is very simple. The seeds are either
+planted where the tree is to remain, or are raised in a bed and transplanted
+to their permanent position in the orchard when strong enough to stand
+shifting, care being taken to select a dull moist day. The young plants are
+protected from the sun for a few days till they have become established, after
+which all that is necessary is to keep down weeds and to work the soil round
+them, taking care not to injure the roots.  A good mulch of decomposed
+vegetable matter round the plants is an advantage, but they are usually so
+easily grown that little extra care is given to them. The papaw bears male
+and female flowers, which may be on the same trees, but are usually on
+different trees, so that it is usual to speak of male and female trees. This is,
+however, a mistake, as according to Bailey the plant is polygamous&mdash;that is
+to say, male, female, or hermaphrodite flowers may be found on the same or
+on distinct plants. The male flowers are usually on long scantily-branched
+auxiliary panicles, whereas the female flowers are mostly in the axils of the
+leaves close to the stem. The two trees are not distinguishable from each
+other till they come into flower, hence it is advisable to set the young plants
+fairly close together&mdash;say, 6 feet apart&mdash;and thin out the male trees when
+same can be distinguished by their blossoms.</p>
+
+<p>Besides its use as a fruit and vegetable, the papaw makes a fair conserve
+and an excellent sauce, and its medicinal principle, "papain," is an article of
+commerce.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus047-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus047-1400.jpg" width="241" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Papaw in fruit, near Brisbane.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_COCOA-NUT" id="THE_COCOA-NUT"></a>THE COCOA-NUT.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Although this palm can be grown for ornamental purposes as far south as
+Brisbane, its cultivation on commercial lines will be confined to the coast
+district north of Townsville, and to the islands off the coast, as, in order to
+develop its fruit to perfection, it requires a tropical climate. Where the climate
+is suitable it does well, it makes a rapid growth, and bears heavy crops of nuts.
+Old palms on the beach at Cairns compare favourably with any growing in
+the South Seas, and I am of opinion that its culture in commercial quantities
+on suitable land will be found profitable. The cocoa-nut palm does best right
+on or adjacent to the seashore, in comparatively poor sandy soil&mdash;soil that is
+usually of little value for general crops, though it will grow mangoes well.
+So far, it is not grown in any large numbers, and although there is a ready
+sale for the ripe nuts, there is no attempt to make copra or to utilise the coir.
+Copra is the dried flesh of the nut, from which oil is extracted, and is largely
+used in the manufacture of soap, candles, &amp;c., the refuse left after the oil has
+been extracted being used for cattle feed. Coir is the fibre surrounding the
+nut, and is used for the manufacture of matting, door mats, &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p>There is a considerable area of land suitable to the culture of this fruit
+on our Northern coast, which is at present lying idle, that, in my opinion, can
+be turned to a profitable use by planting it in cocoa-nuts as, in addition to
+utilising land otherwise of little value, we would be building up a new industry.
+The trees come into bearing in about eight years after planting the seed, and
+will continue to produce crops for many years without any attention. Care
+will have to be given for the first few years, whilst the plants are small,
+to keep down undergrowth and to prevent fires from running through the
+plantation, but, once fairly established, the plants will look after themselves.
+A cocoa-nut plantation gives a distinctly tropical look to the district in which
+it is grown, and the palms, particularly when young, are very ornamental; when
+old the long bare stems detract somewhat from the beauty of the top. It is a
+palm that I believe has a good future before it in the North, and for that
+reason I have included it amongst our tropical fruits, though it is cultivated
+at present more as an ornamental plant than as an article of commerce.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus049-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus049-1400.jpg" width="400" height="276" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Cocoa-nut Palms, Port Douglas.</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_GRANADILLA" id="THE_GRANADILLA"></a>THE GRANADILLA.</h2>
+
+
+<p>A vine, belonging to the natural order Passiflore&aelig;, that produces one of
+our most delicious tropical fruits. The papaw and the passion fruit belong
+to this same order. It can be grown all along our eastern seaboard, but comes
+to greatest perfection in the North. The fruit is of a pale greenish-yellow
+colour, cylindrical in shape, and varies in weight from about 1 to 5 lb., the
+largest fruits being produced on a sub-species. The fruit consists of an outer
+pulpy covering, which can be used for cooking if desired, which surrounds a
+cavity filled with seeds which are encased in a jelly-like mass. This is the
+portion eaten, and to use an Americanism, "It is not at all hard to take." It
+is either eaten by itself, or is used in conjunction with papaw and other fruits
+to make a fruit salad, a dish that is fit for the food of the gods, and once taken
+is never forgotten.</p>
+
+<p>The granadilla is easily grown from seed, and the plants are trained on an
+overhead trellis, the fruit hanging down on the underside. It is a heavy
+bearer, and once planted requires little attention. It requires a free, warm soil,
+that is fairly rich, to be grown to perfection, hence it is most commonly grown
+on scrub land. It can, however, be grown on any well-prepared land of a free
+nature. Unfortunately, it is a difficult fruit to ship any distance, hence its
+consumption is mainly confined to the districts in which it is grown, and where,
+needless to say, it is greatly appreciated. It is in fruit more or less all the
+year round, its main crop being in early spring in the North, and during the
+summer months further South. It is sometimes made into jam or jelly, but
+when preserved loses much of its characteristic flavour.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus051-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus051-1400.jpg" width="400" height="248" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Granadilla Vine at Kuranda, Cairns district.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PASSION_FRUIT" id="THE_PASSION_FRUIT"></a>THE PASSION FRUIT.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This fruit is very closely related to the granadilla, but is much hardier
+than it, and can be grown to perfection much further South. It is not injured
+by frost to any extent in any part of coastal Queensland, and can be grown a
+considerable distance inland. It is more rightly a semi-tropical than a tropical
+fruit, though, as it is so nearly related to the granadilla, I have included
+it amongst the tropical fruits. It is also a vine, and, when grown commercially,
+is trained along a horizontal trellis, in a somewhat similar manner to a grape
+vine. It is readily grown from seed, and will produce fruit in less than twelve
+months from the time that it is planted, and will continue to bear fruit for
+some years. It does best on a free, warm soil of fair quality, though it may
+be grown anywhere with care, and often thrives well in very poor soils with the
+addition of manure. It is found growing wild on the borders of many of our
+scrubs and elsewhere, the seeds having been deposited by birds or other
+agencies, and under such conditions it produces an abundance of fruit. The
+fruit is of a roundish oval shape, and is of a dark-purple colour. It is about
+the size of a large hen's egg, the outer skin being hard and shell-like, and
+the centre filled with the seeds, which are surrounded with a jelly-like mass
+and a yellowish pulp. It is a very fine flavoured fruit, and is universally liked.
+It is grown in considerable quantities in the Southern part of the State, and
+is one of our commonest fruits. It has usually two crops a year&mdash;a summer
+and a winter crop&mdash;but can be got to produce its fruit at any particular time
+that is desired by systematic pruning at different times of the year. It is
+often grown over sheds, dead trees, fallen logs, &amp;c., which it covers with a
+mass of dense green foliage, and converts what would otherwise be an unsightly
+object into an ornament. The illustration herewith shows this well, and gives
+a good idea of the growth of a single vine. Commercially it is grown on
+trellis, so that the land between the rows can be kept well cultivated, and
+also to permit of ease in the gathering of the fruit. When ripe, the fruit drops,
+and the gathering is usually from the ground. The fruit carries well, but
+will not keep for any length of time, as it shrivels up. It is principally used
+as a fresh fruit, though it is also made into jam or jelly, and it often forms
+part of a fruit salad, taking the place of the granadilla. It has few pests, and
+is one of the easiest fruits to grow.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus053-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus053-1400.jpg" width="400" height="323" alt="" /></a></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus053-2.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus053-2400.jpg" width="400" height="314" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Passion Fruit, Redland Bay&mdash;Showing method of culture (1) and part of a vine in fruit (2).</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><a name="THE_CUSTARD_APPLE" id="THE_CUSTARD_APPLE"></a>CUSTARD APPLES.</h2>
+
+<p>Under this heading I will include all the Anonas, such as the sour sop,
+sweet sop, bullock's heart, and cherimoya. The sour sop is purely tropical,
+and is very sensitive to frost, but the other species are by no means so tender,
+and can be grown anywhere along the coast where the soil is suitable, as well
+as at many inland places. All the species produce very fine fruits, that vary
+somewhat in shape, in the roughness of the skin, and in size. The sour sop is
+the largest, and attains a size of 6 to 8 lb. The fruit is covered with soft
+spines, and is of an irregular oval, or even pyriform, shape. It ripens very
+soon after it is gathered, consequently cannot be sent any distance. It is a
+pleasant fruit of an aromatic sub-acid flavour. The pulp surrounding the seeds
+is of a woolly consistency, and this is surrounded by a custard-like mass which
+is much appreciated by those who have acquired a liking for it. It is a
+comparatively uncommon fruit, and is confined to the tropics.</p>
+
+<p>The sweet sop is the commonest of the Anonas, and is grown throughout a
+considerable part of coastal Queensland. It is usually of an irregular roundish
+shape, very full of seeds, which are surrounded by a custard-like pulp of very
+pleasant flavour. It is usually a heavy bearer, and is the variety most
+commonly met with in our fruit stores. The tree is hardy and is easily grown.</p>
+
+<p>The bullock's heart is a stronger-growing variety than the previous one,
+the fruit is larger, and, as its name implies, heart-shaped. It is also fairly
+seedy, the pulp of a light-brown colour, and more gritty, and not, in my
+opinion, of first-rate quality. It is most commonly grown in the North, where
+it is a very hardy and prolific tree.</p>
+
+<p>The cherimoya is the best of the custard apples. The tree is a strong
+grower, with large handsome leaves, but, as a rule, it is not a very heavy
+bearer. There are many varieties, the fruit of which varies considerably in
+size and shape, and the skin is sometimes smooth and sometimes warted, or
+even covered with short soft spines. It has usually comparatively few seeds,
+and these are surrounded by a rich custard-like pulp, which in the better kinds
+is of very fine flavour, and is generally much liked. The fruit is not a good
+keeper, still, given careful handling and packing, it can be kept for nearly a
+week. All custard apples are easily raised from seed, but the better varieties
+are propagated by grafting strong seedlings with wood taken from a tree producing
+fruit of especial merit. Any good fruit soil will grow them, and they do
+not require any especial treatment.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus054-1400.jpg" width="400" height="309" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Custard Apples, Brisbane District.</div>
+
+<p>There are still a large number of tropical fruits that I have not mentioned,
+but space will not permit of my giving them more than a passing notice, as
+they are not of any great value from a commercial standpoint at present. Of
+these fruits the litchi, whampee, averoha, longan, vi-apple, and Chinese mangosteen
+are practically confined to the North. The guava, of which there are
+many species, grows anywhere; in fact, it is a pest in many cases, taking
+complete possession of the land. It is not cultivated to any great extent, as it
+grows so readily without, and, further, it harbours several pests whose presence
+it is desirable to remove from the orchard. It is a useful fruit for home consumption,
+as it stews well, makes an excellent jam, and its jelly is one of the
+best.</p>
+
+
+<p>The rosella, a species of hibiscus, is an annual fruit that is grown to a
+considerable extent in several parts of the State, and is used for pies, jams,
+and jellies. The latter is remarkably good, equal to that made from the red
+currant of colder climes, and will no doubt become an article of export at no
+very distant date. The fruit also dries well, and makes an excellent pickle.
+It is raised from seed, the young seedlings being set out in well-prepared land
+when all danger of frost is past. It is a rapid grower, and forms a bush some
+4 feet across by 4 or 5 feet high. It is a heavy bearer, and the fruit meets with
+a ready sale. To do well, the plants require a warm, free, well-drained soil,
+as they do not thrive where there is any stagnant water at or near the roots.</p>
+
+<p>The avocado or alligator pear is not grown to any extent, though it thrives
+well, particularly to the north of the tropic of Capricorn, and can also be
+grown successfully as far south as the New South Wales border. It is a fruit
+that deserves to be cultivated to a much greater extent than it is at present,
+and once it becomes better known I have no doubt that it will be planted in
+considerable numbers, and prove a very welcome addition to our already long
+list of fruits, as it is unequalled, in my opinion, as a salad. As far as my
+experience goes, it is likely to become a profitable fruit to grow, as once
+persons acquire a liking for it, they become very partial to it, and eat it
+whenever they can get it.</p>
+
+<p>In addition to purely tropical fruits a number of semi-tropical fruits are
+grown on our eastern seaboard, but are not entirely confined thereto, as many
+of them are cultivated to a considerable extent in some parts of our coastal
+and inland tablelands, particularly in sheltered positions. Under the heading
+of semi-tropical fruits, all kinds of citrus fruits, persimmons, loquats, date
+palm, wine palm, pecan nut, Brazilian cherry, Natal plum, ki-apple, and many
+other fruits are included, as well as several fruits that more properly belong to
+the temperate regions, such as Japanese plums, Chickasaw plum, peaches of
+Chinese origin, figs, mulberries of sorts, strawberries, cape gooseberries, &amp;c.
+Of all of these the citrus fruits, which include the orange, mandarin, Seville,
+lemon, lime, grape fruit, kumquat, citron, and pomelo are by far the most
+important, and are grown successfully over a very large portion of the State,
+so that we will consider them first.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus055-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus055-1400.jpg" width="262" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Sour Sop, Mossman District.</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CITRUS_FRUIT" id="CITRUS_FRUIT"></a>CITRUS FRUIT.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Quite a number of fruits are included under this heading, and all reach a
+very high state of perfection in this State. The whole of the family, the
+lemon-shaped citron excepted, is noted for the beauty and symmetry of growth
+that its trees make, and I know of few more beautiful sights in the vegetable
+world than a well-kept citrus grove in full bearing. Take the common round
+orange as an example, its well-balanced and evenly grown head, its dark glossy
+green foliage, its wealth of white blossoms, which perfume the whole neighbourhood,
+or its mass of golden fruit between its dark-green leaves, render it one
+of the most beautiful of fruit trees at all times, but especially so when covered
+with blossoms or ripe fruit. A typical Queensland grove is even more beautiful
+than those of many other places, as the vigour and size of our trees, their
+exceptionally healthy appearance, their dark foliage, and the heavy crop of
+high-class fruit that they bear, are at once evident to a stranger who has never
+seen the orange grown under such favourable conditions as are experienced
+here. The yield is often so heavy that the trees actually bend to the ground
+with the weight of their fruit, and a stack of props has to be used to prevent
+the tree from splitting into pieces. Those who have seen the enormous crops
+of apples that are produced on some trees in Tasmania or the old cider orchards
+of Devon or Somerset can form an idea of the crops; but the writer, who
+has seen both, as well as our Queensland trees, has no hesitation in saying that
+a Queensland mandarin can give points to either as a heavy cropper; in fact,
+if it has a fault, it is its proneness to overbear, particularly when young.
+This all tends to prove how well adapted Queensland is to the growth of citrus
+fruits, and were I asked to select a country particularly suited to their culture
+I should have no hesitation in naming this State, as I know of nowhere where
+their culture can be carried out with less trouble, or where the trees will
+produce better fruit or heavier crops. Queensland may well be termed the
+home of citrus fruits, as we have no less than three native species which are
+indigenous to the State, and are by no means uncommon in our scrubs. Their
+presence gives unmistakable proof of the suitability of this State for the
+culture of fruits of the same family, so that I think a short description of these
+native species may not be out of place, but will be of some interest to my
+readers.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus057-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus057-1400.jpg" width="400" height="240" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Young Orange Orchard (6 years old) on scrub land, near Mapleton, Blackall Range.  Showing the standing scrub in the background.</div>
+
+<p><i>Citrus australis</i>, the native orange or lime, is both the largest and most
+common. It grows into a large tree, having a diameter of 15 to 18 inches in
+the trunk, and a height of 60 feet or more. It produces a quantity of thick-skinned
+acid fruit, of from 2 to 3 inches in diameter. The skin is full of a
+resinous sap, and the fruit is of little value. It is a slow-growing tree, though,
+as just mentioned, it attains a considerable size, is very hardy, and produces a
+quantity of fruit. Its slow growth, when young, has prevented its use as a stock
+on which to work improved varieties, but I have no doubt it would make a
+very hardy stock that would be distinctly disease-resistant.</p>
+
+<p>The second variety is <i>Citrus australasica</i>, the so-called finger lime, a
+thorny bush, producing a fruit of from &frac34; to 1 inch in diameter, and 3 to 4
+inches long. The fruit has a thin skin, and contains an agreeable acid pulp
+that varies in colour, in some specimens being of a reddish tinge that resembles
+the pulp of a blood orange. These two varieties are met with in the Southern
+part of the State, but the third is a Northern species, to which Mr. F. M.
+Bailey, our Colonial Botanist, has given the name of <i>Citrus inodora</i>, the
+North Queensland lime. It is met with in the scrubs of the Russell River, and
+is described by Mr. Bailey as bearing a greater resemblance to the cultivated
+species than the two former varieties. It produces a fruit over 2 inches long
+by 1&frac14; inches in diameter, having a thin rind and a juicy pulp of a sharply
+acid flavour, so that even in its wild state it is a desirable fruit, and takes
+the place of the cultivated lemon. Where native species flourish as they do
+here, there is every probability of cultivated species thriving equally well, and
+this is found to be the case in practice.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus059-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus059-1400.jpg" width="400" height="235" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">A young Orange Orchard, Woombye District.</div>
+
+<p>No fruits are more generally distributed or have a wider range in this
+State than those of the Citrus family, as, with the exception of the colder parts
+of the Downs, where the winter temperature is too low, the Gulf country, and
+the dry Western districts, where there is no water available for irrigation,
+they can be grown from one end of the State to the other, provided that they
+are planted in suitable soil, and that, in the drier parts, there is an available
+supply of suitable water with which to irrigate them during the prevalence of
+long dry spells. The country adjoining the eastern seaboard, extending from
+the Tweed River in the South to Cooktown in the North&mdash;a distance of about
+1,100 miles, and extending inland for nearly 100 miles&mdash;is naturally suited to
+the growth of citrus fruits, and there is probably no country in the world that
+is better adapted to, or that can produce the various kinds of these fruits to
+greater perfection or with less trouble, than this portion of Queensland. Of
+course, the whole of this large area is not adapted for citrus culture, as it
+contains many different kinds of soils, several of which are not suitable for
+the growth of these fruits, and there is also a large extent of country which is
+too broken and otherwise unsuitable. At the same time there are hundreds
+of thousands of acres of land in this area in which the soil and natural
+conditions are eminently suited to the growth of citrus fruit, and in which
+the tenderest varieties of these fruits may be grown to perfection without
+the slightest chance of their being injured by frost; and where the natural
+rainfall is such that, provided the trees receive ordinary care and cultivation,
+there is seldom any necessity for artificial irrigation. At the present time
+there are hundreds of citrus trees growing practically wild in different parts
+of the coastal country that are in vigorous health and producing heavy crops
+of good fruit, even though they are uncultivated, unpruned, unmanured, and
+have to hold their own against a vigorous growth of native and introduced
+shrubs, trees, and weeds. When the orange, lime, citron, or common lemon
+become established under conditions that are favourable for their proper
+development, they apparently become as hardy as the indigenous plants, and
+are able to hold their own against them, thus showing how well the climate
+and suitable soils of coastal Queensland are adapted for the cultivation of
+citrus fruits. The commercial cultivation of citrus fruits is at present practically
+confined to this coastal area, the most important centres, starting from
+the South, being Nerang, Coomera, Redland Bay, Brisbane, Enoggera, Gatton,
+Grantham, Toowoomba, North Coast line from North Pine to Gympie including
+the Blackall Range and Buderim Mountain; the Wide Bay district, including
+Maryborough, Tiaro, Mount Bauple, Gayndah, Pialba, and Burrum; the
+Burnett district, including Bundaberg and Mullet Creek; the Fitzroy district,
+including Rockhampton and Yeppoon; Bowen, Cardwell, Murray River, Tully
+River, Cairns and district, Port Douglas, and Cooktown. In addition to
+these districts a few citrus fruits are grown at Mackay, Townsville, and several
+other places. Citrus fruits are also grown further inland, but their cultivation
+here is largely dependent on the ability to supply the trees with suitable
+water for irrigation during dry spells. Frosts have also to be taken into
+consideration, for, though the days are warm, the temperature often falls
+considerably during the night, owing to the great radiation, and citrus-trees
+in districts like Roma, Emerald, &amp;c., are liable to injury thereby. West of
+Emerald, at Bogantungan, Barcaldine, and other places, citrus fruits do very
+well with irrigation. Some of the finest lemons, Washington Navel, and other
+improved varieties of oranges are grown here to perfection, the lemons especially
+being of high quality, and curing down equal to the imported Italian or
+Californian article. The soil in many of the inland districts is well suited
+to the culture of citrus fruits, and when the trees are given the necessary
+water, and are uninjured by frost, they produce excellent fruit. I stated, some
+short distance back, that there is probably no country in the world that is
+better adapted to the cultivation of or that can produce the various kinds of
+citrus fruits to greater perfection or with less trouble than the eastern seaboard
+of Queensland. To many of my readers this may seem to be a very broad
+statement; but I am certain that, if suitable trees are planted in the right
+soil and under favourable conditions, and are given anything like the same
+care and attention that is devoted to the culture of citrus fruits in the great
+producing centres for these fruits in other parts of the world, we have
+nothing to fear either as regards the cost of production or the quality of the
+fruit produced. In order to exemplify this, it may be interesting to compare
+our capabilities with those of the principal citrus-producing districts north of
+the equator. To begin with, I will take Florida, which more nearly approaches
+our climatic conditions than any other citrus-growing country that I know of,
+and which is noted for the excellence of its citrus fruit, and we find that we
+have all its advantages except that of proximity to the world's markets, without
+its disadvantages. We have a better and richer soil, requiring far less
+expensive artificial fertilisers to maintain its fertility, and at a very much lower
+price. We can grow equally as good fruit; in fact, it is questionable if Florida
+ever produced a citrus fruit equal in quality to the Beauty of Glen Retreat
+Mandarin, a Queensland production. We get as heavy, if not heavier, crops,
+and our trees come into bearing very early. We have no freeze-outs similar to
+those which have crippled the industry in Florida so severely in the past that
+many of their wealthy growers are actually covering in whole orchards of many
+acres in extent as a protection from frost. This covering-in is accomplished
+by means of a framework of timber having slat-work or panel sides and tops&mdash;in
+fact, by enclosing their orchards in a huge elaborate bush-house, which
+is further protected by the heat produced by six large heating stoves or salamanders
+to each acre of trees enclosed. If it pays the Florida growers to
+go to all this expense in order to prevent freeze-outs and to produce first-class
+fruit, surely we can compete with them when a seed stuck in the right soil
+under favourable conditions will produce a strong, vigorous, healthy tree,
+bearing good crops without any attention whatever.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus061-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus061-1400.jpg" width="400" height="246" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">An Orange Orchard, near Woombye.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus063-1400.jpg" width="286" height="400" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Orange Trophy in the Moreton District Exhibit at the Brisbane Exhibition.</div>
+
+<p>In comparing Queensland with the citrus-producing districts of Southern
+Europe, we have the advantage of better and cheaper land, absence of frost,
+more vigorous growth, earlier maturity of the trees, and superior fruit; but
+with the advantage of cheaper and more skilful labour, especially in the
+handling and marketing of fruit, and proximity to the world's markets in
+their favour.</p>
+
+<p>As compared with California, our soil is no better than theirs, but it costs
+much less, and their citrus industry is dependent on artificial irrigation, their
+natural rainfall being altogether inadequate for the growth of citrus fruits.
+Californian conditions more nearly approach those of our inland districts, such
+as Barcaldine, with the exception that the only rainfall in California is during
+the winter, whereas in Barcaldine and similar districts the heaviest fall is
+during the summer months, but, in both, the successful culture of these fruits
+depends on irrigation.</p>
+
+<p>In Jaffa, also, where the oranges are of large size and extra quality, the
+trees have to be carefully irrigated and manured, as these operations are found
+to be essential to the production of marketable fruit.</p>
+
+<p>These few instances show how favourably the conditions prevailing in
+Queensland compare with those of the great citrus-growing districts of Europe
+and America, especially in the matter of soil and climate, and I feel confident
+that, if the industry were taken up in the same business-like manner that it has
+been done in California and Florida, we could easily hold our own against
+any part of the world. In comparing Queensland with the rest of the world
+we have the advantage&mdash;also shared by New South Wales and South Africa&mdash;of
+ripening our fruit at a time of the year which is the off season in the citrus-producing
+countries to the north of the equator, so that our fruit does not
+clash with theirs, their ripening period and ours being at different times of
+the year. As regards our Australian market, our fruit ripening earlier than
+that of the Southern States, we are enabled to dispose of a considerable portion
+of our crop in the Southern markets before the local fruit is ready for gathering.
+This gives us three markets&mdash;first, a local one; secondly, a Southern one;
+and, finally, when this demand is supplied, an oversea market to Europe,
+America, and the East.</p>
+
+<p>When grown under favourable conditions, citrus-trees are heavy bearers
+in this State, it being no uncommon thing to meet with seedling or worked
+orange-trees of from ten to twelve years of age producing over twenty cases
+of marketable fruit to the tree, averaging about 10 dozen medium-sized fruit.</p>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" summary="List of Fruits Grown in Queensland">
+<tr><td align='center'><img src="images/illus064-1400.jpg" width="299" height="400" alt="" /></td><td align='center'><img src="images/illus065-1400.jpg" width="309" height="400" alt="" /></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center'>Bunch of Valencia late Oranges, <br /> Blackall Range District.</td><td align='center'>Washington Navel Oranges, <br /> Barcaldine District, Central Line.</td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<p>Citrus-trees of all kinds, particularly worked trees, come into bearing very
+early, and the returns obtained from an orchard rapidly increase. The illustrations
+give a good idea of the rapid growth, and a fair one of the crop of
+fruit the young trees are bearing, but the following examples, taken at random
+for the crop that was marketed in January, 1906, will show better how our
+trees bear:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>Mr. A., Blackall Range, marketed 7&frac14; cases per tree from a row of twenty-five
+Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins, planted April, 1900. A return of
+&pound;1 10s. per tree.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. B., from the same district, averaged 7 cases of Washington Navel
+Oranges per tree from trees six years old, which realised &pound;1 15s. per tree,
+and 8 cases of Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins from trees of the same age.
+The navels were large, and averaged 5 dozen per case, and the mandarins 10
+dozen per case.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. C, another district, averaged 6 cases of Valencia Late Oranges, from
+trees six years planted, and 10 cases per tree from Emperor Mandarins, nine
+years old.</p>
+
+<p>One twelve years old orange-tree in this district produced over 25 cases of
+fruit.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. D., same district as last; Washington Navels averaged 10 cases per
+tree, ten years planted, and have borne regular crops since three years old.</p></div>
+
+<p>Numerous other cases might be given, but the above are sufficient to show
+the earliness at which our trees bear, and the crops they yield. Trees in full
+bearing often yield up to 40 cases, but these are usually old seedlings, which
+bear a very heavy crop one year and a comparatively light crop the next. All
+the instances I have quoted are from worked trees, which are found to give the
+most regular and constant yields. Until quite recently, citrus-trees were almost
+entirely grown from seed in this State, with the result that we have a very
+large number of types, and many crosses between different species. This was
+not advisable, as a uniformity in type is desirable for marketing, hence the
+greater number of trees now being planted are of selected varieties of proved
+merit. Many of the seedlings have produced most excellent fruit, but a seedling
+has usually the disadvantage of being very full of seeds, and having a lot of
+rag (the indigestible fibre round the pulp) as compared with the worked
+varieties, which have either no seeds or very few seeds and little rag. Seedlings
+are also of many types, and they produce a lot of small fruit, thereby making
+an uneven sample, whereas worked trees produce fruit even in size and quality.
+Seedlings are probably the hardiest, and will stand the most neglect, but
+experience is showing that worked trees are the most profitable to grow. The
+growth of all kinds of citrus-trees from seed is a very simple matter, all that is
+necessary being a well-prepared seed bed of friable soil that is partially shaded
+from the heat of the sun, so as to protect the young plants. Selected, fully ripe
+fruit from well-grown, prolific, healthy trees is taken, and the seeds sown in
+rows in the seed bed, or broadcast when weeds are not likely to be any trouble.
+Fresh seed germinates quickly, and the young plants are soon ready to be
+transplanted into the nursery bed, where they are either worked over or allowed
+to remain seedlings. At twelve months old, from seed, a tree will have a stem-diameter
+of about &frac34;-inch, and a height of 3 to 4 feet, a growth about twice
+that made in the Southern States.</p>
+
+<p>The general remarks I have given respecting our fruit soils apply with
+equal force to those best adapted for citrus culture&mdash;viz., they must possess
+perfect drainage, and be of a friable nature. We are growing most of the best
+varieties of citrus fruit, the original trees from which they are now being
+propagated having been introduced into the State from the most celebrated
+citrus-producing districts in the world, and, as stated and shown by the
+accompanying illustrations, they are all doing well.</p>
+
+<p>The Washington Navel, the variety of orange most commonly grown in
+California, does remarkably well on our rich volcanic scrub soils, where it has
+proved itself a regular bearer of high-class fruit. The Mediterranean Sweet
+Orange, Valencia Late, and Jaffa also do well in many parts, the Valencia Late
+adapting itself to most districts. Many other kinds of oranges are grown, but
+the varieties mentioned are some of the best, and are the ones now being
+planted in the greatest quantity.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus067-1400.jpg" width="302" height="400" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Spray of Orange Blossom.</div>
+
+<p>In mandarins, all kinds do remarkably well, and I never saw this fruit
+produced to greater perfection in any part of the world than it is in Queensland.
+The varieties most commonly grown are: The Emperor or Canton, the
+Scarlet or Scarlet Emperor, Thorny or Tangerine, and Beauty of Glen Retreat,
+though there are many types of seedlings in addition to these well-known sorts.
+The grape fruit which is now so popular in America does well, but, so far,
+has not taken on in our markets. Citrons grow practically wild, and produce
+good fruit, for which there is a limited demand for peel. Their cultivation
+could be extended with ease were there a better demand for peel. The Seville
+Orange, which is used for the manufacture of marmalade, is an exceptionally
+hardy and prolific tree, and, were it required, we could easily grow enough of
+this fruit to supply the world. Lemons do best inland, or at an elevation of
+some 2,000 feet above sea-level, as this fruit is apt to become too coarse in the
+skin when grown in a humid climate. In suitable localities very good fruit can
+be grown, which compares very favourably with the European or American
+grown fruit.</p>
+
+<p>The lime does well in the more humid districts, taking the place of the
+lemon, and one variety&mdash;the Tahiti&mdash;has proved itself to be a heavy and
+regular bearer. The West Indian lime, from which the lime juice of commerce
+is made, is very easily grown, particularly in the more tropical parts, where
+it is often met with growing in an entirely uncultivated condition, and bearing
+heavy crops of fruit. Kumquats are easily grown, and are heavy bearers, and
+all the different types of pomelos or shaddocks do well. Seedlings of the
+latter are very hardy, as they are deep-rooted plants that stand dry weather
+well and are, consequently, not liable to injury during dry spells. There is
+very little demand for the fruit, but I am of opinion that the seedlings will
+prove to be of value as stocks on which to work our best kinds of oranges.</p>
+
+<p>The culture of all kinds of citrus fruits, when grown in suitable soil, is
+by no means difficult, as it consists mainly of keeping the land well stirred
+and keeping down all weed growth during dry spells, the keeping of the trees
+well pruned out in the centre, and the keeping in check of all diseases, both
+insect and fungus. Although citrus fruits are subject to many pests, they are
+for the most part easily kept in check by either spraying or cyaniding, or
+both, provided that reasonable care is taken, and the pests are destroyed before
+they have obtained control. Taken as a whole, our citrus fruits are remarkably
+clean, and compare more than favourably with those grown in the Southern
+States. The culture of these fruits is extending rapidly, with a corresponding
+increase in production, but, despite this, our prices have been better during the
+past season than for some years, as the quality of our fruit is such that it will
+command a good market. When properly handled, it has good keeping
+qualities, and I have no doubt that we will, in time, be able to supply the
+markets of the Old and New Worlds with good fruit, in the best of condition,
+at the time of the year that their markets are bare of locally-grown citrus fruit.</p>
+
+<p>There is a good opening for the growth of citrus fruits in this State, as
+the writer knows of no country where they do better, where they can be
+produced with as little trouble and expense, where they can be successfully
+grown over such a large area, or where the soil and climate is more suited to
+the production of fruits of the highest quality as in Queensland.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus069-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus069-1400.jpg" width="400" height="255" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Lisbon Lemon, Esk District.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PERSIMMON" id="THE_PERSIMMON"></a>THE PERSIMMON.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This exceedingly handsome fruit of Japanese origin is grown to a high
+state of perfection in this State, particularly in the coastal districts south of
+the tropic of Capricorn. It is a fruit of comparatively recent introduction, the
+oldest trees being less than thirty years of age, but has already become widely
+distributed, as well as a favourite fruit amongst many. It is a very showy
+fruit when well grown, but must be thoroughly ripe before it is eaten, as, if
+not, it is extremely astringent, and anyone who has tackled an unripe fruit
+has no wish to repeat the experience in a hurry. There are many varieties
+of this fruit, some of which are seedless, and others more or less seedy. The
+seedless kinds are usually preferred, as, as well as being seedless, they are the
+largest and handsomest fruit. The different kinds vary considerably in the
+size of tree, habit of growth, foliage, size and colour of fruit, &amp;c. All are
+easily grown, and most kinds are good and regular bearers. They do well on
+any fruit soil, and some of the dwarf-growing kinds are well adapted for
+growing in private gardens, on account of the small amount of room they take
+up. The trees are deciduous, and, as a rule, are not much troubled with pests.
+So far, the use of the fruit is confined to its consumption fresh, though in
+Japan it is dried in a similar manner to apricots or peaches.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus071-1400.jpg" width="400" height="275" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Persimmons.</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_LOQUAT" id="THE_LOQUAT"></a>THE LOQUAT.</h2>
+
+<p>A handsome evergreen tree, that can be grown in the more Southerly
+coast districts, in the foothills of the coast range, and on the coast tablelands.
+There are several types of the fruit, whose chief value consists in that it ripens
+its fruit in early spring, when there is a shortage of stone fruits, and that it
+withstands wind well, so makes a good break for the protection of exposed
+orchards. Its cultivation is not extensive, nor is it likely to become so.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus072-1400.jpg" width="303" height="400" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Fruit of Loquat (&frac12; natural size).</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_DATE_PALM" id="THE_DATE_PALM"></a>THE DATE PALM.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Although this extremely valuable fruit is grown in this State more as an
+ornament than for its commercial value, there is nothing to prevent its culture
+on a scale sufficiently large to supply the Australian requirements. It is grown
+in many places along the coast, as well as in the foothills country of the coastal
+range, but it does best in situations that more nearly resemble its natural
+habitat&mdash;viz., in districts having a hot dry air, a deep sandy loam or sandy
+soil, and a good supply of moisture in the soil. This latter condition does not
+occur naturally, but can be supplied artificially in our Western lands, where
+there is a good supply of artesian water of a quality suitable to the plants'
+requirements. Here the date palm thrives, and produces huge bunches of
+fruit. Little, if any, cultivation is necessary when once the palm is firmly
+established; provided it has an ample but not excessive supply of moisture,
+it is able to take care of itself.</p>
+
+<p>The date palm is a di&oelig;cious plant&mdash;that is to say, the male organs, or
+stamens, are produced on one plant, and the female organs, or pistils, on
+another, and this necessitates the growing of the two sexes in proximity to
+each other, in order that the female flowers may be fertilised and produce
+perfect fruit. This is best accomplished artificially, the pollen from a fully
+developed bunch of male flowers being shaken over the bunch of female
+flowers. Infertile fruit contains no seeds, and is of small size and inferior
+quality, whereas the fertile fruit is both large and good.</p>
+
+<p>The date palm is a handsome ornamental plant, and in the hot and dry
+Western districts, where it thrives best, it forms a splendid shelter from the
+sun for both man and beast. So far, very little attention has been given to its
+growth, few persons knowing how to fertilise the flowers or even taking the
+trouble to see that they have plants of both sexes. There is no reason why this
+should be so, as there would be a good local demand for the properly-cured
+fruit, and I believe that, were its culture carried out in a thorough business
+manner, it would become a profitable industry, and one capable of supplying
+our Australian market.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus073-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus073-1400.jpg" width="246" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Date Palms in fruit at Barcaldine.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PECAN_NUT" id="THE_PECAN_NUT"></a>THE PECAN NUT.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Another little-known fruit which does well in this State. It belongs to
+the hickory family, and closely resembles the walnut. There are trees now
+growing in the Maryborough district that are some 15 inches in diameter at
+the trunk, and from 40 to 50 feet in height, that bear regular and heavy crops
+of nuts, and that have stood drought and been under flood. For years the
+trees have received no cultivation, and they have shown themselves to be as
+hardy as the adjacent indigenous trees. The trees are easily raised from seed,
+and come into bearing in about eight years. Like all nut fruits, it is advisable
+to set the nut where the tree is to remain permanently, if it is possible to do
+so, as it produces a very deep taproot, with few laterals, and is consequently
+difficult to shift. The soil on which it does best is an alluvial loam, and, if
+possible, it should not be more than 30 feet to water, as the tree, being a very
+deep rooter, will penetrate a free soil to that depth. It will do on other free
+loamy soils, but will not make the same growth as when planted in free
+alluvials. It has been tested in several parts of the State, and it is probable
+that it will be found to thrive over a considerable area of the coastal and
+coastal tablelands districts. It produces an olive or acorn shaped nut, having a
+thin shell, and of a flavour closely resembling that of a good walnut, and will
+be a valuable addition to our list of nut fruits once it becomes better known.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus075-1400.jpg" width="262" height="400" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Date Fruit (natural size).</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="JAPANESE_PLUMS" id="JAPANESE_PLUMS"></a>JAPANESE PLUMS.</h2>
+
+
+<p>All varieties of this fruit thrive well and bear heavily in the more Southerly
+part of our coast country, as well as on the country immediately adjacent to
+it, the coastal tablelands, and several other parts of the State. The trees are
+rapid growers, come into bearing very early, and often bear enormous crops of
+fruit. They are good fruits for home consumption or for the fresh-fruit trade,
+but are not equal to European varieties of plums for preserving, drying, or
+jam-making. In this State they have one very great drawback, and that is
+their liability to the attack of the fruit fly, a pest that very frequently destroys
+the entire crop. For home use they are, however, a very useful fruit to grow,
+provided that the trees are kept dwarf, so that they can be covered with a
+cheap mosquito netting as a protection from the fly, as they are very easily
+grown, are by no means particular as to the kind of soil on which planted, and
+are heavy bearers.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHICKASAW_PLUMS" id="CHICKASAW_PLUMS"></a>CHICKASAW PLUMS.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This family of American plums does well in the same districts as the
+Japanese varieties just dealt with, but has the advantage of being resistant
+to the fruit fly. The trees are usually more or less straggling growers, the
+fruit is of small size, but good for cooking or jam-making. One or more of
+the varieties of this plum are bad setters, though they blossom profusely, but
+this may be overcome either by working two varieties which bloom at the same
+time on to the same stock, or by planting varieties that bloom at the same
+time together, as the pollen from the one will set the fruit of the other. It
+is a good plum for home use or marketing, despite its small size, as it is
+easily grown, requires little attention, and is not over particular as to soil.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHINESE_PEACHES" id="CHINESE_PEACHES"></a>CHINESE PEACHES.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Peaches of Chinese origin thrive well on the coast, and are extremely
+hardy. The fruit is not, as a rule, of high quality when compared with that
+of the Persian varieties, but their earliness and ease with which they can be
+grown causes them to be planted by many who have small gardens. Like the
+Japanese plums they are, however, very subject to the attack of fruit fly, and
+require to be kept dwarf and covered in a similar manner if any good is to
+be got from them. On the coast, they are practically evergreen, as they never
+lose their leaves entirely, and are in blossom during the winter. When grown
+on the tablelands, this early blossoming is a disadvantage, as the blossoms are
+liable to be injured by frost, but in these districts peaches of Persian origin
+can be grown instead.</p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="FIGS" id="FIGS"></a>FIGS.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Several kinds of figs can be grown successfully in the Southern coast
+districts, the first crop ripening before Christmas, but the second or main crop
+is often a failure, owing to the fact that it ripens during our wet season, and
+the fruit consequently sours and bursts. As one recedes from the coast, the
+fruit does better, and is less liable to injury from excessive wet. The coastal
+tablelands and the more Western Downs grow it well, and the trees, when
+planted on soil of a rich friable nature, grow to a large size and bear heavily.
+Many varieties are grown, which are used fresh or converted into jam, but no
+attempt has been made to dry them, though it is possible that this industry
+may eventually be found profitable in the drier parts of the State, where there
+is water available for the trees' use at certain periods of the year, but not
+during the fruiting period, as it cannot well be too dry then if a good quality of
+dried figs is to be turned out. This fruit is easily grown, and is not at all
+subject to serious pests, so that anyone who will take reasonable care can produce
+all that is required for home use or local sale, as its softness renders it a
+difficult fruit to ship long distances in a hot climate.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_MULBERRY" id="THE_MULBERRY"></a>THE MULBERRY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This is one of the hardiest fruits we have, one of the most rapid growers,
+and one of the most prolific. There are several varieties in cultivation, and
+those of Japanese or Chinese origin will grow from the coast to the interior,
+and thrive either in an extremely dry or humid climate. The common English
+or black mulberry does not do too well as a rule, though there are many fine
+trees scattered throughout the State, but the other sorts are as hardy as native
+trees. The fruit is not of any great value, still, as it is so easily grown, it
+finds a place in most gardens, and in time of drought the leaves and young
+branches are readily eaten by all kinds of stock, so that it is a good standby
+for stock as well as a fruit.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STRAWBERRY" id="THE_STRAWBERRY"></a>THE STRAWBERRY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>To those who have been accustomed to look upon the strawberry as a
+fruit of the purely temperate regions, it will be somewhat of a revelation to
+know that exceptionally fine fruit can be grown right on the Queensland
+coast, and well within the tropics, and that on the coast, between the 26th to
+the 28th degrees of south latitude, we are probably producing as fine fruit and
+obtaining as heavy crops as are produced in any of the older strawberry-growing
+countries. Not only this, but that we are able to supply the Southern markets
+of Australia with finer fruit than they can produce locally, and at a time of the
+year that they cannot grow it. As I have already mentioned when dealing
+with other fruits, one thing that particularly impresses strangers is the early
+age at which our fruits come into bearing. This is borne out in the case of
+the strawberry to a marked degree, as runners set in April fruit in July, and
+often earlier, and will continue to bear, given reasonable weather, right up to
+Christmas or even longer. New plants are set out every year, and the plantation
+is seldom allowed to stand more than two years, as the young plants
+produce the finest fruit. There is a good demand for the fruit, the larger
+berries being packed in flat cases holding a single layer of fruit, as shown in
+the illustration, and being sold for consumption fresh, whereas the smaller
+berries are packed in kegs and sent direct to the factories for conversion into
+jam. The strawberry grows well on various soils, but does best with us on a
+rich loam of medium texture, of a reddish-brown or even black colour. It
+should be planted in districts that are free from frosts where early fruit is
+desired, as frosts injure the blossoms, but where jam fruit only is wanted this
+is not so necessary. The land requires to be thoroughly well prepared, and the
+plants are usually set out in rows about 2 feet apart, with the plants about
+1 foot apart in the row. Under favourable conditions they grow very rapidly,
+and soon start flowering. Their cultivation is usually confined to comparatively
+small areas of 2 or 3 acres in extent, as the labour of picking and packing
+is usually done by the grower himself with the assistance of his family. They
+are often planted between the rows of trees in young orchards, thus bringing
+in a return whilst the trees are coming into bearing, and helping to keep the
+pot boiling. They grow well on our coastal scrub lands, and have proved
+a great assistance to many a beginner, as one has not long to wait before
+obtaining a return.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus077-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus077-1400.jpg" width="400" height="282" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Strawberry Garden, Mooloolah District.</div>
+
+<p>The productiveness of this fruit in Queensland is phenomenal, as high as
+5 tons of berries having been taken off 1 acre in a single season. There are
+many varieties of strawberries in cultivation, some of which have been produced
+locally from seed, and have turned out extremely well, being of better flavour,
+stronger growers, and heavier bearers than introduced varieties&mdash;in fact, local
+seedlings have adapted themselves to local conditions, and stand our climate
+better than those varieties which are natives of colder countries.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus079-1400.jpg" width="400" height="249" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Marguerite Strawberry.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus079-2400.jpg" width="400" height="258" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Marguerite Strawberry packed for market.</div>
+
+<p>The case berries, which are used for fresh consumption, fetch a fair price,
+especially early in the season, but jam fruit sells at an average of 2-1/2d. per lb.,
+at which price it pays fair wages, but is not a bonanza. As a rule the plants
+are very healthy, and any fungus pests to which they are subject, such as
+leaf blight, are easily kept in check by spraying, a knapsack pump being used
+for this purpose. The ground is kept well worked and free from weeds, whilst
+the plants are fruiting, and occasionally the ground is mulched, as is the case
+in the plot shown in the illustration. No special knowledge is necessary for
+their culture, but, at the same time, thorough cultivation and careful attention
+to details in the growing of the plants make a considerable difference in the
+total returns.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus080-1400.jpg" width="400" height="264" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Forman's Strawberry, Brisbane District.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CAPE_GOOSEBERRY" id="CAPE_GOOSEBERRY"></a>CAPE GOOSEBERRY.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This Peruvian fruit, introduced into this State <i>vi&acirc;</i> the Cape of Good Hope,
+hence its name, has now spread throughout the greater part of the tropical
+and semi-tropical portions of Queensland. Its spread has largely been brought
+about by the agency of fruit-eating birds, that have distributed the seeds
+widely by means of their castings. It is one of the first plants to make its
+appearance in newly burnt-off scrub land, and often comes up in such numbers
+as to give a full crop of fruit. In other cases it is usual to scatter a quantity
+of seed on such land, so as to be sure of securing a plant. No cultivation is
+given; the plant grows into a straggling bush bearing a quantity of fruit which
+is enclosed in a parchment-like husk. The fruit is gathered, husked, and is
+then ready for market. The bulk of the fruit is grown in this manner, and
+as it can be grown on land that is not yet ready for any other crop (grass or
+maize excepted) it is a great help to the beginner, as a good crop and fair
+prices can usually be obtained. The name "gooseberry" is somewhat misleading,
+as it is not a gooseberry at all, is not like it, nor does it belong to the
+same natural order. It is a plant belonging to the order Solanace&aelig;, which
+includes such well-known plants as the potato, tomato, tobacco, &amp;c., and
+altogether unlike the common gooseberry, which, by the way, is one of the
+fruits that we cannot do much with. In addition to being grown in the wild
+manner I have described, it is occasionally cultivated in a systematic manner,
+somewhat like the tomato, but not to any extent; growers preferring to depend
+on it as a first return from newly fallen and burnt-off scrub land. As a fruit
+it meets with a very ready sale, as it is one of the best cooking fruits grown;
+plainly stewed and served with cream, made into puddings or pies, or converted
+into jam, it is hard to beat. The jam has a distinct flavour of its own, one that
+one soon becomes very partial to, besides which it is an attractive-looking jam
+that, were it better known in the world's markets, would, I feel sure, meet with
+a ready sale at satisfactory rates. The plant is somewhat susceptible to cold,
+hence it does best in a district free from frost, but it is not killed out by light
+frosts, only killed back, and its crop put back. Like all plants belonging to
+the same natural order, it likes a good soil, rich in available potash, and this is
+probably the reason why it does so well on newly burnt-off scrub, the ashes of
+which provide an ample supply of available potash.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_OLIVE" id="THE_OLIVE"></a>THE OLIVE.</h2>
+
+
+<p>A much-neglected fruit in this State, as it is also in most English-speaking
+countries. Few English people are fond of either the fruit or the oil, and yet
+it is probable that there is no tree that for the space it occupies will produce
+a greater annual return of food than the olive. A number of trees are scattered
+throughout the State, some of which are now of large size and fair age, but,
+so far, practically nothing beyond making a few gallons of oil and pickling a
+few gallons of fruit has been attempted, and this only in a purely experimental
+manner.</p>
+
+<p>The present condition of the olive industry is destined to have a wakening
+up ere long, as a country that can produce this fruit in such quantities and of
+such a quality as the lighter soils of the Darling Downs is destined some day
+to be one of the largest producers of olives on earth. Some years since I
+planted a number of the best varieties of olives&mdash;trees obtained direct from
+California&mdash;on the Darling Downs, in land that I considered suitable for their
+growth, and which was properly prepared prior to planting. The trees here
+have made a really phenomenal growth, they came into bearing within three
+years of planting, and have borne steadily ever since. They have proved
+enormous bearers, and an experimental crushing showed that the oil was of
+high quality.</p>
+
+<p>There are large areas of similar country to that in which they are planted
+in different parts of the State, and I feel certain that this really valuable food
+fruit is bound some day to be a considerable source of our national wealth.
+So far, the drawback to the growth of olives has been the cost of gathering the
+fruit and the limited demand for the oil or pickled fruit, but, against this, it
+has many advantages, one, and by no means the least, of which is its value as
+a shade and shelter tree on our open treeless plains. It is also a very hardy
+tree, withstanding drought well, and thriving in land that is too stony for the
+cultivation of ordinary farm crops. It is a healthy tree, free from most fruit
+pests other than the olive scale, which can be kept in check by spraying or
+cyaniding; and last, but not least, it is an ornamental tree whose wood is of
+considerable value. The olive does best with us in loamy soils of fair depth
+and basaltic origin, that are moderately rich in lime and potash, and have a
+fair drainage. A subsoil of decomposed rock answers well. It will, however,
+do on several other kinds of soil, but it is in the type that I have just described
+that it does so well, and in which I would recommend its culture on a large
+scale. It will stand a fair amount of frost as well as great heat, and I have
+never seen the trees injured by either on our Downs country. I have also seen
+trees doing well right on the coast, where they have been subject to heavy
+rainfalls, so that it appears to adapt itself to the conditions prevailing in many
+parts of our State.</p>
+
+<p>In addition to the fruits I have briefly described, there are several others
+of minor importance that can be grown successfully, but, as they are not of
+any great value commercially, I will leave them out, and go on to the fruits of
+our more temperate districts, as, in addition to growing the tropical and semi-tropical
+fruits which I have already dealt with, Queensland can also produce
+temperate climate fruits to a very high degree of perfection.</p>
+
+<p>The fruits of the temperate regions that we are able to grow include the
+apple, pear, plum, prune, quince, apricot, Persian peach, nectarine, almond,
+walnut, chestnut, cherry, &amp;c., as well as some of the hardier fruits which I have
+classed as semi-tropical&mdash;viz., the Japanese plum, persimmon, Chickasaw plum,
+strawberry, &amp;c. The districts adapted for the growth of the distinctly temperate
+fruits are mostly situated in the Southern portion of the State, and at
+an elevation of from 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea-level&mdash;districts having a
+warm summer but a comparatively cold winter, during which frosts are by no
+means uncommon, but where snow rarely falls; a healthy climate, with warm
+days and cool nights, to which many visitors go during the heat of summer,
+when the humidity of the coast is somewhat trying to persons not naturally
+robust. The Downs country, particularly its southern or Stanthorpe end, is the
+most suitable; the soil is mainly of granitic origin, and is very suitable for the
+growth of apples, stone fruit, and grapes, but the latter I will deal with by
+themselves later on. The country is by no means rich from an agricultural
+standpoint, and is considerably broken, but, as already stated, it is admirably
+adapted for the growth of fruit, and within the last ten years at least 100,000
+fruit trees, mostly apples, plums, and peaches, have been planted out and are
+doing well. The Stanthorpe show, which is held annually during the month of
+February, is always noted for the excellence of its fruit exhibits, which would
+be hard to beat, both for size, quality, and appearance. The fruits ripen earlier
+than similar varieties grown in the Southern States, hence supply our markets
+at a time when there is little outside competition, and, consequently, meet with
+a ready sale at fair prices. The fruit grown in the largest quantity is the
+apple, so I will deal with it first.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_APPLE" id="THE_APPLE"></a>THE APPLE.</h2>
+
+<p>As a description of this well-known and universally used fruit is entirely
+superfluous, I will confine my remarks to the types of fruit grown, and their
+method of growth. Owing to the fact that our fruits ripen much earlier than
+similar varieties in more southern parts of Australia, we have gone in largely
+for early varieties of apples, both for cooking and table use, but have not confined
+our attention to them entirely, as good-keeping sorts are found to do
+equally well, and have been shown at the annual exhibition that is held in
+Brisbane during August, in perfect condition, showing that the fruit has good
+keeping qualities. The soil on which the apple is mostly grown is largely
+composed of granitic matter, and is of a sharp, sandy, loamy nature, often of
+a gritty character. It is usually rich in potash, the predominating felspar being
+orthoclase, but somewhat deficient in nitrogen and phosphoric acid. It is
+usually easy to work, of fair depth, and retains moisture well when kept in a
+thorough state of tilth. The trees are usually planted at from 20 to 25 feet
+apart each way, when they are either one year or two years old from the graft
+or bud. They are headed low, so as to shade the ground from the heat of the
+sun, and also so as to facilitate the handling of the crop when grown, as well
+as to prevent their swaying about with the wind. The trees make a rapid
+growth, come into bearing very early, often bearing a fair crop three years
+after planting, and fruiting even earlier. The fruit of the early varieties has
+usually a handsome appearance, but lacks keeping qualities, but the later fruits
+are both handsome, high-coloured fruit, and good keepers. The trees are not
+very liable to disease, as, thanks to all varieties being worked on blight-resistant
+stocks, there is very little American blight (woolly aphis). Scale
+insects do a certain amount of damage, but are easily kept in check by winter
+spraying, and codling moth is not bad unless grossly neglected, many orchards
+being quite free from this great pest of the apple-grower. So far, the growing
+of apples has been confined entirely to the growing of fruit for the local
+markets, no attempt having been made to export same. A very small quantity
+is dried, and a little is used for jelly.</p>
+
+<p>Many varieties of apples have been tested in this State, but growers have
+found out that it pays them best to confine their attention to comparatively
+few sorts that have proved to be the best suited to the soil and climate, as a
+few good kinds are much more profitable to grow than a mere collection of
+varieties. Many varieties are prone to overbear, and trees of large size have
+produced enormous crops of fruit, whereas young trees frequently break
+down under the weight of their crop. The usual plan is to plant a few varieties
+that ripen in succession, so as to extend the season over as long a period as
+possible, and not to cause a glutted market at any one time. Early fruits particularly
+are not noted for their keeping qualities, and a market glutted with
+such would entail a heavy loss to growers, hence a succession of varieties that
+suit the district as well as the market is grown.</p>
+
+<p>Nearly all kinds of apples do well, those that are resistant to the attack
+of woolly aphis are, however, generally chosen in preference, even though they
+may not be of the highest quality, as their prolificness and freedom from this
+pest renders them more profitable than varieties of superior quality that are
+liable to blight, and that are at the same time often somewhat indifferent
+bearers. It is outside the scope of this paper to go into the question of
+varieties, but I may mention that such sorts as Irish Peach, Gravenstein,
+Summer Scarlet Pearmain, Twenty-ounces, Jonathan, Lord Suffield, Rome
+Beauty, and Prince Bismarck do remarkably well, and many other well-known
+kinds can be grown to perfection.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus084-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus084-1400.jpg" width="261" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Prince of Pippins Apple, Darling Downs District.</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PEACH" id="THE_PEACH"></a>THE PEACH.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This king of the temperate fruits grows with us to perfection. The tree
+is hardy, a rapid grower, comes into bearing early, and is, if anything, inclined
+to overbear. It can be grown over a considerable part of our coastal and
+inland downs, as well as the Stanthorpe district, and thrives in many kinds
+of soil, from light sandy loams of poor quality to rich loams of medium texture
+or even heavier. In this State, the peach is always grown on peach roots,
+the desired variety being either budded or grafted on to a seedling peach,
+and the resulting tree is planted out when it has made one year's growth.
+No tree is easier to grow, but if the best returns are desired, it requires very
+careful pruning for the first three years, after which an annual winter pruning
+is usually all that is necessary. The young tree is such a strong grower that
+unless it is heavily cut back it becomes top-heavy and breaks to pieces with
+the weight of fruit, but when hard cut back for the first two years, so that
+it has a good main stem and strong primary branches, it will form a strong
+tree, and stand up well under a heavy crop of fruit. The strong growth it
+makes necessitates heavy pruning when large fruit is desired&mdash;and it is large
+showy fruit which sells best here&mdash;as were the tree allowed to go unpruned, it
+would bear enormous numbers of fruit, many of which would be of small size.
+Growers now realise this, and many of our orchards are well pruned, whereas
+a few years since the trees were allowed to grow pretty much as they like.</p>
+
+<p>The peach remains profitable much longer here than it does in California,
+as the trees do not wear out so quickly, the roots remaining sound up to the
+last, so that, unless the top is too far gone, the life of the tree may usually be
+extended for several years by heading hard back and forming an entirely new
+head to the tree. Trees in full bearing often produce fully 1,000 lb. weight of
+fruit in a single season. This is, of course, very much above the average, but
+by no means exceptional. When in their third season, they should bear enough
+to pay for all working expenses.</p>
+
+<p>A very large number of varieties have been tested in Queensland, most
+of which do well, but, as in the case of apples, we find from experience that it
+is best to stick to a few kinds, and those that have proved to be most suitable
+to our soil and climate, rather than to experiment with a large number of
+varieties.</p>
+
+<p>The usual plan is to plant a number of varieties that ripen in succession,
+as with the apple, so as to spread the season over as long a time as possible,
+and to stick to kinds that bear well, look well, and ship well, for appearance
+will usually beat quality, and fetch more money.</p>
+
+<p>So far, little has been done in the way of utilising the peach, as the
+demand for the fresh fruit has been equal to our supply. There is, however,
+no reason why we should not be able to establish and maintain a fair canning
+and drying trade, should the production overcome the demand for the fresh
+fruit, as our peaches are of large size, and will can and dry well&mdash;that is to say,
+varieties adapted to those purposes will do so.</p>
+
+<p>The nectarine, which is simply a smooth-skinned peach, does equally well,
+many varieties bear heavily, and some produce fruit of exceptional merit. I
+have seen as fine nectarines grown in the Stanthorpe district as I have met
+with in any part of Australia or America, fruit of large size and the highest
+flavour, that compared favourably with the finest hothouse-grown fruit of the
+Old World.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus087-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus087-1400.jpg" width="400" height="246" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Peach Avenue, Darling Downs District.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PLUM" id="THE_PLUM"></a>THE PLUM.</h2>
+
+<p>As already mentioned, plums of Japanese and American origin (Chickasaw)
+do well in the more coastal districts. They also bear heavily on our
+coastal downs and more western country, but some kinds of Japanese plums
+blossom too early for the Stanthorpe district. European plums, however, do
+well, and are heavy bearers. All kinds do not bear heavily, the freest bearers
+being those of the damson family&mdash;White Magnum Bonum and Diamond
+type. Prunes also do well. Plums of European origin do best in the coldest
+districts, but their cultivation is not confined entirely to these, as some
+varieties thrive well in warmer and drier parts of the country. So far, there
+has been a ready sale for all the plums we can produce for fresh consumption,
+excepting some of the smaller plums of the damson type, which have been
+converted into jam. It is not a fruit, however, in which there is much money,
+as it is too easily grown in the Southern States, and can there be converted
+into jam or canned at a lower rate than we can do here, hence our cultivation
+will be more or less confined to the growing of large fruits for supplying our
+local markets rather than to the production of the fruit in quantity.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_APRICOT" id="THE_APRICOT"></a>THE APRICOT.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Most varieties of this fruit do well on our coastal downs country in the
+South, and to a certain extent further west. The trees are very rapid growers,
+and bear heavily. The earlier ripening fruit usually escapes damage from
+fruit fly, but the late fruit often suffers considerably.</p>
+
+<p>The apricot does best in a fairly strong rich soil, when it makes a great
+growth, and bears heavy crops of large-sized fruit. It also does well on sandier
+soils, which produce a firmer and better-drying fruit. So far, although a
+number of trees are planted throughout the State, the cultivation of the fruit
+is mainly confined to the production of table fruit, drying or canning having
+been carried out to a small extent only. The apricot grows to a large tree,
+and lives to a good old age. Like the peach, it is a very vigorous grower when
+young, requiring severe pruning in consequence, but, when once shaped, the
+trees require little in the way of pruning other than the removal of superfluous
+branches and an annual shortening in winter.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_CHERRY" id="THE_CHERRY"></a>THE CHERRY.</h2>
+
+<p>Queensland is almost outside the limit of the successful growth of this
+fruit, but not quite, as we produce the first fruit to ripen in Australia, which
+realises a high price on account of its earliness. Many varieties have been
+tested, but, so far, no one variety can be said to be a complete success in our
+climate, nor do the trees grow to the large size or produce as heavily as they
+do in the Southern States, where the winters are more clearly defined than they
+are in Queensland. Another drawback to the growth of this fruit is that the
+soils of our coldest district are not the best of cherry soils. The cherry likes a
+deep, moderately rich loam, whereas we are growing it mostly on sandy loams
+of a granitic origin. What fruit we do grow is good, and pays well on account
+of its earliness, but I do not consider that this State will ever be able to
+compete with the South in the growth of the cherry.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus089-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus089-1400.jpg" width="400" height="305" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Litchi, Mossman District.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_PEAR" id="THE_PEAR"></a>THE PEAR.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Many kinds of pears do well, but, unfortunately, this fine fruit is very
+liable to be attacked by fruit fly. It does well generally in the districts that
+I have mentioned as suitable for the apple, plum, and apricot. The tree is
+healthy, grows rapidly and to a large size. It comes into bearing remarkably
+early as compared with the pear in colder climates, and produces excellent
+fruit. I have grown as good Bartletts here as could be obtained anywhere,
+and the trees have proved to be good bearers and doers. This fruit does best
+on deep soils of a medium to strong loamy nature, and of good quality, though
+it does well in much freer soils, but does not make as good a growth or bear
+as heavily. It is usually grown on seedling-pear stocks, but the growing of
+suitable varieties on quince stocks and keeping the resultant trees dwarfed
+is to be recommended. This method of growing the pear does well here, and
+dwarf trees can be easily protected from fly, whereas it is practically impossible
+to deal with big trees, which the pear becomes when grown on pear roots.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_ALMOND" id="THE_ALMOND"></a>THE ALMOND.</h2>
+
+
+<p>This fruit does well in parts of our coastal tableland country, though its
+habit of blossoming too early in the season renders it very liable to injury
+from late frosts. The trees do remarkably well, grow rapidly, and bear heavily
+when the blossoms are uninjured by frost, hence it is a good tree to grow in
+selected situations containing suitable soil, as it commands a ready sale, and
+is very little troubled with pests. A free, sandy, loamy soil is best suited to
+the growth of the almond, and the situation should be well protected from
+frost. The trees are usually worked on peach stocks, on which they make a
+very rapid growth. Several varieties should be grown together, as a better set
+of fruit will be obtained by doing so, most almonds requiring the pollen of
+another variety flowering at the same time to render their flowers fertile. The
+almond grows into a handsome, shapely tree, and, when in blossom, an orchard
+is a sight not easily forgotten, the wealth of flowers being such that it must
+be seen to be fully appreciated.</p>
+
+<p>The walnut, chestnut, quince, blackberry, raspberry, and one or two other
+fruits of the temperate regions are also cultivated to a small extent, but are
+of no great value so far, though there is no reason why the walnut, which does
+well with us, should not be cultivated to a much greater extent than it is, as
+there is always a fair demand for the nuts. Blackberries of different kinds
+have been introduced, and do well, the common English blackberry almost too
+well, as unless kept in check it is apt to spread to such an extent as to be a
+nuisance. In addition to the cultivated fruits I have briefly mentioned as
+growing in Queensland, we have a number of native fruits growing in our
+scrubs and elsewhere that are worthy of cultivation with a view to their ultimate
+improvement. Of such are the Queensland nut, a handsome evergreen
+tree, bearing heavy crops of a very fine flavoured nut. The nut is about &frac34;-inch
+in diameter, but the shell is very hard and thick. It could no doubt be
+improved by selection and careful breeding. The Davidsonian plum is also
+another fruit of promise. It is a handsome tree of our tropical North coast,
+and bears a large plum-shaped fruit of a dark purple colour, with dark reddish
+purple flesh, which is extremely acid, but which is well worth cultivation.
+Several species of eugenias also produce edible fruit, and there are two species
+of wild raspberries common to our scrubs. There are the native citrus fruits
+I referred to in an earlier part of this paper, as well as several other less well-known
+fruits that are edible.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus091-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus091-1400.jpg" width="276" height="400" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Tamarind Tree, Port Douglas District.</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="GRAPE_CULTURE" id="GRAPE_CULTURE"></a>GRAPE CULTURE.</h2>
+
+
+
+<p>No work on fruit-growing in Queensland, however small, would be complete
+without due reference being made to the vine, the last but by no means
+the least important of our many fruits. Although the cultivation of this most
+useful and popular fruit has not reached to anything like the dimensions that
+vine culture has attained in the Southern States, particularly in the production
+of wine, there is no reason why it should not do so at no very distant future.
+We have many advantages not possessed by our Southern neighbours in the
+culture of the grape, the first and most important of which is that our crop
+ripens so much earlier than that of the South that we can secure the whole of
+the early markets without fear of any serious opposition. Until quite recently,
+grape culture was in a very backward state in Queensland, the grapes grown
+on the coast being nearly all American varieties, which are by no means the
+best wine or table sorts. A few grapes of European origin were grown on the
+Downs and in the Roma district, but their cultivation was practically confined
+thereto. Now, however, things have altered very much for the better. Many
+good varieties of European grapes have been proved suitable to the coastal
+climate of the Southern half of the State, and many inland districts other
+than Roma and the Downs have also proved that they, too, can and do grow
+first-class fruit both for table and wine.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus093-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus093-1400.jpg" width="400" height="241" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Grosse K&ouml;lner Vine in Fruit, Roma District (Gros Colman).</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus094-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus094-1400.jpg" width="400" height="259" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">Picking Grapes, Roma.</div>
+
+<p>Now the culture of the grape extends over a great part of the State, from
+the coast to the interior; in the latter, its successful growth depending on the
+necessary suitable water for irrigation, and on the coast to our knowledge of
+how to keep fungus pests, such as anthracnose, in check by winter treatment
+and spring spraying.</p>
+
+
+<p>In the Brisbane district many kinds of excellent table grapes are now
+grown, which meet with a ready sale, such as the well-known Black Hamburgh
+of English vineries, the Sweetwater, Snow's Muscat Hamburgh, Royal Ascot,
+&amp;c., as well as all the better kinds of American grapes, such as Iona, G&oelig;the,
+Wilder, &amp;c. A little wine is made, but more attention is given to table fruit.</p>
+
+<p>In the Maryborough, Gympie, and Bundaberg districts, similar grapes are
+also grown, and do well, ripening somewhat earlier than they do in Brisbane;
+and in the Rockhampton district, right on the tropic of Capricorn, some of the
+best table grapes I have seen in the State are produced. Further north a few
+grapes are grown, but not in any great quantities, and I consider that the
+profitable cultivation of good table grapes on the coast extends from our
+Southern border to a short distance north of the tropic of Capricorn and
+inland to all districts where there is either a sufficient rainfall or a supply of
+water from artesian bores, or otherwise, to enable them to be grown. Grapes
+here, as in other parts of the world, like moderately rich, free, loamy soils of
+good depth, free sandy loams, and free alluvial loams. In such soils they make
+a vigorous growth, and are heavy bearers. The granitic soils of the Stanthorpe
+district, that produce such good peaches, plums, and apples, grow excellent
+grapes, which ripen late. They are of large size, and conspicuous for their fine
+colour. The sandy soils of Roma and the Maranoa country generally grow
+excellent wine and table grapes, the latter being of large size, full flavour, and
+handsome appearance. Wine grapes also do well here, and some excellent
+wine has been made, both dark and light, natural and fortified. I have no
+doubt that eventually good rich port and the best of sherries will be produced
+in this district, as the soil and climate are admirably adapted to the production
+of these classes of wine. Our difficulty, so far, has been to find out the exact
+kinds of grapes to grow for this purpose, but now I am glad to say that we are
+on the right track, and the excellence of Queensland ports and sherries will be
+a recognised thing before many years are past. There is a big and good
+opening for up-to-date viticulturists in this State. We have any amount of
+suitable land at low rates, and, thanks to the generous sun heat of our interior,
+we can grow grapes capable of producing wines equal to the best that can be
+turned out by Spain, Portugal, or Madeira. In those districts that do not
+possess such an extreme climate, such as the coastal downs and the Stanthorpe
+districts, good wines of a lighter character can be produced, and, as already
+stated, good wines are now being made on the coast.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/illus095-1.jpg">
+<img src="images/illus095-1400.jpg" width="400" height="257" alt="" /></a></div>
+<div class="center">A Grape Vine in Fruit, Stanthorpe District.</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 25%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/illus097-1400.jpg" width="264" height="400" alt="" /></div>
+<div class="center">Madresfield Court Grape.</div>
+
+<p>It is only now that we are beginning to realise the value of the grape to
+Queensland, as, until our production increased to such an extent that our local
+markets were being over-supplied, our growers made no attempt to supply
+outside markets. Now this is being done, and better means of handling and
+packing the fruit, so as to enable it to be shipped long distances, are now
+coming into vogue. With improved methods of handling and packing, we have
+a greatly extended market, in which we will have no local competition, hence
+will be able to secure good returns, so much so that I consider that grape-growing
+in Queensland has a very promising outlook for some years to come
+at any rate. In addition to growing grapes to supply the fresh-fruit trade and
+for winemaking, our western country is capable of producing good raisins and
+sultanas. So far, this industry has not been entered into commercially, the
+fresh fruit realising far too high a price for it to pay to convert it into raisins.
+Still, with increased production, this will have to take place, and when it
+does I am of opinion that we will be able to turn out a very saleable article.
+The growing of grapes here certainly requires considerable experience of a
+practical nature. This is not at all hard to obtain, and there are no insurmountable
+difficulties to the beginner, once he has learnt how to work his land
+so as to cause it to retain moisture during a dry spell, and to plant and prune
+his vines. These are matters in which any beginner can obtain practical advice
+from the Queensland Agricultural Department, as the Government of Queensland,
+recognising the importance of fruit-growing, grape-growing, and general
+agriculture to the State, have devoted considerable sums of money to the
+establishment of experiment farms, orchards, and vineyards in different parts
+of the State. All these Government institutions are under the control of
+thoroughly qualified managers, who are willing at all times to give any assistance
+to beginners, thereby enabling the latter to keep free from mistakes, and
+to obtain the best returns as the result of their labour. Instructors, thoroughly
+conversant with the State as a whole, are also available for giving practical
+advice, so that there is no necessity for a beginner, through lack of experience,
+to waste any time in finding out for himself what his soil and climate are
+suited for. He can start on the right lines from the beginning, and keep to
+right lines if he will only take advantage of the advice, based on practical
+experience, that is given him. Queensland is a good land for the intending
+fruit-grower. We offer you good soil, a choice of climates, suitable for the
+growing of practically every kind of commercial fruit, a healthy climate to
+live in, cheap land, free education for your children, and free advice from competent
+experts for yourselves. This is a country that has not been advertised
+or puffed up; that is, in consequence, not by any means well known; but it is
+a country that, taken all in all, will take a lot of beating when one is looking
+out for a home. Its natural advantages and the other inducements it offers
+to intending settlers, particularly those interested in fruit culture, cannot, in
+my opinion, be equalled, and certainly not excelled, elsewhere; and, as I stated
+in the beginning of this paper, my opinion is based on practical experience
+gained in various parts of the fruit-producing parts of the world.</p>
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" summary="Placeholder for Illustrations">
+<tr><td align='center'><img src="images/illus098-1400.jpg" width="305" height="400" alt="" /></td> <td align='center'>
+<img src="images/illus099-1400.jpg" width="285" height="400" alt="" /></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center'>Black Mammoth Grape.</td><td align='center'>Cinsaut Grape.</td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="List_of_Fruits_Grown_in_Queensland" id="List_of_Fruits_Grown_in_Queensland"></a>List of Fruits Grown in Queensland.</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="List of Fruits Grown in Queensland">
+<colgroup span="3">
+<col width="29%"></col>
+<col width="34%"></col>
+<col width="37%"></col>
+</colgroup>
+<tr><td align='left' valign='top'>
+Almonds, several varieties<br />
+Almond, Fiji<br />
+Apples, many varieties<br />
+Apricots, many varieties<br />
+Averrhoa<br />
+Avocada Pear<br />
+Bael Fruit<br />
+Banana, several varieties<br />
+Barberry<br />
+Blackberry<br />
+Brazilian Cherry<br />
+Bread Fruit<br />
+Burdekin Plum<br />
+Carob Bean<br />
+Chalta<br />
+Cherries, several varieties<br />
+Chestnut&mdash;Spanish<br />
+Chestnut&mdash;Japanese<br />
+Chinese Raisin<br />
+Citrons, several varieties<br />
+Cocoa-nut, many varieties<br />
+Custard Apples (Cherimoyers)<br />
+Dates<br />
+Davidsonia Plum<br />
+Figs, several varieties<br />
+Gooseberries&mdash;Cape<br />
+</td>
+
+
+<td align='left' valign='top'>
+Gooseberries&mdash;Otaheitan<br />
+Granadillas<br />
+Grapes, many varieties<br />
+Guavas, many varieties<br />
+Jujube<br />
+Kai Apple<br />
+Kumquat<br />
+Litchi<br />
+Longan<br />
+Lemons, several varieties<br />
+Limes, several varieties<br />
+Loquats<br />
+Mandarins, several varieties<br />
+Mangoes, many varieties<br />
+Mangosteen&mdash;Sour or Coochin York<br />
+Medlars<br />
+Melons, many varieties<br />
+Monstera<br />
+Mulberries, several varieties<br />
+Natal Plum<br />
+Nectarines, several varieties<br />
+Olives, several varieties<br />
+Oranges, many varieties<br />
+Papaw, several types<br />
+Passion Fruit, several types<br />
+Peaches&mdash;Persian, many varieties<br />
+
+</td>
+
+<td align='left' valign='top'>
+Peaches&mdash;China, several varieties<br />
+Peaches&mdash;Ceylon, several varieties<br />
+Pears, many varieties<br />
+Pecan Nut<br />
+Persimmons, several varieties<br />
+Pineapples, several varieties<br />
+Pistachio Nut<br />
+Plums&mdash;European, several varieties<br />
+Plums&mdash;Japanese, several varieties<br />
+Plums&mdash;American, several varieties<br />
+Pomegranate<br />
+Quince&mdash;European, several varieties<br />
+Quince&mdash;Japanese<br />
+Queensland Nut<br />
+Raspberries, several types<br />
+Rosellas<br />
+Rose Apple<br />
+Sapodilla Plum<br />
+Shaddock or Pomelo, several types<br />
+Star Apple<br />
+Strawberries, many varieties<br />
+Tamarinds<br />
+Tree Tomato<br />
+Vi Apple<br />
+Walnut<br />
+Whampee<br /></td></tr>
+
+</table></div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="List_of_Vegetables_Grown_in_Queensland" id="List_of_Vegetables_Grown_in_Queensland"></a>List of Vegetables Grown in Queensland.</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" summary="List of Fruits Grown in Queensland">
+<tr><td align='left' valign='top'>
+Artichokes&mdash;Jerusalem and Globe<br />
+Asparagus<br />
+Beans of all kinds<br />
+Beetroot<br />
+Broccoli<br />
+Brussels Sprouts<br />
+Cabbage<br />
+Cabbage&mdash;Chinese<br />
+Capsicums<br />
+Cardoons<br />
+Carrots<br />
+Cassava<br />
+Cauliflowers<br />
+Celery<br />
+Chicory<br />
+Chokos<br /></td>
+
+<td align='left' valign='top'>
+Cress<br />
+Cucumbers<br />
+Earth Nuts (Peanuts)<br />
+Egg Plant<br />
+Endive<br />
+Eschalots<br />
+Garlic<br />
+Herbs&mdash;all kinds<br />
+Horseradish<br />
+Kohl-rabi<br />
+Leeks<br />
+Lettuce<br />
+Mushrooms<br />
+Mustard<br />
+Nasturtiums<br />
+Ockra<br /></td>
+
+<td align='left' valign='top'>
+Onions<br />
+Peas<br />
+Potatoes&mdash;English and Sweet<br />
+Pumpkins<br />
+Radishes<br />
+Rhubarb<br />
+Salsify<br />
+Seakale<br />
+Spinach<br />
+Squashes<br />
+Sweet Corn<br />
+Swedes<br />
+Taro<br />
+Tomatoes<br />
+Turnips<br />
+Vegetable Marrows<br />
+Yams<br /></td></tr>
+
+</table></div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class='center'>By Authority: <span class="smcap">Anthony James Cumming</span>, Government Printer, Brisbane.</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Fruits of Queensland, by Albert Benson
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fruits of Queensland, by Albert Benson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Fruits of Queensland
+
+Author: Albert Benson
+
+Release Date: September 7, 2008 [EBook #26552]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Nick Wall and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+     FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND
+     BY
+     ALBERT H. BENSON, M.R.A.C.,
+
+
+     Late Instructor in Fruit Culture, Queensland Government;
+     now Director of Agriculture, Hobart, Tasmania.
+
+
+     BRISBANE:
+     BY AUTHORITY: ANTHONY J. CUMMING, GOVERNMENT PRINTER.
+     1914.
+
+
+     [Illustration: Fruit of Mangosteen.]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+                                                                   PAGE.
+     Preface                                                           5
+     Introduction                                                      7
+     Queensland Fruit-growing                                         17
+     Climate                                                          18
+
+     1st.--Soils of Eastern Seaboard, and land adjacent to it,
+     suitable to the growth of Tropical and Semi-tropical Fruit       21
+
+     2nd.--Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the
+     growth of Deciduous Fruit                                        23
+
+     3rd.--Soils of the Central Tablelands, suitable for the
+     growth of Grapes, Dates, Citrus Fruits, &c.                      24
+
+     The Banana                                                       24
+     The Pineapple                                                    31
+     The Mango                                                        41
+     Mangosteen                                                       45
+     The Papaw                                                        47
+     The Cocoa-nut                                                    49
+     The Granadilla                                                   51
+     The Passion Fruit                                                51
+     Custard Apples                                                   53
+     Citrus Fruit                                                     57
+     The Persimmon                                                    71
+     The Loquat                                                       73
+     The Date Palm                                                    75
+     The Pecan Nut                                                    75
+     Japanese Plums                                                   77
+     Chickasaw Plums                                                  77
+     Chinese Peaches                                                  77
+     Figs                                                             79
+     The Mulberry                                                     79
+     The Strawberry                                                   79
+     Cape Gooseberry                                                  82
+     The Olive                                                        83
+     The Apple                                                        85
+     The Peach                                                        87
+     The Plum                                                         89
+     The Apricot                                                      89
+     The Cherry                                                       90
+     The Pear                                                         91
+     The Almond                                                       91
+     Grape Culture                                                    93
+     List of Fruits and Vegetables Grown in Queensland               102
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: Map of Queensland]
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+In the more thickly populated portions of the Old and New World, and, to
+a certain extent, in the large cities of Australia, the question of how
+to make a living has became one of vital importance to a large portion
+of the population, and is the cause of considerable anxiety to fathers
+of families who are endeavouring to find employment for their sons.
+
+This difficulty of obtaining employment is a very serious question, and
+one demanding the most earnest consideration. It is probably the result
+of many different causes, but, in the writer's opinion, it is due mainly
+to the fact that for years past the trend of population has been from
+the country districts to the towns, with the result that many of the
+great centres of population are now very badly congested, and profitable
+employment of any kind is often extremely difficult to obtain. The
+congested towns offer no possible outlet for surplus labour, hence it is
+necessary that such labour must find an outlet in the less thickly
+populated parts of the world where there is still plenty of room for
+development and population is badly needed. Queensland is a country
+possessing these qualifications; but is, unfortunately, a country that
+is little known to the general mass of home-seekers, and, further, what
+little is known of it is usually so inaccurate that a very erroneous
+opinion of the capabilities of this really fine country exists. The
+great flow of emigration is naturally to those countries that are
+nearest to the Old World--viz., the United States of America and
+Canada--and little attention is given to Australia, although we have
+many advantages not possessed by either the United States or Canada, and
+are not subject to the disadvantage of an intensely cold winter such as
+that experienced throughout the greater portion of those countries for
+several months yearly.
+
+To those looking for homes the following pages are addressed, so that
+before deciding to what part of the world they will go they may know
+what sort of a country Queensland really is, what one of its industries
+is like, the kind of life they may look forward to spending here, and
+the possibility of their making a comfortable home amongst us. The life
+of a fruit-grower is by no means a hard one in Queensland, the climate
+of the fruit-growing districts is a healthy and by no means a trying
+one, and is thoroughly adapted to the successful cultivation of many
+fruits; and, finally, a living can be made under conditions that are
+much more conducive to the well-being of our race than those existing in
+the overcrowded centres of population. The writer has no wish to infer
+that there are big profits to be made by growing fruit, but, at the same
+time, he has no hesitation in saying that where the industry is
+conducted in an up-to-date manner, on business lines, a good living can
+be made, and that there is a good opening for many who are now badly in
+want of employment. The illustrations represent various phases of the
+industry, and have been specially prepared by H. W. Mobsby, the Artist
+of the Intelligence and Tourist Bureau. Most of the Illustrations have
+been taken at an exceptionally dry time, and at the close of one of the
+coldest winters on record, so that they do not show the crops or trees
+at their best; at the same time, they give a fair idea of some of our
+fruits, orchards, and fruit lands.
+
+
+     ALBERT H. BENSON.
+     Brisbane, Queensland, January, 1906.
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+Queensland's greatest want to-day is population: Men and women to
+develop our great natural resources, to go out into our country
+districts as farmers, dairymen, or fruit-growers--not to stick in our
+towns, but to become primary producers, workers, home-builders--not the
+scourings of big cities, the dissatisfied, the loafer, but the honest
+worker whose wish is to make a home for himself and his family. There
+are many such in the overcrowded cities of older countries, striving in
+vain to make a living--existing, it can hardly be called living, under
+conditions that are by no means conducive to their well-being--often
+poorly fed and poorly clad--who would better themselves by coming to
+Queensland, and by whom Queensland would be benefited. Queensland has
+room for many such annually: men and women who come here for the express
+intention of settling amongst us and building homes for themselves; who
+come here prepared to work, and, if needs be, to work hard; who do not
+expect to become rich suddenly, but will be contented with a comfortable
+home, a healthy life, and a moderate return for their labour--results
+that are within the reach of all, and which compare more than favourably
+with the conditions under which they are at present existing.
+
+Queensland's most valuable asset is her soil, and this requires
+population to develop it: soil that, in the different districts and
+climates best adapted for their growth, is capable of producing most of
+the cultivated crops of the world, and, with very few exceptions, all
+the fruits of commercial value, many of them to a very high degree of
+perfection. This pamphlet is practically confined to the fruit-growing
+possibilities of Queensland, and an endeavour is made to show that there
+is a good opening for intending settlers in this branch of agriculture,
+but the general remarks respecting the climate, rainfall, soils, &c.,
+will be of equal interest to any who wish to take up any other branch,
+such as general farming, dairying, &c. The Queensland Department of
+Agriculture has received a number of inquiries from time to time, and
+from various parts of the world, respecting the possibilities of
+profitable commercial fruit-growing in this State, and this pamphlet is
+intended in part to be an answer to such inquiries; but, at the same
+time, it is hoped that it will have a wider scope, and give a general
+idea of one of our staple industries to many who are now on the look-out
+for a country in which to settle and an occupation to take up when they
+arrive there.
+
+[Illustration: Woombye, North Coast Railway. The centre of a large
+fruit growing district.]
+
+No branch of agriculture has made a greater advance during the past
+quarter-century than that of fruit-growing, and none has become more
+popular. The demand for fruit of all kinds, whether fresh or preserved,
+has increased enormously throughout the world, and it is now generally
+looked upon more as a necessity than a luxury. Hence there are
+continually recurring inquiries as to the best place to start
+fruit-growing with a reasonable prospect of success. It is not only the
+increased demand for fruit that causes these inquiries, but
+fruit-growing has a strong attraction for many would-be agriculturists
+as compared with general farming, dairying, or stock-raising, and this
+attraction is probably due to a certain fascination it possesses that
+only those who have been intimately acquainted with the industry for
+years can fully appreciate. In addition to the fact that living under
+one's own vine and fig-tree is in itself a very pleasant ideal to look
+forward to, there is no branch of agronomy that calls for a keener
+appreciation of the laws of Nature, that brings man into closer touch
+with Nature, that makes a greater demand on a man's patience, skill, and
+energy, or in which science and practice are more closely related, than
+in that of fruit-growing. To all those who are considering the
+advantages of taking up fruit-growing as an occupation, and to those who
+feel the attraction I have just described, these few words on
+fruit-growing in Queensland are addressed, as the writer wishes them to
+learn something of the fruit-growing capabilities of this State, so that
+before deciding on the country in which they will make a start they may
+not be in complete ignorance of a land that is especially adapted for
+the growth of a larger number of distinct varieties of fruit than any
+other similar area of land with which he is acquainted either in the Old
+or New World.
+
+Queensland is a country whose capabilities are at present comparatively
+unknown even to those living in the Southern States of Australia, and,
+naturally, very much less so to the rest of the world, hence a little
+general information respecting our country and one of its industries may
+be of some help to those who are looking for an opening in this
+particular branch of agriculture.
+
+[Illustration: A Tropical Orchard, Port Douglas.]
+
+[Illustration: Coochin York Mangosteen, Port Douglas District.]
+
+Queensland is a country having a population of a little over half a
+million, and an area of 429,120,000 acres; the population of a city of
+the second magnitude, and an area of some seven and one-half times
+greater than that of Great Britain, or two and one-half times greater
+than the State of Texas, United States of America.
+
+A country embracing 18 degrees of latitude, from the 11th to the 29th
+degrees of south latitude, and extending from a humid eastern seaboard
+to an extremely dry interior, some 15 degrees of longitude west. A
+country, therefore, of many climates and varied rainfall. A country
+possessing a great diversity of soils, many of which are of surprising
+richness. A country more or less heavily timbered with either scrub or
+forest growth, or consisting of wide open plains that are practically
+treeless. A country of infinite resources, that is capable of producing
+within its own borders all that man requires, from the extreme tropical
+to temperate products. A country that, once its possibilities are
+realised and turned to a profitable account, is destined to become one
+of the most fruitful in the globe, to support a large and thriving
+population of our own people; and last, but not least, a country that,
+from a fruit-grower's point of view, cannot be excelled elsewhere. We
+have a healthy climate, not by any means an extreme climate as is often
+represented--extreme cold is unknown, frost being unusual on any portion
+of the seaboard, but common during the winter months on our tablelands.
+But even where there are frosts the days are pleasantly warm. Summer is
+undoubtedly warm, but it is usually a bearable heat, and sudden changes
+are extremely rare, so that though trying in the humid tropical
+seaboard, it is not unbearable, and compares favourably with the
+tropical heat met with elsewhere. This is clearly shown by the stamina
+of the white race, particularly those living in the country districts,
+where both men and women compare favourably with those of any other part
+of the Empire. Except in very isolated places, communication with the
+outside world and between the different centres of population is regular
+and frequent; in fact, in all the coastal and coastal tableland
+districts of the State one is kept daily in touch with all the important
+matters that are taking place in the world. In the home life there is a
+freedom not met with in older countries; there is an almost entire
+absence of artificiality--people are natural, and are interested in each
+other's welfare. They are certainly fond of pleasure, but at the same
+time are extremely generous and hospitable. The writer can speak of this
+from a large practical experience, as for some years past he has
+annually travelled many thousands of miles amongst fruit-growers and
+others who are settled on the land, and, without exception, he has
+everywhere been met with the greatest kindness from rich and poor
+alike--in short, a hearty welcome--and the best that the house affords
+is the rule, without exception. In brief, should any of my readers
+decide on coming to Queensland, the only difference that they will find
+as compared with the older countries is, that our climate is somewhat
+warmer in summer, but to compensate for this we have no severe cold in
+winter. There is more freedom and less conventionality, life to all who
+will work is much easier, and there is not the same necessity for
+expensive clothing or houses as exists in more rigorous climates. The
+people they will meet are of their own colour and race, no doubt fond of
+sport and pleasure, perhaps inclined to be a little self-opinionated,
+but solid grit at the bottom. As previously stated, Queensland offers
+exceptional advantages to the intending fruit-grower, and the following
+may be quoted as examples. The ease with which fruit can be produced,
+when grown under conditions suitable to its proper development, is often
+remarkable, and is a constant source of wonder to all who have been
+accustomed to the comparatively slow growth of many of our commoner
+varieties of fruits when grown in less favoured climes, and to the care
+that is there necessary to produce profitable returns. Here all kinds of
+tree life is rapid, and fruit trees come into bearing much sooner than
+they do in colder climates. In addition to their arriving at early
+maturity, they are also, as a rule, heavy bearers, their fault, if
+anything, being towards over-bearing. Fruits of many kinds are so
+thoroughly acclimatised that it is by no means uncommon to find them
+growing wild, and holding their own in the midst of rank indigenous
+vegetation, without receiving the slightest care or attention. In some
+cases where cultivated fruits have been allowed to become wild, they
+have become somewhat of a pest, and have kept down all other growths, so
+much so that it has been actually necessary to take steps to prevent
+them from becoming a nuisance, so readily do they grow, and so rapidly
+do they increase. The very ease with which fruit can be grown when
+planted under conditions of soil and climate favourable to its
+development has had a tendency to make growers somewhat careless as
+compared with those of other countries who have to grow fruit under
+conditions demanding the most careful attention in order to be made
+profitable. This is enough to show that Queensland is adapted for
+fruit-growing, and the illustrations accompanying the description of our
+chief commercial fruits will show them more forcibly than any words of
+mine that my contention is a correct one. Latterly, however, there has
+been a considerable improvement in the working of our orchards, growers
+finding that it does not pay to grow second-quality fruit, and,
+therefore, they are giving much more attention to the selection of
+varieties, cultivation of the land, pruning the trees, and the keeping
+in check of fruit pests; as, like other parts of the world, we have our
+pests to deal with. This improvement in the care and management of our
+orchards is resulting in a corresponding improvement in the quantity and
+quality of our output, so that now our commercial fruits--that is to
+say, the fruits grown in commercial quantities--compare favourably with
+the best types of similar fruits produced elsewhere. The writer has no
+wish to convey the impression that all that is required in order to grow
+fruit in Queensland is to secure suitable land, plant the trees, let
+Nature do the rest, and when they come into bearing simply gather and
+market the fruit. This has been done in the past, and may be done again
+under favourable conditions, but it is not the usual method adopted, nor
+is it to be recommended. Here, as elsewhere, the progressive
+fruit-growing of to-day has become practically a science, as the
+fruit-grower who wishes to keep abreast of the times depends largely on
+the practical application of scientific knowledge for the successful
+carrying on of his business. There is no branch of agronomy in which
+science and practice are more closely connected than in that of
+fruit-growing. Every operation of the fruit-grower is, or should be,
+carried out on scientific lines and by the best methods of
+propagation--pruning, cultivation, manuring, treatment of diseases, and
+preservation of fruit when grown are all, directly or indirectly, the
+result of scientific research. To be a successful fruit-grower in
+Queensland one must therefore use one's brains as well as one's hands;
+the right tree must be grown in the right kind of soil and under the
+right conditions; it must be properly attended to, and the fruit, when
+grown, must be marketed in the best possible condition, whether same be
+as fresh fruit or dried, canned, or otherwise preserved, and whether
+same be destined for our local, Australian, or oversea markets.
+Fruit-growing on these lines is a success in Queensland to-day, and it
+is capable of considerable extension, so that, in the writer's opinion,
+it offers a good field for the intending settler. Carried out in the
+manner indicated, he has no hesitation in saying that Queensland is a
+good place in which to start fruit-growing, that the advantages it
+possesses cannot be surpassed or even equalled elsewhere, and, further,
+that as our seasons are the opposite of those in countries situated on
+the north of the equator, our fruits ripen in the off-seasons of similar
+fruit grown in those countries, and, with our facilities for cold
+storage and rapid transit, can be placed on their markets at a time that
+they are bare of such fruits, thus securing top prices.
+
+[Illustration: Bunch of Fruit of the Coochin York Mangosteen.]
+
+Queensland has practically an unlimited area of land suitable for fruit
+culture, much of which is at present in its virgin state, and is
+obtainable on easy terms and at a low rate. Government land is worth on
+an average L1 per acre, and privately-owned land suitable for
+fruit-growing can be purchased at from 10s. to L5 per acre, according to
+its quality and its distance from railway or water carriage. We have
+plenty of land, what we lack is population to work it; and there is no
+fear of over-crowding for many years to come. We have not only large
+areas of good fruit land at reasonable rates, but the Government of
+Queensland, through its Department of Agriculture, is always ready to
+give full information to intending settlers, to assist them in their
+selection of suitable land, to advise them as to the kinds of fruit to
+plant, to give practical advice in the cultivation, pruning, manuring,
+and general management of the orchard as well as in the disposal or
+utilisation of the fruit when grown; in short, to help the beginner to
+start on the right lines, so that he will be successful.
+
+[Illustration: Tamarind Fruits--Kamerunga State Nursery, Cairns.]
+
+There is also little if any fear of over-extending the fruit-growing
+industry, as, if it is conducted on the right lines and on sound
+business principles, we can raise fruit of the highest quality at a
+price that will enable us to compete in the markets of the world
+especially now that we have direct and rapid communication at frequent
+intervals with Canada, the United States of America, the East (Japan,
+Manilla, &c.), Europe, and the United Kingdom.
+
+
+
+
+QUEENSLAND FRUIT GROWING.
+
+
+Very few persons have any idea of the magnitude or the resources of this
+State of Queensland, and in no branch of agricultural industry are they
+more clearly shown than in that of fruit-growing. Here, unlike the
+colder parts of the world or the extreme tropics, we are not confined to
+the growing of particular varieties of fruits, but, owing to our great
+extent of country, and its geographical distribution, we are able to
+produce practically all the cultivated fruits of the world, many of them
+to great perfection. There are, however, one or two tropical fruits that
+are exceptions, such as the durien and mangosteen, whose range is
+extremely small, and one or two of the berry fruits of cold countries,
+which require a colder winter than that experienced in any part of this
+State. It will, however, be seen at once that a country that can produce
+such fruits as the mango, pineapple, banana, papaw, granadilla, guava,
+custard apple, litchi, sour sop, cocoa nut, bread fruit, jack fruit,
+monstera, alligator pear, and others of a purely tropical character; the
+date, citrus fruits of all kinds, passion fruit, persimmon, olive, pecan
+nut, cape gooseberry, loquat, and other fruits of a semi-tropical
+character, as well as the fruits of the more temperate regions, such as
+the apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, quince, almond, cherry, fig,
+walnut, strawberry, mulberry, and others of minor importance, in
+addition to grapes of all kinds, both for wine and table, and of both
+European and American origin, offers a very wide choice of fruits indeed
+to the prospective grower. Of course, it must not be thought for a
+moment that all the fruits mentioned can be grown to perfection at any
+one place in the State, as that would be an impossibility, but they can
+be grown in some part of the State profitably and to great perfection.
+
+The law of successful fruit culture is the same here as in all other
+fruit-producing countries--viz., to grow in your district only those
+fruits which are particularly adapted to your soil and climate, and to
+let others grow those fruits which you cannot grow, but which their
+conditions allow them to produce to perfection. The intending grower
+must, therefore, first decide on what fruits he wishes to grow, and when
+he has done so, select the district best suited to their growth. The
+small map of the State shows the districts in which certain fruits may
+be grown profitably, or, rather, the districts in which they are at
+present being so grown; but there are many other districts in which
+fruit-growing has not been attempted in commercial quantities or for
+other than purely home consumption that, once the State begins to fill
+up with population, are equal, if not superior, to the older
+fruit-growing districts, and are capable of maintaining a large
+population.
+
+[Illustration: Typical Clean Orchard.]
+
+
+
+
+CLIMATE.
+
+
+As previously stated, the successful culture of fruit depends mainly on
+the right kinds of fruit being grown in the right soil and climate. This
+naturally brings us to the question of climate, and here one again gets
+an idea of the extent of our country, as we have not one but many
+climates. Climate is a matter of such vital importance to fruit-growers,
+and there is such a general lack of knowledge respecting the climate of
+Queensland, that a little information on this point is desirable. I am
+afraid that there is a very general impression that Queensland has a
+climate that is only suitable for a coloured race; that it is either in
+the condition of a burnt-up desert or is being flooded out. That it is a
+country of droughts and floods, a country of extremes--in fact, a very
+desirable place to live out of. No more erroneous idea was ever given
+credence to, and, as an Englishman born, who has had many years'
+practical experience on the land in England, Scotland, the United States
+of America, and the various Australian States, I have no hesitation in
+saying that, as far as my experience goes--and it is an experience
+gained by visiting nearly every part of the State that is suited for
+agricultural pursuits--taken as a whole, it is difficult to find a
+better or healthier climate in any other country of equal area. Our
+climate has its disadvantages, no doubt, particularly our dry spells,
+but show me the country that has a perfect climate. We have
+disadvantages, but, at the same time, we have great advantages;
+advantages that, in my opinion, outweigh our disadvantages.
+
+Our eastern seaboard, extending from the New South Wales border in the
+south, a few miles to the south of the 28th degree of south latitude, to
+Cape York, some 20 miles north of the 11th degree of south latitude,
+contains our best districts for the growth of tropical and semi-tropical
+fruits. The coastal climate, however, varies considerably, and is
+governed by the proximity or otherwise of the coast ranges. When they
+approach the coast there is always more rainfall, and as they recede the
+rainfall decreases. With one or two exceptions, where the coastal range
+is a considerable distance inland, the eastern coastal districts have a
+sufficient rainfall for the successful culture of most fruits, though
+they are subject to a dry spell during winter and spring. During this
+period of the year, the weather is extremely enjoyable; in fact, it is
+hard to better it, even in our extreme North. But as summer approaches,
+thunderstorms become prevalent, and are accompanied by more or less
+humid conditions, which, though good for fruit-development, are not
+quite so enjoyable as the drier months. Summer is our rainy season, and
+the rainfalls are occasionally very heavy. The weather is warm and
+oppressive, particularly in the more tropical districts; but these very
+conditions are those that are best suited to the production of tropical
+fruits. The climate of those districts having the heaviest summer
+rainfall is somewhat trying to Europeans, particularly women, but it is
+by no means unhealthy, and in the hottest parts, having the coast range
+nearly on the coast, there is, within a few miles, a tableland of from
+2,000 to 4,000 feet elevation, where the climate is cool and bracing,
+and where the jaded man or woman can soon throw off the feeling of
+lassitude brought about by the heat and humidity of the seaboard. In
+autumn the weather soon cools off, drier conditions supervene, and
+living again becomes a pleasure in one of the best and healthiest
+climates to be met with anywhere. Practically all the district under
+review has a sufficient rainfall for the growth of all fruits suitable
+to the climate, though there are occasionally dry spells during spring,
+when a judicious watering would be a great advantage. This does not
+imply a regular system of irrigation, but simply the conserving of
+surplus moisture in times of plenty by means of dams across small
+natural watercourses or gullies, by tanks where such do not occur, or
+from wells where an available supply of underground water may be
+obtained. The water so conserved will only be needed occasionally, but
+it is an insurance against any possible loss or damage that might accrue
+to the trees during a dry spell of extra length. So far, little has been
+done in coastal districts in conserving water for fruit-growing, the
+natural rainfall being considered by many to be ample; but, in the
+writer's opinion, it will be found to be a good investment, as it will
+be the means of securing regular crops instead of an occasional partial
+failure, due to lack of sufficient moisture during a critical period of
+the tree's growth. The average yearly rainfall in the eastern seaboard
+varies from 149 inches at Geraldton to 41 inches at Bowen, the mean
+average being about 90 inches to the north and 49 inches to the south of
+Townsville. Were this fall evenly distributed throughout the year, it
+would be ample for all requirements. Unfortunately, however, it is not
+evenly distributed, the heavy falls taking place during the summer
+months, so that there is often a dry spell of greater or less extent
+during the winter and spring, during which a judicious watering has a
+very beneficial effect on fruit trees, and secures a good crop for the
+coming season. The rainfall shows that there is no fear of a shortage of
+water at any time, the only question is to conserve the surplus for use
+during a prolonged dry spell. These conditions are extremely favourable
+for the growth of all tropical and semi-tropical fruits, as during our
+period of greater heat, when these fruits make their greatest call for
+moisture, there is an abundance of rain, and during the other portions
+of the year, when the call is not so heavy, it is usually an inexpensive
+matter to conserve or obtain a sufficient supply to keep the trees in
+the best of order. Throughout the southern half of this seaboard frosts
+are not unknown on low-lying ground, but are extremely rare on the
+actual coast, or at an elevation of 300 to 400 feet above the sea, so
+much so that no precautions are necessary to prevent damage from frost.
+We have, unlike Florida and other parts of the United States of
+America--great fruit-growing districts--no killing frosts, and now, at
+the close of one of the coldest winters on record, and one of the
+driest, nowhere have our pineapples--fruit nor plants--been injured,
+except on low-lying ground, over in the Southern part of the State, and
+mangoes, bananas, &c., are uninjured.
+
+[Illustration: Burning-off for fruit growing, Mapleton, Blackall Range.]
+
+[Illustration: Same land one year later. Fruit-grower's family gathering
+strawberries.]
+
+In the more tropical North frosts are unknown on the coast, and there is
+no danger to even the most delicate plants from cold.
+
+Running parallel with the coast we have a series of ranges of low
+mountains, running from 2,000 feet to nearly 6,000 feet, the general
+height being from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, and at the back of these ranges
+more or less level tablelands, sloping generally to the west. On and
+adjacent to these ranges in the Southern part of the State, there are
+fairly sharp frosts in winter, but the days are warm and bright. This is
+the district best adapted for the growth of deciduous fruits and vines,
+table varieties doing particularly well. It is a district well adapted
+for mixed farming and dairying, as well as fruit-growing; the climate
+is even and healthy, and is neither severe in summer nor winter. The
+average rainfall is some 30 inches, and is usually sufficient, though
+there are dry periods, when a judicious watering, as recommended for the
+coast districts, would be of great value to fruit and vegetable growers.
+The more northern end of this tableland country has a much better
+rainfall--some 40 inches per annum--and frosts, though they occur at
+times, are not common. Here the climate is very healthy, there are no
+extremes of heat and cold, and, lying as it does inland from the most
+trying portion of our tropical seaboard, it forms a natural sanatorium
+to this part of our State.
+
+Further west the rainfall decreases, the summers are hot--a dry heat, as
+distinct from the more humid heat of the coast, and much more bearable.
+There are frequent frosts in winter, particularly in the Southern part
+of the State. Fruit-growing is only carried on to a slight extent at
+present, and then only with the help of water, but when the latter is
+obtainable, very good results are obtained. Grapes do well, both wine
+and table, and for raisin-making. Citrus fruits are remarkably fine, the
+lemons especially, being the best grown in the State. The trees are less
+liable to the attack of many pests, the dryness of the air retarding
+their development, if not altogether preventing their occurrence. The
+date palm is quite at home here, and when planted in deep sandy land,
+and supplied with sufficient water, it is a rapid grower and heavy
+bearer. As an offset to the smallness of the rainfall, there is a good
+supply of artesian water, distributed over a wide range of country, that
+can be obtained at a reasonable rate, and that is suitable for
+irrigation purposes. All bore water is not suitable for irrigation,
+however, as some of it is too highly mineralised, but there are large
+areas of country possessing an artesian supply of excellent quality for
+this purpose. It will thus be seen that we have in Queensland, roughly,
+three distinct belts of fruit-growing country--
+
+     1st.--The Eastern Seaboard, and the land adjacent to it, suitable
+     for the growing of tropical and semi-tropical fruit;
+
+     2nd.--The Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the growth of deciduous
+     fruits, vines, olives, and citrus fruits in parts;
+
+     3rd.--The Central Tablelands, suitable for the growth of grapes,
+     for table and drying, dates, citrus fruits, &c., but requiring
+     water for irrigation to produce profitably.
+
+So far, I have confined my remarks mainly to the climatic side of
+fruit-growing, and, before dealing with the growing of the different
+kinds of fruit, I will say a few words about our fruit soils, and will
+deal with them in districts, as I have endeavoured to do in the case of
+climate.
+
+
+1st.--Soils of Eastern Seaboard, and Land adjacent to it, suitable to
+the Growth of Tropical and Semi-Tropical Fruit.
+
+Several distinct types of soil are found that are well adapted for
+fruit-growing, but they all have one general characteristic which is a
+_sine qua non_ of success--viz., they must possess good natural
+drainage, so that there is no danger of their becoming waterlogged or
+soured during periods of continued or heavy rainfall, as these
+conditions are fatal to fruit culture under tropical and semi-tropical
+conditions. Of such soils, the first to be considered are those of
+basaltic origin. They are usually of a chocolate or rich red colour, are
+of great depth, in parts more or less covered with basaltic boulders, in
+others entirely free from stones. The surface soil is friable and easily
+worked, and the subsoil, which is usually of a rich red colour, is
+easily penetrated by the roots of trees and plants grown thereon.
+Occasionally the subsoil is more compact, in which case it is not so
+good for fruit-tree growth, but is better adapted for that of
+sugar-cane, corn, grass, &c. These basaltic soils are usually rich, and
+are covered in their virgin condition with what is termed scrub--a dense
+mass of vegetation closely resembling an Indian jungle. The scrub growth
+is totally distinct from forest growth, which will be described later,
+in that the bulk of the timber growing in it, much of which is of large
+size, is of a soft nature, and once cut down soon rots away. Imagine a
+dense wall of vegetation, consisting of large trees running up to 100 or
+150 feet in height, with trunks ranging from 2 to 8 feet, or even more,
+in diameter, and between these trunks an impenetrable mass of smaller
+growths, all of the most vivid green colours, together with innumerable
+vines and creepers that are suspended from the branches of the trees,
+hanging in festoons, creeping palms and bamboos, ferns and orchids of
+many kinds, both on the ground and growing on the tree trunks, as well
+as many beautiful foliage plants only found in hothouses in England, and
+you will have a faint idea of what a virgin scrub in coastal Queensland
+is like. Much of the timber of the coastal scrubs is of considerable
+commercial value for building purposes and furniture making, and is, or
+should be, so utilised prior to felling and burning off.
+
+True scrub lands are not by any means the most difficult to clear,
+though to a "new chum" the work will appear at first of a Herculean
+character. Brushing the dense undergrowth and then felling the timber at
+a face costs from L1 10s. to L2 per acre, according to density, size of
+timber, and proportion of hardwood trees contained in it, and once this
+is done the fallen mass is allowed to become thoroughly dry, when it is
+burnt off. A good fire is half the battle, as the subsequent work of
+burning off the heavy timber left from the first burn is comparatively
+light. No stumps are taken out, as the bulk are found to rot out in a
+few years, and their presence in the soil is no detriment to the
+planting of such crops as bananas or even citrus fruit trees. No special
+preparation of the land, such as breaking up, &c., is necessary prior to
+planting. Holes are dug, trees or bananas are planted, and the whole
+cultivation for the first few years consists in keeping down weed
+growths with the chipping hoe. Once the stumps have rotted out the
+plough and other implements of culture take the place of the hoe. These
+soils are especially adapted for the growth of oranges, limes,
+mandarins, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, papaws, custard apples,
+strawberries, and cape gooseberries in the South; in fact, for nearly
+every kind of tropical and semi-tropical fruit.
+
+Some basaltic soils are occasionally covered with forest in the place of
+scrub, or a mixture, part scrub and part forest. Forest country, as
+distinct from scrub, is open-timbered country, with little undergrowth,
+and no vines or other creepers. The timbers are also, as a rule, very
+hard, and the stumps will not rot out. Such land, when at all heavily
+timbered, is much harder to clear and get ready for fruit-growing than
+true scrub, as all timber must be felled and burnt off, and all stumps
+and roots taken out, so that the land can be thoroughly broken up and
+brought into a good state of tilth prior to planting. These soils are
+suitable to the growth of similar fruits to the true scrubs, but, as a
+rule, they are not as rich. The second class of soils suitable to
+fruit-growing are of alluvial origin, and are of a sandy, loamy nature,
+of fair depth. They are usually met with along our creeks and rivers, or
+in the deltas of our rivers. In their virgin state they are either
+covered with scrub or forest, or a mixture of both, but the growth is
+seldom as strong as on the red volcanic soils. Heavy alluvial soils are
+not suitable for fruit culture, and are much more valuable for the
+growth of farm crops, but the light sandy loams and free loams of medium
+character suit all kinds of fruit to perfection. These soils usually are
+easy to work. They retain moisture well when well worked, and frequently
+they are capable of being irrigated, either from adjacent creeks or
+rivers, or by water from wells. These soils are some of our best for
+citrus fruits, and are well adapted for the growth of pineapples and
+bananas, as well as most other tropical fruits, when free from frosts.
+The third class of soils are free sandy loams, either scrub or forest.
+They are of various colours, and range in texture from light sandy loams
+to medium loams; they possess excellent drainage, and though, when
+covered with forest, they are not naturally rich, they make excellent
+fruit soils, and respond rapidly to systematic cultivation and manuring.
+They are usually of sandstone or granitic origin, and, when covered with
+scrub in the first place, grow good crops for the first few years, when
+they become more or less exhausted in one or more available plant foods,
+and require manuring. These soils, like the sandy alluvial loams, are
+easy to work, retain moisture well when kept in a state of perfect
+tilth, and respond readily to manuring. They will grow all kinds of
+fruits when free from frost. There are other soils on which fruit can be
+grown, but those mentioned represent those most suitable. The land on
+which these soils occur is often much broken, particularly in rich scrub
+country; it is fairly level when of alluvial origin, and more or less
+rolling, as a rule, when of a sandy loamy nature. High, ridgy, free,
+loamy country is usually the most free from frost, and alluvial flats
+the most liable to it.
+
+
+2nd.--Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the Growth of
+Deciduous Fruit.
+
+Starting from the Southern part of the State, adjoining the New South
+Wales border, the fruit soils are all of granitic origin. The country is
+much broken, but between the ridges and along the creek flats there is a
+considerable area possessing soils varying from a coarse, granitic,
+gritty soil to a fine granitic soil; that on the creeks of an alluvial
+nature, but still granitic. These soils vary considerably in quality,
+but are, as a rule, easy to work and retain moisture well. They are
+covered with open forest and are particularly adapted to the growth of
+apples, plums, peaches, and grapes, though other deciduous fruits are
+grown but not to the same excellence as those mentioned. Proceeding
+north the fruit soils are either sandy loams or loams of a brownish
+colour of volcanic origin. The former are suitable for almonds and wine
+grapes, and the latter for peaches, apricots, pears, apples, and
+especially olives. Further north a few of these fruits may be grown on
+loamy soils, together with citrus fruits, but, commercially, deciduous
+fruits are confined to the southern end of this district, the winter
+temperature being too high for their successful growth further north, as
+the trees get no winter rest, hence do not mature their fruit-bearing
+wood properly.
+
+
+3rd.--Soils of the Central Tablelands, suitable to the Growth of Grapes,
+Dates, Citrus Fruits, Etc.
+
+At the Southern end of the State the fruit soils are all of a sandy
+nature. Nothing else is used in any quantity, as sandy soils alone will
+retain sufficient moisture for the growth of grapes and fruit trees
+during dry spells, and even then only when kept well and deeply worked.
+Further north, where suitable artesian water is available, the best
+fruit soils are also free loams of a sandy nature, either alluvial or
+open forest soils, but deep, and possessing perfect drainage, as
+irrigation on land without good natural drainage is fatal to fruit
+culture. These sandy loams are also easy to work; though by no means
+rich, they, on account of their depth, grow good crops of fruit by means
+of irrigation, and the fruit, such as dates, oranges, lemons, grapes,
+&c., is of very fine quality. The fruit soils of this district are
+covered either with open forest--the trees being of comparatively small
+size--or with a scrubby undergrowth through which a few larger trees are
+scattered. Nearly all the timber of this district is extremely hard, is
+more or less stunted, and burns readily, hence clearing is not a very
+expensive item.
+
+Having now given a very brief description of our climate and the
+fruit-soils in our principal fruit-producing centres, we will next
+consider the culture of those fruits which are grown in commercial
+quantities in the different parts of the State, as well as that of a few
+less well-known fruits which show especial promise. We will first deal
+with our tropical fruits, of which the first to be considered is the
+banana, as its production greatly exceeds that of any other tropical
+fruit, and, as far as Australia is concerned, this is the only State in
+which it is grown in commercial quantities. From tropical fruits we will
+go on to semi-tropical fruits, then to temperate fruits and vines.
+
+
+
+
+THE BANANA.
+
+Under the heading of "Banana," all kinds of plantains will also be
+included, as they belong to one and the same family. The members of this
+family of plants are all tropical, and produce the most typical and best
+known tropical fruits.
+
+[Illustration: Cavendish Bananas on scrub land, Buderim Mountain.]
+
+[Illustration: Cavendish Bananas at Woombye on newly cleared land.]
+
+The rank luxuriance of the growth of this class of fruits, their
+handsome foliage, their productiveness, their high economic value as
+food, and their universal distribution throughout the tropics, all
+combine to place them in a premier position. As a food it is unequalled
+amongst fruits, as no matter whether it is used green as a vegetable,
+ripe as a fruit, dried and ground into flour, or preserved in any other
+way, it is one of the most wholesome and nutritious of foods for human
+consumption. It is a staple article of diet in all tropical countries,
+and the stems of several varieties make an excellent food for all kinds
+of stock.
+
+[Illustration: Twenty-dozen Bunch, Buderim Mountain.]
+
+In Queensland, the culture of bananas is confined to the frostless belts
+of the eastern seaboard, as it is a plant that is extremely susceptible
+to cold, and is injured by the lightest frosts. It is grown in
+favourable locations in the South, where it produces excellent fruit,
+but its cultivation is much greater in the North, where the rainfall is
+heavier and the average annual temperature greater. In the Southern part
+of the State its cultivation is entirely in the hands of white growers,
+who have been growing it on suitable soil in suitable localities for the
+past fifty years or even more. I recently saw an old plantation that was
+set out over twenty years ago, and the present plants are still strong
+and healthy, and bearing good bunches of well-filled fruit, so that
+there is no question as to the suitability of the soil or climate.
+Bananas do best on rich scrub land, and it is no detriment to their
+growth if it is more or less covered with stones as long as there is
+sufficient soil to set the young plants. Shelter from heavy or cold
+winds is an advantage, and the plants thrive better under these
+conditions than when planted in more exposed positions. Bananas are
+frequently the first crop planted in newly burnt off scrub land, as they
+do not require any special preparation of such land, and the large
+amount of ash and partially burnt and decomposed vegetable mould provide
+an ample supply of food for the plants' use. Bananas are rank feeders,
+so that this abundance of available plant food causes a rapid growth,
+fine plants, and correspondingly large bunches of fruit. Though newly
+burnt off scrub land is the best for this fruit, it can be grown
+successfully in land that has been under cultivation for many years,
+provided that the land is rich enough naturally, or its fertility is
+maintained by judicious green and other manuring. In newly burnt off
+scrub land all that is necessary is, to dig holes 15 to 18 inches in
+diameter, and about 2 feet deep, set the young plants in it, and partly
+fill in the hole with good top soil. The young plant, which consists of
+a sucker taken from an older plant, will soon take root and grow rapidly
+under favourable conditions, producing its first bunch in from ten to
+twelve months after planting. At the same time that it is producing its
+first bunch it will send up two or more suckers at the base of the
+parent plant, and these in turn will bear fruit, and so on. After
+bearing, the stalk that has produced the bunch of fruit is cut down; if
+this is not done it will die down, as its work has been completed, and
+other suckers take its place. Too many suckers should not be allowed to
+grow or the plants will become too crowded, and be consequently stunted
+and produce small bunches. All the cultivation that is necessary is the
+keeping down of weed growth, and this, once the plants occupy the whole
+of the land, is not a hard matter. A plantation is at its best when
+about three years old, but remains profitable for six years or longer;
+in fact, there are many plantations still bearing good fruit that have
+been planted from twelve to twenty years. Small-growing or dwarf kinds,
+such as the Cavendish variety, are planted at from 12 to 16 feet apart
+each way, but large-growing bananas, such as the Sugar and Lady's
+Finger, require from 20 to 25 feet apart each way, as do the
+stronger-growing varieties of plantain. Plantains are not grown to any
+extent in Queensland, and our principal varieties are those already
+mentioned, the Cavendish variety greatly predominating. In the North,
+the cultivation of this latter variety is carried out on an extensive
+scale, principally by Chinese gardeners, who send the bulk of their
+produce to the Southern States of the Commonwealth. The industry
+supports a large number of persons other than the actual producers of
+the fruit, and forms one of our principal articles of export from the
+North. As many as 20,000 or more large bunches of bananas frequently
+leave by a single steamer for the South, and the bringing of this
+quantity to the port of shipment gives employment to a number of men on
+tram lines and small coastal steamers. The shipment of a heavy cargo of
+bananas presents a very busy scene that is not soon forgotten, the
+thousands of bunches of fruit that are either piled up on the wharf or
+that are being unloaded from railway trucks, small steamers or sometimes
+Chinese junks, forming such a mass of fruit that one often wonders how
+it is possible to consume it all before it becomes over-ripe. Still, it
+is consumed, or, at any rate, the greater portion of it is, as it is the
+universal fruit of the less wealthy portion of the community, the price
+at which it can be sold being so low that it is within the reach of
+everyone. A banana garden in full bearing is a very pretty sight, the
+thousands of plants, each with their one or more bunches of fruit, as,
+where there are several stems it is not at all uncommon to find two or
+more bunches of fruit in different states of development on the same
+plant, forming a mass of vegetation that must be seen to be appreciated.
+This is the case even with dwarf-growing kinds, but with strong-growing
+varieties, such as the Lady's Finger, the growth is so excessive that
+the wonder is, how the soil can support it.
+
+[Illustration: Bananas for shipment at Innisfail.]
+
+Bananas do remarkably well in Queensland, and there is practically an
+unlimited area of country suitable for their culture, much of which is
+at present in a state of Nature. Only the more easily accessible lands
+have been worked and of these only the richest. Manuring is unknown in
+most parts, and as soon as the plantation shows signs of deterioration
+it is abandoned, and a fresh one planted out in new land, the land
+previously under crop with bananas being either planted in sugar-cane or
+allowed to run to grass. This is certainly a very wasteful method of
+utilising our land, and the time will come, sooner or later, when
+greater care will have to be given to it, and that once land has become
+impoverished by banana culture, it will have to be put under a suitable
+rotation of crops, so as to fit it for being again planted to bananas.
+The trouble is, as I have already stated, we have too much land and too
+few people to work it, hence, so far, we are unable to use it to
+anything like the best advantage. During the year 1904 the production of
+bananas in Queensland was some 2,000,000 bunches, and when it is
+considered that each bunch will average about 12 dozen fruit, it will be
+seen that already we are producing a very large quantity. There is,
+however, plenty of room for extension, and any quantity of available
+country, but before this extension can be profitable, steps will have to
+be taken to utilise the fruit in a manner other than its consumption as
+fresh fruit, and this in itself will mean the opening up of new
+industries and the employment of a considerable amount of labour. I have
+mentioned 12 dozen as being the average quantity of fruit per bunch, but
+it is frequently much more than this, and I have often seen bunches of
+25 to 30 dozen fine fruit grown on strong young plants on rich new land.
+Although the industry in the North is now almost entirely in the hands
+of Chinese gardeners, there is no reason whatever why it should not be
+run by white growers, as is done in the South, and there is no question
+that our white-grown bananas in the South compare more than favourably
+with the Northern Chinese-grown article, despite the fact that the
+latter has every advantage in climate and an abundance of virgin soil.
+Most of the photos of bananas are, I am sorry to say, not by any means
+typical of this industry, as they have been taken during the off-season,
+when the plants look ragged and are showing little new growth, and the
+bunches also are much smaller than usual. Still, I hope that the
+illustrations will give some idea of the growing and handling of this
+crop, and will show what a banana plant and its bunch are like.
+
+
+
+
+THE PINEAPPLE.
+
+
+If there is one fruit that Queensland can grow to perfection, it is
+undoubtedly the pineapple. This is not merely my own personal opinion,
+but is the universal admission of all who are qualified to judge. On
+many occasions I have taken men thoroughly conversant with
+pineapple-growing, and who knew what a good fruit really is, through
+some of our plantations, where I have given them fruit to test, and,
+without exception, they have had no hesitation in saying that they have
+never tasted better fruit. Our fruit has a firmness, freedom from fibre,
+and a flavour that is hard to beat. It is an excellent canning fruit,
+superior in this respect to the Singapore article, which it surpasses in
+flavour. This is admitted by English and European buyers, and its
+superiority is bound eventually to result in a great increase in canning
+and the establishment of large works run on thoroughly up-to-date
+lines.
+
+[Illustration: Picking Pines for market--Woombye District.]
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--showing plants of different
+ages--Woombye, North Coast Line.]
+
+Like the banana, the pineapple is a tropical fruit, and is very
+sensitive to cold, hence its culture is confined to frostless districts.
+It is grown all along our eastern seaboard, where, when planted in
+suitable soils and under suitable conditions, it is, undoubtedly, our
+hardiest fruit, and is practically immune from any serious disease. Its
+culture is entirely in the open, no shelter whatever being given, so
+that we are not put to the great expense that growers of this fruit in
+Florida and some other pineapple-producing countries must incur if they
+wish to secure a crop. Here we have no severe freeze-outs, and, though
+dry spells retard the growth at times, we have never suffered any
+serious injury from this cause. In the Southern part of the State, the
+coolness of the winter retards growth somewhat, and occasionally the
+tops of the leaves and young fruit are slightly injured, particularly in
+low-lying land, or where the plants are growing on land having a cold
+subsoil. When grown under more favourable conditions, however, they
+sustain no injury, and produce fruit, more or less, all the year round.
+Pines are always in season, though there are times when they are
+comparatively scarce. There are usually two main crops a year--viz., a
+summer and a winter crop. The former is the heavier of the two, and the
+fruit is decidedly the best, as its sugar contents are much higher. The
+main summer crop ripens in the North from the beginning of November, and
+in the South from January to as late as March in some seasons. The main
+winter crop is usually at its best in July and August, but there is
+always more or less fruit during the other months of the year. The
+pineapple likes a warm, free, well-drained soil, that is free from frost
+in winter, and that will not become soured by heavy rain during summer.
+Sandy loams are, therefore, our best pineapple soils, though it does
+well on free loams of basaltic or alluvial origin. Unlike the banana,
+the pineapple does not do too well in newly burnt off scrub land, owing
+to the difficulty in working the ground and keeping it clean. It
+requires a thorough preparation of the soil prior to planting in order
+to be grown to perfection. In the case of new land of suitable texture,
+the timber should all be burnt off, and all stumps and roots taken out
+of the soil, which should then be carefully broken up and reduced to a
+fine tilth, all weed or grass growth being destroyed. It should then be
+again ploughed, and, if possible, subsoiled, so as to permit of the
+roots penetrating the ground to a fair depth instead of their merely
+depending on the few top inches of surface soil. Careful preparation of
+the land and deep stirring prior to planting will be found to pay well,
+and turn out far the cheapest in the end. Given suitable soil, well
+prepared, the growing of pineapples is not at all difficult, as the
+plants soon take root, and once they became established, they prove
+themselves to be extremely hardy. Pines will grow and thrive on
+comparatively poor soil, provided it is of suitable texture, but in such
+soils it is necessary to supplement the plant food in the soil by the
+addition of manures, if large fruit and heavy crops are to be obtained.
+Pineapples are propagated by means of suckers coming from the base of
+fruit-bearing plants, or from smaller suckers, or, as they are termed,
+robbers or gill sprouts that start from the fruiting stem just at the
+base of the fruit. They are also sometimes propagated by means of the
+crown, but this method is usually considered too slow. Well-developed
+suckers are usually preferred, as these come into bearing earliest, but
+equally good, if not better, returns are obtained by planting gill
+sprouts. The latter have the advantage in that they always develop a
+good root system before showing signs of fruit, hence their first crop
+is always a good one, and the fruit is of the best, whereas suckers
+sometimes start flowering as soon as they are planted, before they are
+properly established, with the result that the first fruit is small and
+inferior, and the plants have to throw out fresh suckers before a good
+crop is produced. Gill sprouts are slower in coming into bearing than
+suckers, but the results are usually more satisfactory. Like the banana,
+once a pineapple plant has borne fruit the fruiting stalk dies down, and
+its place is taken by one or more suckers, which in their turn bear
+fruit and die. Pineapples are planted in Queensland in several ways, but
+by far the most common method is to set the suckers out in single or
+double rows, from 8 to 9 feet apart, with the plants at from 1 to 2 feet
+apart in the row. The rows soon increase in width by the growth of
+suckers, and the throwing up of ratoons--surface roots thrown off from
+the original plant, which send up plants from below the ground as
+distinct from suckers, which come from the base or even higher up the
+stem of a fruiting plant. It is not at all an uncommon thing to see the
+rows grown together, so that the plantation appears to be a solid mass
+of plants, but pathways have to be kept between the rows to permit of
+gathering the fruit, manuring, &c. Pineapples have been grown in the
+Brisbane district for the past sixty years, and I have been shown beds
+of plants that have not been replanted for over forty years that are
+still producing good fruit. This shows how well at home this fruit is
+with us; but, in my opinion, it is not desirable to keep the plants so
+long in the same ground, as the finest fruit is always obtained from
+comparatively young plantations, the older ones producing too large a
+proportion of small fruit. From the Brisbane district this fruit has
+spread all over the eastern coast, and its production is increasing
+rapidly in several districts. Once the pine is planted, its cultivation
+is comparatively simple. If in single or double rows, all weed growth is
+kept down between the plants, and the ground between the rows is kept in
+a state of good cultivation by means of ploughing or cultivating, the
+soil being worked towards the rows so as to encourage the formation of
+suckers low down on the fruiting plants. Manure is given when necessary,
+the manure being worked in on either side of the rows.
+
+[Illustration: Smooth-leaved Cayenne Pines in fruit, planted 15 months,
+Woombye District.]
+
+The pineapple comes into bearing early, and, except where suckers throw
+fruit as soon as planted, bear their first crop in from twelve to twenty
+months, according to the type of suckers planted and the time of year at
+which they are set. Practically every sucker will produce a fruit at the
+first fruiting, and these will be followed by succeeding crops, borne on
+the successive crops of suckers, so that when the whole of the ground is
+occupied by plants, the returns are very heavy. One thousand dozen
+marketable fruits is by no means an unusual crop for Queen pines in a
+plantation in full bearing, and, taking these at an average of 2-1/2 lb.
+each, you get a return of 30,000 lb., or 15 tons American per acre. The
+illustrations herewith give a good general idea of the usual method of
+growing pines, and the method of handling and marketing, as well as of
+the nature of the country on which they are grown. The illustrations
+are mostly of smooth-leaved pines, which bear a fruit averaging from 6
+to 8 lb. each, but occasionally running up to as much as 14 to 16 lb.,
+though the latter is an extreme weight. The single pine shown is just
+under 12 lb. Several kinds of pines are grown, which are generally
+classified into roughs and smooths. The rough, or rough-leaved pines,
+such as the Common Queen and Ripley Queen, and local seedlings raised
+from them, are very prolific, and though not equal in size and
+appearance to the smooth-leaved Cayenne, our principal smooth-leaved
+kind, are usually considered to be of superior flavour, and to be better
+for canning or preserving. Rough pines run up to as much as 6 lb. weight
+each, but this is uncommon, the best average I have met with being about
+4 lb. per pine, and they were exceptionally good. The price at which
+this fruit sells here seems absurd to those living in cold countries,
+who are accustomed to look upon it as a luxury only found on the tables
+of the wealthy, as good rough-leaved pines are worth about 1s. per dozen
+during the summer season, and smooth-leaved pines from 1s. 6d. to 2s.
+6d. a dozen. Prices are certainly higher during the off-season, but
+growers would be well satisfied to get 1s. per dozen for rough pines all
+the year round. I have no hesitation in saying that pines can be grown
+at a profit at from L3 to L4 per ton, so that the cost of growing is so
+low that there is nothing to prevent us from canning the fruit and
+selling it at a price that will defy competition.
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--Pines packed for market, and
+showing fruit-grower's home, Woombye District.]
+
+Pineapple-growing has been a very profitable industry, particularly in
+the older plantations of the Brisbane district, and still continues to
+be so in many places despite the fact that prices are much lower now
+than they were some years since. The plantations from which the
+illustrations are taken are comparatively new ones, the land having been
+in its virgin state from six to eight years ago, and, as shown, some is
+only now being cleared. The owners of the plantations started without
+capital, and, by dint of hard work and perseverance, are now reaping an
+excellent return of some L50 per acre net profit. This is by no means an
+isolated example, but is one that is typical of what can be done, and
+has therefore been chosen. There is a great opening for the culture of
+this fruit in Queensland, and its cultivation is capable of being
+extended to a practically unlimited extent. We have a large amount of
+land suitable for the growth of this fruit that is available in
+different parts of the State, much of it at very reasonable rates, so
+that there is no difficulty in this direction for anyone wishing to make
+a start. It is an industry from which returns are quickly obtained, and
+is a branch of fruit-growing that holds out strong inducements and every
+prospect of success to intending growers. At present our production is
+about sufficient for our presently existing markets, but there is
+nothing to prevent these markets being widely extended. Our present
+means of utilising our surplus fruits, by canning or otherwise
+preserving same, are by no means as complete or up to date as they
+should be, and before they can become so, it is necessary to greatly
+increase our output. Small works cost too much to run as compared with
+large canning establishments, hence we are not yet in a position to make
+the most of our fruit. With increased production we will have an
+increase in the facilities for utilising the fruit. This requires
+labour, and there is right here an opening for many industrious
+workers, a business that I have no doubt will pay from the start, a
+business of which we have the Australian monopoly, and in which there is
+no reason that I can see in which we should not compete satisfactorily
+in the markets of the world.
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--Showing method of growing the
+fruit, Woombye District.]
+
+Queensland possesses many advantages respecting the growth of this fruit
+as compared with other countries in which it is grown commercially,
+which may be briefly enumerated as follows:--
+
+     1st.--Freedom from loss by freeze-outs;
+
+     2nd.--The ease with which the fruit can be grown, and its freedom
+     from disease;
+
+     3rd.--The large area of land suitable to its culture, and the low
+     price at which suitable land can be obtained;
+
+     4th.--The fine quality of the fruit;
+
+     5th.--The superiority of our fruit for canning purposes;
+
+     6th.--The low price at which it can be produced, and the heavy
+     crops that can be grown.
+
+These are enough reasons to show that in the pineapple we have a fruit
+well suited to our soil and climate, a fruit in the cultivation of which
+there is room for great extension, and which will provide a living for
+many industrious settlers.
+
+[Illustration: Rough-leaved Pines, Redland Bay District.]
+
+[Illustration: Pineapple Plantation--On virgin soil, showing scrub land
+at back being cleared for fruit growing, Woombye District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE MANGO.
+
+
+This magnificent fruit, which is practically unknown outside of the
+tropics, has become as hardy as a forest tree throughout our eastern
+seaboard, wherever it is planted out of frost. It has been named, and
+well named too, the apple of Queensland, as it stands as much neglect,
+and can be grown with as little care and attention as, or even less,
+than that given to the apple-trees in many of the Somerset or Devonshire
+orchards. It will not, however, stand frost. Droughts and floods have
+little effect on it; it will grow in any soil, from a sand to a heavy
+loam, amongst rocks, or on a gravelly or shaley land. Naturally, it does
+best in good land, but there are hundreds of cases where trees are doing
+well and bearing heavily on land that is by no means fruit land. The
+mango is one of our handsomest fruit trees; the symmetry of its growth,
+its large glossy leaves, the delicate colouring of its young growth,
+which is of different shades in different varieties, the abundance of
+fruit that it produces, varying in colour from dull-green to yellow,
+red, or even purplish tints, all render it conspicuous. As well as being
+one of our handsomest, it is also one of our most widely distributed
+fruits, being found growing luxuriantly the whole length of our eastern
+seaboard. A few trees are also to be met with inland in districts that
+are free from frosts, so that it stands both the dry heat of the
+interior and the humid heat of the coast. As a tropical fruit it
+naturally reaches its greatest perfection under our most tropical
+conditions, the trees there growing practically wild, requiring little
+if any attention, making a rapid growth, coming into bearing early, and
+producing heavy crops of fruit. Further south the growth is somewhat
+slower, though the trees grow to a large size and bear heavily. It is
+one of the easiest of trees to grow, as it is readily propagated by
+means of seed. In many plantations thousands of young seedlings may
+often be seen growing under the old trees, the seeds having taken root
+without even having been planted. In most cases it is propagated from
+seed, the stones of fruit showing especial merit being planted either in
+a nursery, or, better, still, where the tree is to remain permanently,
+as it usually does better when so planted than when grown in a nursery
+and thence transplanted to its permanent location. The land should be
+well worked prior to planting, and the young trees require to be kept
+free from weeds and undergrowth till such time as they occupy the whole
+of the ground, when they are able to look after themselves, and require
+no further attention, at any rate in the warmer parts. It is not at all
+uncommon to come across a mango-tree, in full bearing, in vigorous
+health, that is growing wild, the result of a stone that has been thrown
+away by someone who has eaten the fruit. The young tree has not only
+been able to hold its own against all kinds of indigenous growths, but
+has developed into a vigorous, healthy tree, thus showing that it is
+perfectly at home, and that the soil and climate of Queensland suit it
+to perfection. The fact that by far the greater portion of our
+mango-trees have been grown from seed has resulted in the production of
+innumerable varieties, many of which are of decidedly inferior quality,
+as one never knows when planting the seed what the resultant fruit is
+going to be like. One is more likely to get good fruit by planting the
+seeds from selected fruit of the highest quality, but is by no means
+certain to do so, as a number of seeds always revert to inferior types.
+This has had a bad effect on our mango industry, and has been apt to
+give the fruit as a class a bad name, so much so that we find it
+difficult to get our Southern neighbours to take to it at all readily. I
+can quite understand anyone, whose first experience of a mango is that
+of an inferior fruit, full of fibre, and having a distinctly
+disagreeable flavour, condemning the particular fruit, but because there
+are inferior fruits one should not condemn the whole without knowing
+what a really good mango is like.
+
+[Illustration: Mango Trees, Port Douglas.]
+
+We have many good mangoes in Queensland, but only a few that are really
+first-class, and of the latter I have yet to meet the man or woman, who
+is a fruit-eater, who does not appreciate their exquisite flavour, and
+who does not consider them worthy to rank with any of the finest fruits.
+By many a really fine mango is considered to be the king of fruits, and
+I am not at all certain that they are not right, but, at the same time,
+a really bad mango is indescribably bad.
+
+The mango grows to a large size here, even when comparatively young. I
+know trees over 50 feet in height, having a spread of the branches of
+more than 60 feet, a main trunk nearly 3 feet in diameter, that are
+under thirty years old, and that have borne from 1 to 2 tons of fruit
+for a single crop. Hundreds of tons of fruit go to waste annually for
+want of a market, or are consumed by farm animals, as the consumption of
+the fruit is practically confined to this State, and the production is
+greater than we can consume, despite the fact that mangoes are in season
+from the end of September to March, and that they are a favourite fruit
+with all who have acquired a liking for them. In addition to the
+consumption of the fruit in its fresh state, a quantity is converted
+into chutney, but this is so small that it has no appreciable effect on
+the crop as a whole. The unripe fruit makes an excellent substitute for
+apples, and is used stewed or for pies or tarts, and when sliced and
+dried it may be stored and used in a similar manner to dried apples.
+
+[Illustration: Mango Tree near Brisbane.]
+
+In addition to its value as a fruit, the mango forms a handsome
+ornamental tree, and one that provides a good shade for stock. It is
+very free from disease, as with the exception of one or two species of
+scale insects, which do not cause any very serious damage, it has few
+serious pests. It is a fruit that is bound sooner or later to come into
+more general favour, particularly when the qualities of the finer
+varieties are better known. Until quite recently it was considered to be
+one of the most difficult trees to propagate by means of grafting or
+budding, hence its propagation has been practically confined to raising
+it from seed, but now we have found out how to work it by means of
+plate-budding, and are able to perpetuate our best sorts true to kind.
+This is sure to lead to a general improvement of our existing varieties,
+as old trees can be worked over by this means, or young trees of
+approved kinds can be grown in a nursery and distributed.
+
+The fruit is very wholesome, is much appreciated by all who have
+acquired a taste for it, can be used fresh or dry, ripe or unripe, and
+cans well. It is a great addition to our list of purely tropical fruits,
+and finds a place in all orchards or gardens where it is capable of
+being grown.
+
+
+
+
+THE MANGOSTEEN.
+
+
+Many attempts have been made during past years to introduce this
+delicious fruit into Queensland, but these always resulted in failure.
+True, a certain variety of mangosteen has been successfully grown at
+Port Douglas, also on the Lower Burdekin, and rumours of the existence
+of the true Java mangosteen (_Garcinia mangostana_) have been received,
+but, in nearly every case, they have, on investigation, proved to be
+_Garcinia xanthochymus_, or some other species. At the Kamerunga State
+Nursery, however, trees of undoubted parentage were successfully raised.
+It is said that a thriving young plant, which is unquestionably
+_G. mangostana_, is owned by Mr. Banfield, of Dunk Island. The records of
+the Kamerunga Nursery show that in October, 1891, a quantity--about
+100--of ripe mangosteen fruit was received from the Batavian agency by
+the then manager, Mr. Ebenezer Cowley, from which some 600 seeds were
+obtained. Of these, only a few germinated. The next mention is of the
+distribution, in February, 1892, of six plants to an applicant on the
+Mossman, and of two more in May of that year. Since then several young
+trees have been raised at the nursery, and one of them, in January,
+1913, fruited for the first time for twenty-two years, and is the first
+to have done so in this State. Some of the fruit was sent to the
+Department of Agriculture and Stock, and proved to be fully equal to
+those of Java. A full history of the mangosteen and of its introduction
+into Queensland is given in "The Queensland Agricultural Journal"
+(vol. xxx., June and July, 1913). The photographs were taken from the
+original fruit.
+
+[Illustration: Fruit of Mangosteen.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PAPAW.
+
+
+Continuing our list of tropical fruits, we now come to the papaw, one of
+our most wholesome and useful fruits. It is grown all along our eastern
+seaboard in situations that are free from frost. It comes into bearing
+early, and is a heavy cropper. Like the other tropical fruits already
+described, it does best in our warmer parts, coming to maturity earlier,
+and producing better fruit. In many of the Northern coastal scrubs it is
+often met with growing wild, and producing fruit in abundance, the seeds
+from which the trees have been produced having been dropped by birds or
+distributed by other natural agencies. The papaw fruit resembles a rock
+melon somewhat in shape and flavour, the fruit being produced in the
+axil of the leaves all along the main stem, where they are clustered
+thickly together. The tree does best on well-drained soils, and is very
+sensitive to the presence of clay or stagnant water at the roots, hence
+it usually does best on scrub land or land well supplied with humus. It
+is propagated entirely from seed, which grows readily in such soils, and
+under favourable conditions will bear its first fruit when about ten to
+twelve months old, and continue to bear for three or four years or even
+longer. When the trees becomes old, however, the fruit decreases in size
+and deteriorates in quality, so that it is necessary to plant a number
+yearly in order to keep up a regular supply. It is a very handsome tree,
+with large spreading leaves on long stems, beneath which is its cluster
+of fruit--as many as 100 fruits being sometimes found in different
+stages of development on the one plant. The fruit ranges in size from 2
+lb. to some 6 lb. in weight, and when ripe it is of a greenish-yellow or
+sometimes orange colour. The flesh is yellow, and when quite ripe it is
+moderately juicy, and of a flavour that it not always appreciated at
+first, but which one soon becomes very partial to. It more nearly
+resembles the flavour of a rock melon than that of any other fruit, and
+the seeds, which are found clustered in the centre of the fruit, have a
+flavour that closely resembles that of seeds of the nasturtium. Both the
+seeds and the fruit contain an active principle called papain, which is
+really a vegetable pepsin, that has the effect of greatly assisting in
+the assimilation of all food with which it is eaten, hence it is a
+valuable remedy in the case of dyspepsia, and persons who take the fruit
+regularly are never subject to this exceedingly troublesome disease. The
+fruit can be used both as a vegetable and as a fruit, the former in its
+green state, when it is boiled and served with melted butter, resembles
+a vegetable marrow or squash, but is superior to either of these
+vegetables. As a fruit it is either used by itself, or in conjunction
+with other fruits it forms the basis of a fruit salad. It is largely
+used in the North, and its cultivation is steadily spreading South, as
+its valuable properties are becoming better known. Its cultivation is
+very simple. The seeds are either planted where the tree is to remain,
+or are raised in a bed and transplanted to their permanent position in
+the orchard when strong enough to stand shifting, care being taken to
+select a dull moist day. The young plants are protected from the sun for
+a few days till they have become established, after which all that is
+necessary is to keep down weeds and to work the soil round them,
+taking care not to injure the roots. A good mulch of decomposed
+vegetable matter round the plants is an advantage, but they are usually
+so easily grown that little extra care is given to them. The papaw bears
+male and female flowers, which may be on the same trees, but are usually
+on different trees, so that it is usual to speak of male and female
+trees. This is, however, a mistake, as according to Bailey the plant is
+polygamous--that is to say, male, female, or hermaphrodite flowers may
+be found on the same or on distinct plants. The male flowers are usually
+on long scantily-branched auxiliary panicles, whereas the female flowers
+are mostly in the axils of the leaves close to the stem. The two trees
+are not distinguishable from each other till they come into flower,
+hence it is advisable to set the young plants fairly close
+together--say, 6 feet apart--and thin out the male trees when same can
+be distinguished by their blossoms.
+
+Besides its use as a fruit and vegetable, the papaw makes a fair
+conserve and an excellent sauce, and its medicinal principle, "papain,"
+is an article of commerce.
+
+[Illustration: Papaw in fruit, near Brisbane.]
+
+
+
+
+THE COCOA-NUT.
+
+
+Although this palm can be grown for ornamental purposes as far south as
+Brisbane, its cultivation on commercial lines will be confined to the
+coast district north of Townsville, and to the islands off the coast,
+as, in order to develop its fruit to perfection, it requires a tropical
+climate. Where the climate is suitable it does well, it makes a rapid
+growth, and bears heavy crops of nuts. Old palms on the beach at Cairns
+compare favourably with any growing in the South Seas, and I am of
+opinion that its culture in commercial quantities on suitable land will
+be found profitable. The cocoa-nut palm does best right on or adjacent
+to the seashore, in comparatively poor sandy soil--soil that is usually
+of little value for general crops, though it will grow mangoes well. So
+far, it is not grown in any large numbers, and although there is a ready
+sale for the ripe nuts, there is no attempt to make copra or to utilise
+the coir. Copra is the dried flesh of the nut, from which oil is
+extracted, and is largely used in the manufacture of soap, candles, &c.,
+the refuse left after the oil has been extracted being used for cattle
+feed. Coir is the fibre surrounding the nut, and is used for the
+manufacture of matting, door mats, &c.
+
+There is a considerable area of land suitable to the culture of this
+fruit on our Northern coast, which is at present lying idle, that, in my
+opinion, can be turned to a profitable use by planting it in cocoa-nuts
+as, in addition to utilising land otherwise of little value, we would be
+building up a new industry. The trees come into bearing in about eight
+years after planting the seed, and will continue to produce crops for
+many years without any attention. Care will have to be given for the
+first few years, whilst the plants are small, to keep down undergrowth
+and to prevent fires from running through the plantation, but, once
+fairly established, the plants will look after themselves. A cocoa-nut
+plantation gives a distinctly tropical look to the district in which it
+is grown, and the palms, particularly when young, are very ornamental;
+when old the long bare stems detract somewhat from the beauty of the
+top. It is a palm that I believe has a good future before it in the
+North, and for that reason I have included it amongst our tropical
+fruits, though it is cultivated at present more as an ornamental plant
+than as an article of commerce.
+
+[Illustration: Cocoa-nut Palms, Port Douglas.]
+
+
+
+
+THE GRANADILLA.
+
+
+A vine, belonging to the natural order Passifloreae, that produces one of
+our most delicious tropical fruits. The papaw and the passion fruit
+belong to this same order. It can be grown all along our eastern
+seaboard, but comes to greatest perfection in the North. The fruit is of
+a pale greenish-yellow colour, cylindrical in shape, and varies in
+weight from about 1 to 5 lb., the largest fruits being produced on a
+sub-species. The fruit consists of an outer pulpy covering, which can be
+used for cooking if desired, which surrounds a cavity filled with seeds
+which are encased in a jelly-like mass. This is the portion eaten, and
+to use an Americanism, "It is not at all hard to take." It is either
+eaten by itself, or is used in conjunction with papaw and other fruits
+to make a fruit salad, a dish that is fit for the food of the gods, and
+once taken is never forgotten.
+
+The granadilla is easily grown from seed, and the plants are trained on
+an overhead trellis, the fruit hanging down on the underside. It is a
+heavy bearer, and once planted requires little attention. It requires a
+free, warm soil, that is fairly rich, to be grown to perfection, hence
+it is most commonly grown on scrub land. It can, however, be grown on
+any well-prepared land of a free nature. Unfortunately, it is a
+difficult fruit to ship any distance, hence its consumption is mainly
+confined to the districts in which it is grown, and where, needless to
+say, it is greatly appreciated. It is in fruit more or less all the year
+round, its main crop being in early spring in the North, and during the
+summer months further South. It is sometimes made into jam or jelly, but
+when preserved loses much of its characteristic flavour.
+
+[Illustration: Granadilla Vine at Kuranda, Cairns district.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PASSION FRUIT.
+
+
+This fruit is very closely related to the granadilla, but is much
+hardier than it, and can be grown to perfection much further South. It
+is not injured by frost to any extent in any part of coastal Queensland,
+and can be grown a considerable distance inland. It is more rightly a
+semi-tropical than a tropical fruit, though, as it is so nearly related
+to the granadilla, I have included it amongst the tropical fruits. It is
+also a vine, and, when grown commercially, is trained along a horizontal
+trellis, in a somewhat similar manner to a grape vine. It is readily
+grown from seed, and will produce fruit in less than twelve months from
+the time that it is planted, and will continue to bear fruit for some
+years. It does best on a free, warm soil of fair quality, though it may
+be grown anywhere with care, and often thrives well in very poor soils
+with the addition of manure. It is found growing wild on the borders of
+many of our scrubs and elsewhere, the seeds having been deposited by
+birds or other agencies, and under such conditions it produces an
+abundance of fruit. The fruit is of a roundish oval shape, and is of a
+dark-purple colour. It is about the size of a large hen's egg, the outer
+skin being hard and shell-like, and the centre filled with the seeds,
+which are surrounded with a jelly-like mass and a yellowish pulp. It is
+a very fine flavoured fruit, and is universally liked. It is grown in
+considerable quantities in the Southern part of the State, and is one of
+our commonest fruits. It has usually two crops a year--a summer and a
+winter crop--but can be got to produce its fruit at any particular time
+that is desired by systematic pruning at different times of the year. It
+is often grown over sheds, dead trees, fallen logs, &c., which it covers
+with a mass of dense green foliage, and converts what would otherwise be
+an unsightly object into an ornament. The illustration herewith shows
+this well, and gives a good idea of the growth of a single vine.
+Commercially it is grown on trellis, so that the land between the rows
+can be kept well cultivated, and also to permit of ease in the gathering
+of the fruit. When ripe, the fruit drops, and the gathering is usually
+from the ground. The fruit carries well, but will not keep for any
+length of time, as it shrivels up. It is principally used as a fresh
+fruit, though it is also made into jam or jelly, and it often forms part
+of a fruit salad, taking the place of the granadilla. It has few pests,
+and is one of the easiest fruits to grow.
+
+[Illustrations: Passion Fruit, Redland Bay--Showing method of culture (1)
+and part of a vine in fruit (2).]
+
+
+
+
+CUSTARD APPLES.
+
+
+Under this heading I will include all the Anonas, such as the sour sop,
+sweet sop, bullock's heart, and cherimoya. The sour sop is purely
+tropical, and is very sensitive to frost, but the other species are by
+no means so tender, and can be grown anywhere along the coast where the
+soil is suitable, as well as at many inland places. All the species
+produce very fine fruits, that vary somewhat in shape, in the roughness
+of the skin, and in size. The sour sop is the largest, and attains a
+size of 6 to 8 lb. The fruit is covered with soft spines, and is of an
+irregular oval, or even pyriform, shape. It ripens very soon after it is
+gathered, consequently cannot be sent any distance. It is a pleasant
+fruit of an aromatic sub-acid flavour. The pulp surrounding the seeds is
+of a woolly consistency, and this is surrounded by a custard-like mass
+which is much appreciated by those who have acquired a liking for it. It
+is a comparatively uncommon fruit, and is confined to the tropics.
+
+The sweet sop is the commonest of the Anonas, and is grown throughout a
+considerable part of coastal Queensland. It is usually of an irregular
+roundish shape, very full of seeds, which are surrounded by a
+custard-like pulp of very pleasant flavour. It is usually a heavy
+bearer, and is the variety most commonly met with in our fruit stores.
+The tree is hardy and is easily grown.
+
+The bullock's heart is a stronger-growing variety than the previous one,
+the fruit is larger, and, as its name implies, heart-shaped. It is also
+fairly seedy, the pulp of a light-brown colour, and more gritty, and
+not, in my opinion, of first-rate quality. It is most commonly grown in
+the North, where it is a very hardy and prolific tree.
+
+The cherimoya is the best of the custard apples. The tree is a strong
+grower, with large handsome leaves, but, as a rule, it is not a very
+heavy bearer. There are many varieties, the fruit of which varies
+considerably in size and shape, and the skin is sometimes smooth and
+sometimes warted, or even covered with short soft spines. It has
+usually comparatively few seeds, and these are surrounded by a rich
+custard-like pulp, which in the better kinds is of very fine flavour,
+and is generally much liked. The fruit is not a good keeper, still,
+given careful handling and packing, it can be kept for nearly a week.
+All custard apples are easily raised from seed, but the better varieties
+are propagated by grafting strong seedlings with wood taken from a tree
+producing fruit of especial merit. Any good fruit soil will grow them,
+and they do not require any especial treatment.
+
+[Illustration: Custard Apples, Brisbane District.]
+
+There are still a large number of tropical fruits that I have not
+mentioned, but space will not permit of my giving them more than a
+passing notice, as they are not of any great value from a commercial
+standpoint at present. Of these fruits the litchi, whampee, averoha,
+longan, vi-apple, and Chinese mangosteen are practically confined to the
+North. The guava, of which there are many species, grows anywhere; in
+fact, it is a pest in many cases, taking complete possession of the
+land. It is not cultivated to any great extent, as it grows so readily
+without, and, further, it harbours several pests whose presence it is
+desirable to remove from the orchard. It is a useful fruit for home
+consumption, as it stews well, makes an excellent jam, and its jelly is
+one of the best.
+
+The rosella, a species of hibiscus, is an annual fruit that is grown to
+a considerable extent in several parts of the State, and is used for
+pies, jams, and jellies. The latter is remarkably good, equal to that
+made from the red currant of colder climes, and will no doubt become an
+article of export at no very distant date. The fruit also dries well,
+and makes an excellent pickle. It is raised from seed, the young
+seedlings being set out in well-prepared land when all danger of frost
+is past. It is a rapid grower, and forms a bush some 4 feet across by 4
+or 5 feet high. It is a heavy bearer, and the fruit meets with a ready
+sale. To do well, the plants require a warm, free, well-drained soil, as
+they do not thrive where there is any stagnant water at or near the
+roots.
+
+The avocado or alligator pear is not grown to any extent, though it
+thrives well, particularly to the north of the tropic of Capricorn, and
+can also be grown successfully as far south as the New South Wales
+border. It is a fruit that deserves to be cultivated to a much greater
+extent than it is at present, and once it becomes better known I have no
+doubt that it will be planted in considerable numbers, and prove a very
+welcome addition to our already long list of fruits, as it is
+unequalled, in my opinion, as a salad. As far as my experience goes, it
+is likely to become a profitable fruit to grow, as once persons acquire
+a liking for it, they become very partial to it, and eat it whenever
+they can get it.
+
+In addition to purely tropical fruits a number of semi-tropical fruits
+are grown on our eastern seaboard, but are not entirely confined
+thereto, as many of them are cultivated to a considerable extent in some
+parts of our coastal and inland tablelands, particularly in sheltered
+positions. Under the heading of semi-tropical fruits, all kinds of
+citrus fruits, persimmons, loquats, date palm, wine palm, pecan nut,
+Brazilian cherry, Natal plum, ki-apple, and many other fruits are
+included, as well as several fruits that more properly belong to the
+temperate regions, such as Japanese plums, Chickasaw plum, peaches of
+Chinese origin, figs, mulberries of sorts, strawberries, cape
+gooseberries, &c. Of all of these the citrus fruits, which include the
+orange, mandarin, Seville, lemon, lime, grape fruit, kumquat, citron,
+and pomelo are by far the most important, and are grown successfully
+over a very large portion of the State, so that we will consider them
+first.
+
+[Illustration: Sour Sop, Mossman District.]
+
+
+
+
+CITRUS FRUIT.
+
+
+Quite a number of fruits are included under this heading, and all reach
+a very high state of perfection in this State. The whole of the family,
+the lemon-shaped citron excepted, is noted for the beauty and symmetry
+of growth that its trees make, and I know of few more beautiful sights
+in the vegetable world than a well-kept citrus grove in full bearing.
+Take the common round orange as an example, its well-balanced and evenly
+grown head, its dark glossy green foliage, its wealth of white blossoms,
+which perfume the whole neighbourhood, or its mass of golden fruit
+between its dark-green leaves, render it one of the most beautiful of
+fruit trees at all times, but especially so when covered with blossoms
+or ripe fruit. A typical Queensland grove is even more beautiful than
+those of many other places, as the vigour and size of our trees, their
+exceptionally healthy appearance, their dark foliage, and the heavy crop
+of high-class fruit that they bear, are at once evident to a stranger
+who has never seen the orange grown under such favourable conditions as
+are experienced here. The yield is often so heavy that the trees
+actually bend to the ground with the weight of their fruit, and a
+stack of props has to be used to prevent the tree from splitting into
+pieces. Those who have seen the enormous crops of apples that are
+produced on some trees in Tasmania or the old cider orchards of Devon or
+Somerset can form an idea of the crops; but the writer, who has seen
+both, as well as our Queensland trees, has no hesitation in saying that
+a Queensland mandarin can give points to either as a heavy cropper; in
+fact, if it has a fault, it is its proneness to overbear, particularly
+when young. This all tends to prove how well adapted Queensland is to
+the growth of citrus fruits, and were I asked to select a country
+particularly suited to their culture I should have no hesitation in
+naming this State, as I know of nowhere where their culture can be
+carried out with less trouble, or where the trees will produce better
+fruit or heavier crops. Queensland may well be termed the home of citrus
+fruits, as we have no less than three native species which are
+indigenous to the State, and are by no means uncommon in our scrubs.
+Their presence gives unmistakable proof of the suitability of this State
+for the culture of fruits of the same family, so that I think a short
+description of these native species may not be out of place, but will be
+of some interest to my readers.
+
+[Illustration: Young Orange Orchard (6 years old) on scrub land, near
+Mapleton, Blackall Range. Showing the standing scrub in the background.]
+
+_Citrus australis_, the native orange or lime, is both the largest and
+most common. It grows into a large tree, having a diameter of 15 to 18
+inches in the trunk, and a height of 60 feet or more. It produces a
+quantity of thick-skinned acid fruit, of from 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
+The skin is full of a resinous sap, and the fruit is of little value. It
+is a slow-growing tree, though, as just mentioned, it attains a
+considerable size, is very hardy, and produces a quantity of fruit. Its
+slow growth, when young, has prevented its use as a stock on which to
+work improved varieties, but I have no doubt it would make a very hardy
+stock that would be distinctly disease-resistant.
+
+The second variety is _Citrus australasica_, the so-called finger lime,
+a thorny bush, producing a fruit of from 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter, and
+3 to 4 inches long. The fruit has a thin skin, and contains an agreeable
+acid pulp that varies in colour, in some specimens being of a reddish
+tinge that resembles the pulp of a blood orange. These two varieties are
+met with in the Southern part of the State, but the third is a Northern
+species, to which Mr. F. M. Bailey, our Colonial Botanist, has given the
+name of _Citrus inodora_, the North Queensland lime. It is met with in
+the scrubs of the Russell River, and is described by Mr. Bailey as
+bearing a greater resemblance to the cultivated species than the two
+former varieties. It produces a fruit over 2 inches long by 1-1/4 inches
+in diameter, having a thin rind and a juicy pulp of a sharply acid
+flavour, so that even in its wild state it is a desirable fruit, and
+takes the place of the cultivated lemon. Where native species flourish
+as they do here, there is every probability of cultivated species
+thriving equally well, and this is found to be the case in practice.
+
+[Illustration: A young Orange Orchard, Woombye District.]
+
+No fruits are more generally distributed or have a wider range in this
+State than those of the Citrus family, as, with the exception of the
+colder parts of the Downs, where the winter temperature is too low, the
+Gulf country, and the dry Western districts, where there is no water
+available for irrigation, they can be grown from one end of the State to
+the other, provided that they are planted in suitable soil, and that, in
+the drier parts, there is an available supply of suitable water with
+which to irrigate them during the prevalence of long dry spells. The
+country adjoining the eastern seaboard, extending from the Tweed River
+in the South to Cooktown in the North--a distance of about 1,100 miles,
+and extending inland for nearly 100 miles--is naturally suited to the
+growth of citrus fruits, and there is probably no country in the world
+that is better adapted to, or that can produce the various kinds of
+these fruits to greater perfection or with less trouble, than this
+portion of Queensland. Of course, the whole of this large area is not
+adapted for citrus culture, as it contains many different kinds of
+soils, several of which are not suitable for the growth of these fruits,
+and there is also a large extent of country which is too broken and
+otherwise unsuitable. At the same time there are hundreds of thousands
+of acres of land in this area in which the soil and natural conditions
+are eminently suited to the growth of citrus fruit, and in which the
+tenderest varieties of these fruits may be grown to perfection without
+the slightest chance of their being injured by frost; and where the
+natural rainfall is such that, provided the trees receive ordinary care
+and cultivation, there is seldom any necessity for artificial
+irrigation. At the present time there are hundreds of citrus trees
+growing practically wild in different parts of the coastal country that
+are in vigorous health and producing heavy crops of good fruit, even
+though they are uncultivated, unpruned, unmanured, and have to hold
+their own against a vigorous growth of native and introduced shrubs,
+trees, and weeds. When the orange, lime, citron, or common lemon become
+established under conditions that are favourable for their proper
+development, they apparently become as hardy as the indigenous plants,
+and are able to hold their own against them, thus showing how well the
+climate and suitable soils of coastal Queensland are adapted for the
+cultivation of citrus fruits. The commercial cultivation of citrus
+fruits is at present practically confined to this coastal area, the most
+important centres, starting from the South, being Nerang, Coomera,
+Redland Bay, Brisbane, Enoggera, Gatton, Grantham, Toowoomba, North
+Coast line from North Pine to Gympie including the Blackall Range and
+Buderim Mountain; the Wide Bay district, including Maryborough, Tiaro,
+Mount Bauple, Gayndah, Pialba, and Burrum; the Burnett district,
+including Bundaberg and Mullet Creek; the Fitzroy district, including
+Rockhampton and Yeppoon; Bowen, Cardwell, Murray River, Tully River,
+Cairns and district, Port Douglas, and Cooktown. In addition to these
+districts a few citrus fruits are grown at Mackay, Townsville, and
+several other places. Citrus fruits are also grown further inland, but
+their cultivation here is largely dependent on the ability to supply the
+trees with suitable water for irrigation during dry spells. Frosts have
+also to be taken into consideration, for, though the days are warm, the
+temperature often falls considerably during the night, owing to the
+great radiation, and citrus-trees in districts like Roma, Emerald, &c.,
+are liable to injury thereby. West of Emerald, at Bogantungan,
+Barcaldine, and other places, citrus fruits do very well with
+irrigation. Some of the finest lemons, Washington Navel, and other
+improved varieties of oranges are grown here to perfection, the lemons
+especially being of high quality, and curing down equal to the imported
+Italian or Californian article. The soil in many of the inland districts
+is well suited to the culture of citrus fruits, and when the trees are
+given the necessary water, and are uninjured by frost, they produce
+excellent fruit. I stated, some short distance back, that there is
+probably no country in the world that is better adapted to the
+cultivation of or that can produce the various kinds of citrus fruits to
+greater perfection or with less trouble than the eastern seaboard of
+Queensland. To many of my readers this may seem to be a very broad
+statement; but I am certain that, if suitable trees are planted in the
+right soil and under favourable conditions, and are given anything like
+the same care and attention that is devoted to the culture of citrus
+fruits in the great producing centres for these fruits in other parts of
+the world, we have nothing to fear either as regards the cost of
+production or the quality of the fruit produced. In order to exemplify
+this, it may be interesting to compare our capabilities with those of
+the principal citrus-producing districts north of the equator. To begin
+with, I will take Florida, which more nearly approaches our climatic
+conditions than any other citrus-growing country that I know of, and
+which is noted for the excellence of its citrus fruit, and we find that
+we have all its advantages except that of proximity to the world's
+markets, without its disadvantages. We have a better and richer soil,
+requiring far less expensive artificial fertilisers to maintain its
+fertility, and at a very much lower price. We can grow equally as good
+fruit; in fact, it is questionable if Florida ever produced a citrus
+fruit equal in quality to the Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarin, a
+Queensland production. We get as heavy, if not heavier, crops, and our
+trees come into bearing very early. We have no freeze-outs similar to
+those which have crippled the industry in Florida so severely in the
+past that many of their wealthy growers are actually covering in whole
+orchards of many acres in extent as a protection from frost. This
+covering-in is accomplished by means of a framework of timber having
+slat-work or panel sides and tops--in fact, by enclosing their orchards
+in a huge elaborate bush-house, which is further protected by the heat
+produced by six large heating stoves or salamanders to each acre of
+trees enclosed. If it pays the Florida growers to go to all this expense
+in order to prevent freeze-outs and to produce first-class fruit, surely
+we can compete with them when a seed stuck in the right soil under
+favourable conditions will produce a strong, vigorous, healthy tree,
+bearing good crops without any attention whatever.
+
+[Illustration: An Orange Orchard, near Woombye.]
+
+[Illustration: Orange Trophy in the Moreton District Exhibit at the
+Brisbane Exhibition.]
+
+In comparing Queensland with the citrus-producing districts of Southern
+Europe, we have the advantage of better and cheaper land, absence of
+frost, more vigorous growth, earlier maturity of the trees, and superior
+fruit; but with the advantage of cheaper and more skilful labour,
+especially in the handling and marketing of fruit, and proximity to the
+world's markets in their favour.
+
+As compared with California, our soil is no better than theirs, but it
+costs much less, and their citrus industry is dependent on artificial
+irrigation, their natural rainfall being altogether inadequate for the
+growth of citrus fruits. Californian conditions more nearly approach
+those of our inland districts, such as Barcaldine, with the exception
+that the only rainfall in California is during the winter, whereas in
+Barcaldine and similar districts the heaviest fall is during the summer
+months, but, in both, the successful culture of these fruits depends on
+irrigation.
+
+In Jaffa, also, where the oranges are of large size and extra quality,
+the trees have to be carefully irrigated and manured, as these
+operations are found to be essential to the production of marketable
+fruit.
+
+These few instances show how favourably the conditions prevailing in
+Queensland compare with those of the great citrus-growing districts of
+Europe and America, especially in the matter of soil and climate, and I
+feel confident that, if the industry were taken up in the same
+business-like manner that it has been done in California and Florida, we
+could easily hold our own against any part of the world. In comparing
+Queensland with the rest of the world we have the advantage--also shared
+by New South Wales and South Africa--of ripening our fruit at a time of
+the year which is the off season in the citrus-producing countries to
+the north of the equator, so that our fruit does not clash with theirs,
+their ripening period and ours being at different times of the year. As
+regards our Australian market, our fruit ripening earlier than that of
+the Southern States, we are enabled to dispose of a considerable portion
+of our crop in the Southern markets before the local fruit is ready for
+gathering. This gives us three markets--first, a local one; secondly, a
+Southern one; and, finally, when this demand is supplied, an oversea
+market to Europe, America, and the East.
+
+When grown under favourable conditions, citrus-trees are heavy bearers
+in this State, it being no uncommon thing to meet with seedling or
+worked orange-trees of from ten to twelve years of age producing over
+twenty cases of marketable fruit to the tree, averaging about 10 dozen
+medium-sized fruit.
+
+[Illustration: Bunch of Valencia late Oranges, Blackall Range District.]
+
+[Illustration: Washington Navel Oranges, Barcaldine District, Central
+Line.]
+
+Citrus-trees of all kinds, particularly worked trees, come into bearing
+very early, and the returns obtained from an orchard rapidly increase.
+The illustrations give a good idea of the rapid growth, and a fair one
+of the crop of fruit the young trees are bearing, but the following
+examples, taken at random for the crop that was marketed in January,
+1906, will show better how our trees bear:--
+
+     Mr. A., Blackall Range, marketed 7-1/4 cases per tree from a row of
+     twenty-five Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins, planted April, 1900.
+     A return of L1 10s. per tree.
+
+     Mr. B., from the same district, averaged 7 cases of Washington
+     Navel Oranges per tree from trees six years old, which realised L1
+     15s. per tree, and 8 cases of Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins from
+     trees of the same age. The navels were large, and averaged 5 dozen
+     per case, and the mandarins 10 dozen per case.
+
+     Mr. C, another district, averaged 6 cases of Valencia Late Oranges,
+     from trees six years planted, and 10 cases per tree from Emperor
+     Mandarins, nine years old.
+
+     One twelve years old orange-tree in this district produced over 25
+     cases of fruit.
+
+     Mr. D., same district as last; Washington Navels averaged 10 cases
+     per tree, ten years planted, and have borne regular crops since
+     three years old.
+
+Numerous other cases might be given, but the above are sufficient to
+show the earliness at which our trees bear, and the crops they yield.
+Trees in full bearing often yield up to 40 cases, but these are usually
+old seedlings, which bear a very heavy crop one year and a comparatively
+light crop the next. All the instances I have quoted are from worked
+trees, which are found to give the most regular and constant yields.
+Until quite recently, citrus-trees were almost entirely grown from seed
+in this State, with the result that we have a very large number of
+types, and many crosses between different species. This was not
+advisable, as a uniformity in type is desirable for marketing, hence the
+greater number of trees now being planted are of selected varieties of
+proved merit. Many of the seedlings have produced most excellent fruit,
+but a seedling has usually the disadvantage of being very full of
+seeds, and having a lot of rag (the indigestible fibre round the pulp)
+as compared with the worked varieties, which have either no seeds or
+very few seeds and little rag. Seedlings are also of many types, and
+they produce a lot of small fruit, thereby making an uneven sample,
+whereas worked trees produce fruit even in size and quality. Seedlings
+are probably the hardiest, and will stand the most neglect, but
+experience is showing that worked trees are the most profitable to grow.
+The growth of all kinds of citrus-trees from seed is a very simple
+matter, all that is necessary being a well-prepared seed bed of friable
+soil that is partially shaded from the heat of the sun, so as to protect
+the young plants. Selected, fully ripe fruit from well-grown, prolific,
+healthy trees is taken, and the seeds sown in rows in the seed bed, or
+broadcast when weeds are not likely to be any trouble. Fresh seed
+germinates quickly, and the young plants are soon ready to be
+transplanted into the nursery bed, where they are either worked over or
+allowed to remain seedlings. At twelve months old, from seed, a tree
+will have a stem-diameter of about 3/4-inch, and a height of 3 to 4
+feet, a growth about twice that made in the Southern States.
+
+The general remarks I have given respecting our fruit soils apply with
+equal force to those best adapted for citrus culture--viz., they must
+possess perfect drainage, and be of a friable nature. We are growing
+most of the best varieties of citrus fruit, the original trees from
+which they are now being propagated having been introduced into the
+State from the most celebrated citrus-producing districts in the world,
+and, as stated and shown by the accompanying illustrations, they are all
+doing well.
+
+The Washington Navel, the variety of orange most commonly grown in
+California, does remarkably well on our rich volcanic scrub soils, where
+it has proved itself a regular bearer of high-class fruit. The
+Mediterranean Sweet Orange, Valencia Late, and Jaffa also do well in
+many parts, the Valencia Late adapting itself to most districts. Many
+other kinds of oranges are grown, but the varieties mentioned are some
+of the best, and are the ones now being planted in the greatest
+quantity.
+
+[Illustration: Spray of Orange Blossom.]
+
+In mandarins, all kinds do remarkably well, and I never saw this fruit
+produced to greater perfection in any part of the world than it is in
+Queensland. The varieties most commonly grown are: The Emperor or
+Canton, the Scarlet or Scarlet Emperor, Thorny or Tangerine, and Beauty
+of Glen Retreat, though there are many types of seedlings in addition to
+these well-known sorts. The grape fruit which is now so popular in
+America does well, but, so far, has not taken on in our markets. Citrons
+grow practically wild, and produce good fruit, for which there is a
+limited demand for peel. Their cultivation could be extended with ease
+were there a better demand for peel. The Seville Orange, which is used
+for the manufacture of marmalade, is an exceptionally hardy and prolific
+tree, and, were it required, we could easily grow enough of this fruit
+to supply the world. Lemons do best inland, or at an elevation of some
+2,000 feet above sea-level, as this fruit is apt to become too coarse in
+the skin when grown in a humid climate. In suitable localities very good
+fruit can be grown, which compares very favourably with the European or
+American grown fruit.
+
+The lime does well in the more humid districts, taking the place of the
+lemon, and one variety--the Tahiti--has proved itself to be a heavy and
+regular bearer. The West Indian lime, from which the lime juice of
+commerce is made, is very easily grown, particularly in the more
+tropical parts, where it is often met with growing in an entirely
+uncultivated condition, and bearing heavy crops of fruit. Kumquats are
+easily grown, and are heavy bearers, and all the different types of
+pomelos or shaddocks do well. Seedlings of the latter are very hardy, as
+they are deep-rooted plants that stand dry weather well and are,
+consequently, not liable to injury during dry spells. There is very
+little demand for the fruit, but I am of opinion that the seedlings will
+prove to be of value as stocks on which to work our best kinds of
+oranges.
+
+The culture of all kinds of citrus fruits, when grown in suitable soil,
+is by no means difficult, as it consists mainly of keeping the land well
+stirred and keeping down all weed growth during dry spells, the keeping
+of the trees well pruned out in the centre, and the keeping in check of
+all diseases, both insect and fungus. Although citrus fruits are subject
+to many pests, they are for the most part easily kept in check by either
+spraying or cyaniding, or both, provided that reasonable care is taken,
+and the pests are destroyed before they have obtained control. Taken as
+a whole, our citrus fruits are remarkably clean, and compare more than
+favourably with those grown in the Southern States. The culture of these
+fruits is extending rapidly, with a corresponding increase in
+production, but, despite this, our prices have been better during the
+past season than for some years, as the quality of our fruit is such
+that it will command a good market. When properly handled, it has good
+keeping qualities, and I have no doubt that we will, in time, be able to
+supply the markets of the Old and New Worlds with good fruit, in the
+best of condition, at the time of the year that their markets are bare
+of locally-grown citrus fruit.
+
+There is a good opening for the growth of citrus fruits in this State,
+as the writer knows of no country where they do better, where they can
+be produced with as little trouble and expense, where they can be
+successfully grown over such a large area, or where the soil and climate
+is more suited to the production of fruits of the highest quality as in
+Queensland.
+
+[Illustration: Lisbon Lemon, Esk District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PERSIMMON.
+
+
+This exceedingly handsome fruit of Japanese origin is grown to a high
+state of perfection in this State, particularly in the coastal districts
+south of the tropic of Capricorn. It is a fruit of comparatively recent
+introduction, the oldest trees being less than thirty years of age, but
+has already become widely distributed, as well as a favourite fruit
+amongst many. It is a very showy fruit when well grown, but must be
+thoroughly ripe before it is eaten, as, if not, it is extremely
+astringent, and anyone who has tackled an unripe fruit has no wish to
+repeat the experience in a hurry. There are many varieties of this
+fruit, some of which are seedless, and others more or less seedy. The
+seedless kinds are usually preferred, as, as well as being seedless,
+they are the largest and handsomest fruit. The different kinds vary
+considerably in the size of tree, habit of growth, foliage, size and
+colour of fruit, &c. All are easily grown, and most kinds are good and
+regular bearers. They do well on any fruit soil, and some of the
+dwarf-growing kinds are well adapted for growing in private gardens, on
+account of the small amount of room they take up. The trees are
+deciduous, and, as a rule, are not much troubled with pests. So far, the
+use of the fruit is confined to its consumption fresh, though in Japan
+it is dried in a similar manner to apricots or peaches.
+
+[Illustration: Persimmons.]
+
+
+
+
+THE LOQUAT.
+
+
+A handsome evergreen tree, that can be grown in the more Southerly coast
+districts, in the foothills of the coast range, and on the coast
+tablelands. There are several types of the fruit, whose chief value
+consists in that it ripens its fruit in early spring, when there is a
+shortage of stone fruits, and that it withstands wind well, so makes a
+good break for the protection of exposed orchards. Its cultivation is
+not extensive, nor is it likely to become so.
+
+[Illustration: Fruit of Loquat (1/2 natural size).]
+
+
+
+
+THE DATE PALM.
+
+
+Although this extremely valuable fruit is grown in this State more as an
+ornament than for its commercial value, there is nothing to prevent its
+culture on a scale sufficiently large to supply the Australian
+requirements. It is grown in many places along the coast, as well as in
+the foothills country of the coastal range, but it does best in
+situations that more nearly resemble its natural habitat--viz., in
+districts having a hot dry air, a deep sandy loam or sandy soil, and a
+good supply of moisture in the soil. This latter condition does not
+occur naturally, but can be supplied artificially in our Western lands,
+where there is a good supply of artesian water of a quality suitable to
+the plants' requirements. Here the date palm thrives, and produces huge
+bunches of fruit. Little, if any, cultivation is necessary when once the
+palm is firmly established; provided it has an ample but not excessive
+supply of moisture, it is able to take care of itself.
+
+The date palm is a dioecious plant--that is to say, the male organs,
+or stamens, are produced on one plant, and the female organs, or
+pistils, on another, and this necessitates the growing of the two sexes
+in proximity to each other, in order that the female flowers may be
+fertilised and produce perfect fruit. This is best accomplished
+artificially, the pollen from a fully developed bunch of male flowers
+being shaken over the bunch of female flowers. Infertile fruit contains
+no seeds, and is of small size and inferior quality, whereas the fertile
+fruit is both large and good.
+
+The date palm is a handsome ornamental plant, and in the hot and dry
+Western districts, where it thrives best, it forms a splendid shelter
+from the sun for both man and beast. So far, very little attention has
+been given to its growth, few persons knowing how to fertilise the
+flowers or even taking the trouble to see that they have plants of both
+sexes. There is no reason why this should be so, as there would be a
+good local demand for the properly-cured fruit, and I believe that, were
+its culture carried out in a thorough business manner, it would become a
+profitable industry, and one capable of supplying our Australian market.
+
+[Illustration: Date Palms in fruit at Barcaldine.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PECAN NUT.
+
+
+Another little-known fruit which does well in this State. It belongs to
+the hickory family, and closely resembles the walnut. There are trees
+now growing in the Maryborough district that are some 15 inches in
+diameter at the trunk, and from 40 to 50 feet in height, that bear
+regular and heavy crops of nuts, and that have stood drought and been
+under flood. For years the trees have received no cultivation, and they
+have shown themselves to be as hardy as the adjacent indigenous trees.
+The trees are easily raised from seed, and come into bearing in about
+eight years. Like all nut fruits, it is advisable to set the nut where
+the tree is to remain permanently, if it is possible to do so, as it
+produces a very deep taproot, with few laterals, and is consequently
+difficult to shift. The soil on which it does best is an alluvial loam,
+and, if possible, it should not be more than 30 feet to water, as the
+tree, being a very deep rooter, will penetrate a free soil to that
+depth. It will do on other free loamy soils, but will not make the same
+growth as when planted in free alluvials. It has been tested in several
+parts of the State, and it is probable that it will be found to thrive
+over a considerable area of the coastal and coastal tablelands
+districts. It produces an olive or acorn shaped nut, having a thin
+shell, and of a flavour closely resembling that of a good walnut, and
+will be a valuable addition to our list of nut fruits once it becomes
+better known.
+
+[Illustration: Date Fruit (natural size).]
+
+
+
+
+JAPANESE PLUMS.
+
+
+All varieties of this fruit thrive well and bear heavily in the more
+Southerly part of our coast country, as well as on the country
+immediately adjacent to it, the coastal tablelands, and several other
+parts of the State. The trees are rapid growers, come into bearing very
+early, and often bear enormous crops of fruit. They are good fruits for
+home consumption or for the fresh-fruit trade, but are not equal to
+European varieties of plums for preserving, drying, or jam-making. In
+this State they have one very great drawback, and that is their
+liability to the attack of the fruit fly, a pest that very frequently
+destroys the entire crop. For home use they are, however, a very useful
+fruit to grow, provided that the trees are kept dwarf, so that they can
+be covered with a cheap mosquito netting as a protection from the fly,
+as they are very easily grown, are by no means particular as to the kind
+of soil on which planted, and are heavy bearers.
+
+
+
+
+CHICKASAW PLUMS.
+
+
+This family of American plums does well in the same districts as the
+Japanese varieties just dealt with, but has the advantage of being
+resistant to the fruit fly. The trees are usually more or less
+straggling growers, the fruit is of small size, but good for cooking or
+jam-making. One or more of the varieties of this plum are bad setters,
+though they blossom profusely, but this may be overcome either by
+working two varieties which bloom at the same time on to the same stock,
+or by planting varieties that bloom at the same time together, as the
+pollen from the one will set the fruit of the other. It is a good plum
+for home use or marketing, despite its small size, as it is easily
+grown, requires little attention, and is not over particular as to soil.
+
+
+
+
+CHINESE PEACHES.
+
+
+Peaches of Chinese origin thrive well on the coast, and are extremely
+hardy. The fruit is not, as a rule, of high quality when compared with
+that of the Persian varieties, but their earliness and ease with which
+they can be grown causes them to be planted by many who have small
+gardens. Like the Japanese plums they are, however, very subject to the
+attack of fruit fly, and require to be kept dwarf and covered in a
+similar manner if any good is to be got from them. On the coast, they
+are practically evergreen, as they never lose their leaves entirely,
+and are in blossom during the winter. When grown on the tablelands, this
+early blossoming is a disadvantage, as the blossoms are liable to be
+injured by frost, but in these districts peaches of Persian origin can
+be grown instead.
+
+
+
+
+FIGS.
+
+
+Several kinds of figs can be grown successfully in the Southern coast
+districts, the first crop ripening before Christmas, but the second or
+main crop is often a failure, owing to the fact that it ripens during
+our wet season, and the fruit consequently sours and bursts. As one
+recedes from the coast, the fruit does better, and is less liable to
+injury from excessive wet. The coastal tablelands and the more Western
+Downs grow it well, and the trees, when planted on soil of a rich
+friable nature, grow to a large size and bear heavily. Many varieties
+are grown, which are used fresh or converted into jam, but no attempt
+has been made to dry them, though it is possible that this industry may
+eventually be found profitable in the drier parts of the State, where
+there is water available for the trees' use at certain periods of the
+year, but not during the fruiting period, as it cannot well be too dry
+then if a good quality of dried figs is to be turned out. This fruit is
+easily grown, and is not at all subject to serious pests, so that anyone
+who will take reasonable care can produce all that is required for home
+use or local sale, as its softness renders it a difficult fruit to ship
+long distances in a hot climate.
+
+
+
+
+THE MULBERRY.
+
+
+This is one of the hardiest fruits we have, one of the most rapid
+growers, and one of the most prolific. There are several varieties in
+cultivation, and those of Japanese or Chinese origin will grow from the
+coast to the interior, and thrive either in an extremely dry or humid
+climate. The common English or black mulberry does not do too well as a
+rule, though there are many fine trees scattered throughout the State,
+but the other sorts are as hardy as native trees. The fruit is not of
+any great value, still, as it is so easily grown, it finds a place in
+most gardens, and in time of drought the leaves and young branches are
+readily eaten by all kinds of stock, so that it is a good standby for
+stock as well as a fruit.
+
+
+
+
+THE STRAWBERRY.
+
+
+To those who have been accustomed to look upon the strawberry as a fruit
+of the purely temperate regions, it will be somewhat of a revelation to
+know that exceptionally fine fruit can be grown right on the Queensland
+coast, and well within the tropics, and that on the coast, between the
+26th to the 28th degrees of south latitude, we are probably producing as
+fine fruit and obtaining as heavy crops as are produced in any of the
+older strawberry-growing countries. Not only this, but that we are able
+to supply the Southern markets of Australia with finer fruit than they
+can produce locally, and at a time of the year that they cannot grow it.
+As I have already mentioned when dealing with other fruits, one thing
+that particularly impresses strangers is the early age at which our
+fruits come into bearing. This is borne out in the case of the
+strawberry to a marked degree, as runners set in April fruit in July,
+and often earlier, and will continue to bear, given reasonable weather,
+right up to Christmas or even longer. New plants are set out every
+year, and the plantation is seldom allowed to stand more than two years,
+as the young plants produce the finest fruit. There is a good demand for
+the fruit, the larger berries being packed in flat cases holding a
+single layer of fruit, as shown in the illustration, and being sold for
+consumption fresh, whereas the smaller berries are packed in kegs and
+sent direct to the factories for conversion into jam. The strawberry
+grows well on various soils, but does best with us on a rich loam of
+medium texture, of a reddish-brown or even black colour. It should be
+planted in districts that are free from frosts where early fruit is
+desired, as frosts injure the blossoms, but where jam fruit only is
+wanted this is not so necessary. The land requires to be thoroughly well
+prepared, and the plants are usually set out in rows about 2 feet
+apart, with the plants about 1 foot apart in the row. Under favourable
+conditions they grow very rapidly, and soon start flowering. Their
+cultivation is usually confined to comparatively small areas of 2 or 3
+acres in extent, as the labour of picking and packing is usually done by
+the grower himself with the assistance of his family. They are often
+planted between the rows of trees in young orchards, thus bringing in a
+return whilst the trees are coming into bearing, and helping to keep the
+pot boiling. They grow well on our coastal scrub lands, and have proved
+a great assistance to many a beginner, as one has not long to wait
+before obtaining a return.
+
+[Illustration: Strawberry Garden, Mooloolah District.]
+
+The productiveness of this fruit in Queensland is phenomenal, as high as
+5 tons of berries having been taken off 1 acre in a single season. There
+are many varieties of strawberries in cultivation, some of which have
+been produced locally from seed, and have turned out extremely well,
+being of better flavour, stronger growers, and heavier bearers than
+introduced varieties--in fact, local seedlings have adapted themselves
+to local conditions, and stand our climate better than those varieties
+which are natives of colder countries.
+
+[Illustration: Marguerite Strawberry.]
+
+[Illustration: Marguerite Strawberry packed for market.]
+
+The case berries, which are used for fresh consumption, fetch a fair
+price, especially early in the season, but jam fruit sells at an average
+of 2-1/2d. per lb., at which price it pays fair wages, but is not a
+bonanza. As a rule the plants are very healthy, and any fungus pests to
+which they are subject, such as leaf blight, are easily kept in check by
+spraying, a knapsack pump being used for this purpose. The ground is
+kept well worked and free from weeds, whilst the plants are fruiting,
+and occasionally the ground is mulched, as is the case in the plot shown
+in the illustration. No special knowledge is necessary for their
+culture, but, at the same time, thorough cultivation and careful
+attention to details in the growing of the plants make a considerable
+difference in the total returns.
+
+[Illustration: Forman's Strawberry, Brisbane District.]
+
+
+
+
+CAPE GOOSEBERRY.
+
+
+This Peruvian fruit, introduced into this State _via_ the Cape of Good
+Hope, hence its name, has now spread throughout the greater part of the
+tropical and semi-tropical portions of Queensland. Its spread has
+largely been brought about by the agency of fruit-eating birds, that
+have distributed the seeds widely by means of their castings. It is one
+of the first plants to make its appearance in newly burnt-off scrub
+land, and often comes up in such numbers as to give a full crop of
+fruit. In other cases it is usual to scatter a quantity of seed on such
+land, so as to be sure of securing a plant. No cultivation is given; the
+plant grows into a straggling bush bearing a quantity of fruit which is
+enclosed in a parchment-like husk. The fruit is gathered, husked, and is
+then ready for market. The bulk of the fruit is grown in this manner,
+and as it can be grown on land that is not yet ready for any other crop
+(grass or maize excepted) it is a great help to the beginner, as a good
+crop and fair prices can usually be obtained. The name "gooseberry" is
+somewhat misleading, as it is not a gooseberry at all, is not like it,
+nor does it belong to the same natural order. It is a plant belonging to
+the order Solanaceae, which includes such well-known plants as the
+potato, tomato, tobacco, &c., and altogether unlike the common
+gooseberry, which, by the way, is one of the fruits that we cannot do
+much with. In addition to being grown in the wild manner I have
+described, it is occasionally cultivated in a systematic manner,
+somewhat like the tomato, but not to any extent; growers preferring to
+depend on it as a first return from newly fallen and burnt-off scrub
+land. As a fruit it meets with a very ready sale, as it is one of the
+best cooking fruits grown; plainly stewed and served with cream, made
+into puddings or pies, or converted into jam, it is hard to beat. The
+jam has a distinct flavour of its own, one that one soon becomes very
+partial to, besides which it is an attractive-looking jam that, were it
+better known in the world's markets, would, I feel sure, meet with a
+ready sale at satisfactory rates. The plant is somewhat susceptible to
+cold, hence it does best in a district free from frost, but it is not
+killed out by light frosts, only killed back, and its crop put back.
+Like all plants belonging to the same natural order, it likes a good
+soil, rich in available potash, and this is probably the reason why it
+does so well on newly burnt-off scrub, the ashes of which provide an
+ample supply of available potash.
+
+
+
+
+THE OLIVE.
+
+
+A much-neglected fruit in this State, as it is also in most
+English-speaking countries. Few English people are fond of either the
+fruit or the oil, and yet it is probable that there is no tree that for
+the space it occupies will produce a greater annual return of food than
+the olive. A number of trees are scattered throughout the State, some of
+which are now of large size and fair age, but, so far, practically
+nothing beyond making a few gallons of oil and pickling a few gallons of
+fruit has been attempted, and this only in a purely experimental manner.
+
+The present condition of the olive industry is destined to have a
+wakening up ere long, as a country that can produce this fruit in such
+quantities and of such a quality as the lighter soils of the Darling
+Downs is destined some day to be one of the largest producers of olives
+on earth. Some years since I planted a number of the best varieties of
+olives--trees obtained direct from California--on the Darling Downs, in
+land that I considered suitable for their growth, and which was properly
+prepared prior to planting. The trees here have made a really phenomenal
+growth, they came into bearing within three years of planting, and have
+borne steadily ever since. They have proved enormous bearers, and an
+experimental crushing showed that the oil was of high quality.
+
+There are large areas of similar country to that in which they are
+planted in different parts of the State, and I feel certain that this
+really valuable food fruit is bound some day to be a considerable source
+of our national wealth. So far, the drawback to the growth of olives has
+been the cost of gathering the fruit and the limited demand for the oil
+or pickled fruit, but, against this, it has many advantages, one, and by
+no means the least, of which is its value as a shade and shelter tree on
+our open treeless plains. It is also a very hardy tree, withstanding
+drought well, and thriving in land that is too stony for the cultivation
+of ordinary farm crops. It is a healthy tree, free from most fruit pests
+other than the olive scale, which can be kept in check by spraying or
+cyaniding; and last, but not least, it is an ornamental tree whose wood
+is of considerable value. The olive does best with us in loamy soils of
+fair depth and basaltic origin, that are moderately rich in lime and
+potash, and have a fair drainage. A subsoil of decomposed rock answers
+well. It will, however, do on several other kinds of soil, but it is in
+the type that I have just described that it does so well, and in which I
+would recommend its culture on a large scale. It will stand a fair
+amount of frost as well as great heat, and I have never seen the trees
+injured by either on our Downs country. I have also seen trees doing
+well right on the coast, where they have been subject to heavy
+rainfalls, so that it appears to adapt itself to the conditions
+prevailing in many parts of our State.
+
+In addition to the fruits I have briefly described, there are several
+others of minor importance that can be grown successfully, but, as they
+are not of any great value commercially, I will leave them out, and go
+on to the fruits of our more temperate districts, as, in addition to
+growing the tropical and semi-tropical fruits which I have already dealt
+with, Queensland can also produce temperate climate fruits to a very
+high degree of perfection.
+
+The fruits of the temperate regions that we are able to grow include the
+apple, pear, plum, prune, quince, apricot, Persian peach, nectarine,
+almond, walnut, chestnut, cherry, &c., as well as some of the hardier
+fruits which I have classed as semi-tropical--viz., the Japanese plum,
+persimmon, Chickasaw plum, strawberry, &c. The districts adapted for the
+growth of the distinctly temperate fruits are mostly situated in the
+Southern portion of the State, and at an elevation of from 2,000 to
+3,000 feet above sea-level--districts having a warm summer but a
+comparatively cold winter, during which frosts are by no means uncommon,
+but where snow rarely falls; a healthy climate, with warm days and cool
+nights, to which many visitors go during the heat of summer, when the
+humidity of the coast is somewhat trying to persons not naturally
+robust. The Downs country, particularly its southern or Stanthorpe end,
+is the most suitable; the soil is mainly of granitic origin, and is very
+suitable for the growth of apples, stone fruit, and grapes, but the
+latter I will deal with by themselves later on. The country is by no
+means rich from an agricultural standpoint, and is considerably broken,
+but, as already stated, it is admirably adapted for the growth of fruit,
+and within the last ten years at least 100,000 fruit trees, mostly
+apples, plums, and peaches, have been planted out and are doing well.
+The Stanthorpe show, which is held annually during the month of
+February, is always noted for the excellence of its fruit exhibits,
+which would be hard to beat, both for size, quality, and appearance. The
+fruits ripen earlier than similar varieties grown in the Southern
+States, hence supply our markets at a time when there is little outside
+competition, and, consequently, meet with a ready sale at fair prices.
+The fruit grown in the largest quantity is the apple, so I will deal
+with it first.
+
+
+
+
+THE APPLE.
+
+
+As a description of this well-known and universally used fruit is
+entirely superfluous, I will confine my remarks to the types of fruit
+grown, and their method of growth. Owing to the fact that our fruits
+ripen much earlier than similar varieties in more southern parts of
+Australia, we have gone in largely for early varieties of apples, both
+for cooking and table use, but have not confined our attention to them
+entirely, as good-keeping sorts are found to do equally well, and have
+been shown at the annual exhibition that is held in Brisbane during
+August, in perfect condition, showing that the fruit has good keeping
+qualities. The soil on which the apple is mostly grown is largely
+composed of granitic matter, and is of a sharp, sandy, loamy nature,
+often of a gritty character. It is usually rich in potash, the
+predominating felspar being orthoclase, but somewhat deficient in
+nitrogen and phosphoric acid. It is usually easy to work, of fair depth,
+and retains moisture well when kept in a thorough state of tilth. The
+trees are usually planted at from 20 to 25 feet apart each way, when
+they are either one year or two years old from the graft or bud. They
+are headed low, so as to shade the ground from the heat of the sun, and
+also so as to facilitate the handling of the crop when grown, as well as
+to prevent their swaying about with the wind. The trees make a rapid
+growth, come into bearing very early, often bearing a fair crop three
+years after planting, and fruiting even earlier. The fruit of the early
+varieties has usually a handsome appearance, but lacks keeping
+qualities, but the later fruits are both handsome, high-coloured fruit,
+and good keepers. The trees are not very liable to disease, as, thanks
+to all varieties being worked on blight-resistant stocks, there is very
+little American blight (woolly aphis). Scale insects do a certain amount
+of damage, but are easily kept in check by winter spraying, and codling
+moth is not bad unless grossly neglected, many orchards being quite free
+from this great pest of the apple-grower. So far, the growing of apples
+has been confined entirely to the growing of fruit for the local
+markets, no attempt having been made to export same. A very small
+quantity is dried, and a little is used for jelly.
+
+Many varieties of apples have been tested in this State, but growers
+have found out that it pays them best to confine their attention to
+comparatively few sorts that have proved to be the best suited to the
+soil and climate, as a few good kinds are much more profitable to grow
+than a mere collection of varieties. Many varieties are prone to
+overbear, and trees of large size have produced enormous crops of fruit,
+whereas young trees frequently break down under the weight of their
+crop. The usual plan is to plant a few varieties that ripen in
+succession, so as to extend the season over as long a period as
+possible, and not to cause a glutted market at any one time. Early
+fruits particularly are not noted for their keeping qualities, and a
+market glutted with such would entail a heavy loss to growers, hence a
+succession of varieties that suit the district as well as the market is
+grown.
+
+Nearly all kinds of apples do well, those that are resistant to the
+attack of woolly aphis are, however, generally chosen in preference,
+even though they may not be of the highest quality, as their
+prolificness and freedom from this pest renders them more profitable
+than varieties of superior quality that are liable to blight, and that
+are at the same time often somewhat indifferent bearers. It is outside
+the scope of this paper to go into the question of varieties, but I may
+mention that such sorts as Irish Peach, Gravenstein, Summer Scarlet
+Pearmain, Twenty-ounces, Jonathan, Lord Suffield, Rome Beauty, and
+Prince Bismarck do remarkably well, and many other well-known kinds can
+be grown to perfection.
+
+[Illustration: Prince of Pippins Apple, Darling Downs District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PEACH.
+
+
+This king of the temperate fruits grows with us to perfection. The tree
+is hardy, a rapid grower, comes into bearing early, and is, if anything,
+inclined to overbear. It can be grown over a considerable part of our
+coastal and inland downs, as well as the Stanthorpe district, and
+thrives in many kinds of soil, from light sandy loams of poor quality to
+rich loams of medium texture or even heavier. In this State, the peach
+is always grown on peach roots, the desired variety being either budded
+or grafted on to a seedling peach, and the resulting tree is planted out
+when it has made one year's growth. No tree is easier to grow, but if
+the best returns are desired, it requires very careful pruning for the
+first three years, after which an annual winter pruning is usually all
+that is necessary. The young tree is such a strong grower that unless it
+is heavily cut back it becomes top-heavy and breaks to pieces with the
+weight of fruit, but when hard cut back for the first two years, so that
+it has a good main stem and strong primary branches, it will form a
+strong tree, and stand up well under a heavy crop of fruit. The strong
+growth it makes necessitates heavy pruning when large fruit is
+desired--and it is large showy fruit which sells best here--as were the
+tree allowed to go unpruned, it would bear enormous numbers of fruit,
+many of which would be of small size. Growers now realise this, and many
+of our orchards are well pruned, whereas a few years since the trees
+were allowed to grow pretty much as they like.
+
+The peach remains profitable much longer here than it does in
+California, as the trees do not wear out so quickly, the roots remaining
+sound up to the last, so that, unless the top is too far gone, the life
+of the tree may usually be extended for several years by heading hard
+back and forming an entirely new head to the tree. Trees in full bearing
+often produce fully 1,000 lb. weight of fruit in a single season. This
+is, of course, very much above the average, but by no means exceptional.
+When in their third season, they should bear enough to pay for all
+working expenses.
+
+A very large number of varieties have been tested in Queensland, most of
+which do well, but, as in the case of apples, we find from experience
+that it is best to stick to a few kinds, and those that have proved to
+be most suitable to our soil and climate, rather than to experiment with
+a large number of varieties.
+
+The usual plan is to plant a number of varieties that ripen in
+succession, as with the apple, so as to spread the season over as long a
+time as possible, and to stick to kinds that bear well, look well, and
+ship well, for appearance will usually beat quality, and fetch more
+money.
+
+So far, little has been done in the way of utilising the peach, as the
+demand for the fresh fruit has been equal to our supply. There is,
+however, no reason why we should not be able to establish and maintain
+a fair canning and drying trade, should the production overcome the
+demand for the fresh fruit, as our peaches are of large size, and will
+can and dry well--that is to say, varieties adapted to those purposes
+will do so.
+
+The nectarine, which is simply a smooth-skinned peach, does equally
+well, many varieties bear heavily, and some produce fruit of exceptional
+merit. I have seen as fine nectarines grown in the Stanthorpe district
+as I have met with in any part of Australia or America, fruit of large
+size and the highest flavour, that compared favourably with the finest
+hothouse-grown fruit of the Old World.
+
+[Illustration: Peach Avenue, Darling Downs District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PLUM.
+
+
+As already mentioned, plums of Japanese and American origin (Chickasaw)
+do well in the more coastal districts. They also bear heavily on our
+coastal downs and more western country, but some kinds of Japanese plums
+blossom too early for the Stanthorpe district. European plums, however,
+do well, and are heavy bearers. All kinds do not bear heavily, the
+freest bearers being those of the damson family--White Magnum Bonum and
+Diamond type. Prunes also do well. Plums of European origin do best in
+the coldest districts, but their cultivation is not confined entirely to
+these, as some varieties thrive well in warmer and drier parts of the
+country. So far, there has been a ready sale for all the plums we can
+produce for fresh consumption, excepting some of the smaller plums of
+the damson type, which have been converted into jam. It is not a fruit,
+however, in which there is much money, as it is too easily grown in the
+Southern States, and can there be converted into jam or canned at a
+lower rate than we can do here, hence our cultivation will be more or
+less confined to the growing of large fruits for supplying our local
+markets rather than to the production of the fruit in quantity.
+
+
+
+
+THE APRICOT.
+
+
+Most varieties of this fruit do well on our coastal downs country in the
+South, and to a certain extent further west. The trees are very rapid
+growers, and bear heavily. The earlier ripening fruit usually escapes
+damage from fruit fly, but the late fruit often suffers considerably.
+
+The apricot does best in a fairly strong rich soil, when it makes a
+great growth, and bears heavy crops of large-sized fruit. It also does
+well on sandier soils, which produce a firmer and better-drying fruit.
+So far, although a number of trees are planted throughout the State, the
+cultivation of the fruit is mainly confined to the production of table
+fruit, drying or canning having been carried out to a small extent only.
+The apricot grows to a large tree, and lives to a good old age. Like the
+peach, it is a very vigorous grower when young, requiring severe pruning
+in consequence, but, when once shaped, the trees require little in the
+way of pruning other than the removal of superfluous branches and an
+annual shortening in winter.
+
+
+
+
+THE CHERRY.
+
+
+Queensland is almost outside the limit of the successful growth of this
+fruit, but not quite, as we produce the first fruit to ripen in
+Australia, which realises a high price on account of its earliness. Many
+varieties have been tested, but, so far, no one variety can be said to
+be a complete success in our climate, nor do the trees grow to the large
+size or produce as heavily as they do in the Southern States, where the
+winters are more clearly defined than they are in Queensland. Another
+drawback to the growth of this fruit is that the soils of our coldest
+district are not the best of cherry soils. The cherry likes a deep,
+moderately rich loam, whereas we are growing it mostly on sandy loams of
+a granitic origin. What fruit we do grow is good, and pays well on
+account of its earliness, but I do not consider that this State will
+ever be able to compete with the South in the growth of the cherry.
+
+[Illustration: Litchi, Mossman District.]
+
+
+
+
+THE PEAR.
+
+
+Many kinds of pears do well, but, unfortunately, this fine fruit is very
+liable to be attacked by fruit fly. It does well generally in the
+districts that I have mentioned as suitable for the apple, plum, and
+apricot. The tree is healthy, grows rapidly and to a large size. It
+comes into bearing remarkably early as compared with the pear in colder
+climates, and produces excellent fruit. I have grown as good Bartletts
+here as could be obtained anywhere, and the trees have proved to be good
+bearers and doers. This fruit does best on deep soils of a medium to
+strong loamy nature, and of good quality, though it does well in much
+freer soils, but does not make as good a growth or bear as heavily. It
+is usually grown on seedling-pear stocks, but the growing of suitable
+varieties on quince stocks and keeping the resultant trees dwarfed is to
+be recommended. This method of growing the pear does well here, and
+dwarf trees can be easily protected from fly, whereas it is practically
+impossible to deal with big trees, which the pear becomes when grown on
+pear roots.
+
+
+
+
+THE ALMOND.
+
+
+This fruit does well in parts of our coastal tableland country, though
+its habit of blossoming too early in the season renders it very liable
+to injury from late frosts. The trees do remarkably well, grow rapidly,
+and bear heavily when the blossoms are uninjured by frost, hence it is a
+good tree to grow in selected situations containing suitable soil, as it
+commands a ready sale, and is very little troubled with pests. A free,
+sandy, loamy soil is best suited to the growth of the almond, and the
+situation should be well protected from frost. The trees are usually
+worked on peach stocks, on which they make a very rapid growth. Several
+varieties should be grown together, as a better set of fruit will be
+obtained by doing so, most almonds requiring the pollen of another
+variety flowering at the same time to render their flowers fertile. The
+almond grows into a handsome, shapely tree, and, when in blossom, an
+orchard is a sight not easily forgotten, the wealth of flowers being
+such that it must be seen to be fully appreciated.
+
+The walnut, chestnut, quince, blackberry, raspberry, and one or two
+other fruits of the temperate regions are also cultivated to a small
+extent, but are of no great value so far, though there is no reason why
+the walnut, which does well with us, should not be cultivated to a much
+greater extent than it is, as there is always a fair demand for the
+nuts. Blackberries of different kinds have been introduced, and do well,
+the common English blackberry almost too well, as unless kept in check
+it is apt to spread to such an extent as to be a nuisance. In addition
+to the cultivated fruits I have briefly mentioned as growing in
+Queensland, we have a number of native fruits growing in our scrubs and
+elsewhere that are worthy of cultivation with a view to their ultimate
+improvement. Of such are the Queensland nut, a handsome evergreen tree,
+bearing heavy crops of a very fine flavoured nut. The nut is about
+3/4-inch in diameter, but the shell is very hard and thick. It could no
+doubt be improved by selection and careful breeding. The Davidsonian
+plum is also another fruit of promise. It is a handsome tree of our
+tropical North coast, and bears a large plum-shaped fruit of a dark
+purple colour, with dark reddish purple flesh, which is extremely acid,
+but which is well worth cultivation. Several species of eugenias also
+produce edible fruit, and there are two species of wild raspberries
+common to our scrubs. There are the native citrus fruits I referred to
+in an earlier part of this paper, as well as several other less
+well-known fruits that are edible.
+
+[Illustration: Tamarind Tree, Port Douglas District.]
+
+
+
+
+GRAPE CULTURE.
+
+
+No work on fruit-growing in Queensland, however small, would be complete
+without due reference being made to the vine, the last but by no means
+the least important of our many fruits. Although the cultivation of this
+most useful and popular fruit has not reached to anything like the
+dimensions that vine culture has attained in the Southern States,
+particularly in the production of wine, there is no reason why it should
+not do so at no very distant future. We have many advantages not
+possessed by our Southern neighbours in the culture of the grape, the
+first and most important of which is that our crop ripens so much
+earlier than that of the South that we can secure the whole of the early
+markets without fear of any serious opposition. Until quite recently,
+grape culture was in a very backward state in Queensland, the grapes
+grown on the coast being nearly all American varieties, which are by no
+means the best wine or table sorts. A few grapes of European origin were
+grown on the Downs and in the Roma district, but their cultivation was
+practically confined thereto. Now, however, things have altered very
+much for the better. Many good varieties of European grapes have been
+proved suitable to the coastal climate of the Southern half of the
+State, and many inland districts other than Roma and the Downs have also
+proved that they, too, can and do grow first-class fruit both for table
+and wine.
+
+[Illustration: Grosse Koelner Vine in Fruit, Roma District (Gros
+Colman).]
+
+[Illustration: Picking Grapes, Roma.]
+
+Now the culture of the grape extends over a great part of the State,
+from the coast to the interior; in the latter, its successful growth
+depending on the necessary suitable water for irrigation, and on the
+coast to our knowledge of how to keep fungus pests, such as anthracnose,
+in check by winter treatment and spring spraying.
+
+In the Brisbane district many kinds of excellent table grapes are now
+grown, which meet with a ready sale, such as the well-known Black
+Hamburgh of English vineries, the Sweetwater, Snow's Muscat Hamburgh,
+Royal Ascot, &c., as well as all the better kinds of American grapes,
+such as Iona, Goethe, Wilder, &c. A little wine is made, but more
+attention is given to table fruit.
+
+[Illustration: A Grape Vine in Fruit, Stanthorpe District.]
+
+[Illustration: Madresfield Court Grape.]
+
+In the Maryborough, Gympie, and Bundaberg districts, similar grapes are
+also grown, and do well, ripening somewhat earlier than they do in
+Brisbane; and in the Rockhampton district, right on the tropic of
+Capricorn, some of the best table grapes I have seen in the State are
+produced. Further north a few grapes are grown, but not in any great
+quantities, and I consider that the profitable cultivation of good table
+grapes on the coast extends from our Southern border to a short distance
+north of the tropic of Capricorn and inland to all districts where there
+is either a sufficient rainfall or a supply of water from artesian
+bores, or otherwise, to enable them to be grown. Grapes here, as in
+other parts of the world, like moderately rich, free, loamy soils of
+good depth, free sandy loams, and free alluvial loams. In such soils
+they make a vigorous growth, and are heavy bearers. The granitic soils
+of the Stanthorpe district, that produce such good peaches, plums, and
+apples, grow excellent grapes, which ripen late. They are of large size,
+and conspicuous for their fine colour. The sandy soils of Roma and the
+Maranoa country generally grow excellent wine and table grapes, the
+latter being of large size, full flavour, and handsome appearance. Wine
+grapes also do well here, and some excellent wine has been made, both
+dark and light, natural and fortified. I have no doubt that eventually
+good rich port and the best of sherries will be produced in this
+district, as the soil and climate are admirably adapted to the
+production of these classes of wine. Our difficulty, so far, has been to
+find out the exact kinds of grapes to grow for this purpose, but now I
+am glad to say that we are on the right track, and the excellence of
+Queensland ports and sherries will be a recognised thing before many
+years are past. There is a big and good opening for up-to-date
+viticulturists in this State. We have any amount of suitable land at low
+rates, and, thanks to the generous sun heat of our interior, we can grow
+grapes capable of producing wines equal to the best that can be turned
+out by Spain, Portugal, or Madeira. In those districts that do not
+possess such an extreme climate, such as the coastal downs and the
+Stanthorpe districts, good wines of a lighter character can be produced,
+and, as already stated, good wines are now being made on the coast.
+
+It is only now that we are beginning to realise the value of the grape
+to Queensland, as, until our production increased to such an extent that
+our local markets were being over-supplied, our growers made no attempt
+to supply outside markets. Now this is being done, and better means of
+handling and packing the fruit, so as to enable it to be shipped long
+distances, are now coming into vogue. With improved methods of handling
+and packing, we have a greatly extended market, in which we will have no
+local competition, hence will be able to secure good returns, so much so
+that I consider that grape-growing in Queensland has a very promising
+outlook for some years to come at any rate. In addition to growing
+grapes to supply the fresh-fruit trade and for winemaking, our western
+country is capable of producing good raisins and sultanas. So far, this
+industry has not been entered into commercially, the fresh fruit
+realising far too high a price for it to pay to convert it into raisins.
+Still, with increased production, this will have to take place, and when
+it does I am of opinion that we will be able to turn out a very saleable
+article. The growing of grapes here certainly requires considerable
+experience of a practical nature. This is not at all hard to obtain, and
+there are no insurmountable difficulties to the beginner, once he has
+learnt how to work his land so as to cause it to retain moisture during
+a dry spell, and to plant and prune his vines. These are matters in
+which any beginner can obtain practical advice from the Queensland
+Agricultural Department, as the Government of Queensland, recognising
+the importance of fruit-growing, grape-growing, and general agriculture
+to the State, have devoted considerable sums of money to the
+establishment of experiment farms, orchards, and vineyards in different
+parts of the State. All these Government institutions are under the
+control of thoroughly qualified managers, who are willing at all times
+to give any assistance to beginners, thereby enabling the latter to keep
+free from mistakes, and to obtain the best returns as the result of
+their labour. Instructors, thoroughly conversant with the State as a
+whole, are also available for giving practical advice, so that there is
+no necessity for a beginner, through lack of experience, to waste any
+time in finding out for himself what his soil and climate are suited
+for. He can start on the right lines from the beginning, and keep to
+right lines if he will only take advantage of the advice, based on
+practical experience, that is given him. Queensland is a good land for
+the intending fruit-grower. We offer you good soil, a choice of
+climates, suitable for the growing of practically every kind of
+commercial fruit, a healthy climate to live in, cheap land, free
+education for your children, and free advice from competent experts for
+yourselves. This is a country that has not been advertised or puffed up;
+that is, in consequence, not by any means well known; but it is a
+country that, taken all in all, will take a lot of beating when one is
+looking out for a home. Its natural advantages and the other inducements
+it offers to intending settlers, particularly those interested in fruit
+culture, cannot, in my opinion, be equalled, and certainly not excelled,
+elsewhere; and, as I stated in the beginning of this paper, my opinion
+is based on practical experience gained in various parts of the
+fruit-producing parts of the world.
+
+[Illustration: Black Mammoth Grape.]
+
+[Illustration: Cinsaut Grape.]
+
+
+
+
+List of Fruits Grown in Queensland.
+
+
+     Almonds, several varieties
+     Almond, Fiji
+     Apples, many varieties
+     Apricots, many varieties
+     Averrhoa
+     Avocada Pear
+     Bael Fruit
+     Banana, several varieties
+     Barberry
+     Blackberry
+     Brazilian Cherry
+     Bread Fruit
+     Burdekin Plum
+     Carob Bean
+     Chalta
+     Cherries, several varieties
+     Chestnut--Spanish
+     Chestnut--Japanese
+     Chinese Raisin
+     Citrons, several varieties
+     Cocoa-nut, many varieties
+     Custard Apples (Cherimoyers)
+     Dates
+     Davidsonia Plum
+     Figs, several varieties
+     Gooseberries--Cape
+     Gooseberries--Otaheitan
+     Granadillas
+     Grapes, many varieties
+     Guavas, many varieties
+     Jujube
+     Kai Apple
+     Kumquat
+     Litchi
+     Longan
+     Lemons, several varieties
+     Limes, several varieties
+     Loquats
+     Mandarins, several varieties
+     Mangoes, many varieties
+     Mangosteen--Sour or Coochin York
+     Medlars
+     Melons, many varieties
+     Monstera
+     Mulberries, several varieties
+     Natal Plum
+     Nectarines, several varieties
+     Olives, several varieties
+     Oranges, many varieties
+     Papaw, several types
+     Passion Fruit, several types
+     Peaches--Persian, many varieties
+     Peaches--China, several varieties
+     Peaches--Ceylon, several varieties
+     Pears, many varieties
+     Pecan Nut
+     Persimmons, several varieties
+     Pineapples, several varieties
+     Pistachio Nut
+     Plums--European, several varieties
+     Plums--Japanese, several varieties
+     Plums--American, several varieties
+     Pomegranate
+     Quince--European, several varieties
+     Quince--Japanese
+     Queensland Nut
+     Raspberries, several types
+     Rosellas
+     Rose Apple
+     Sapodilla Plum
+     Shaddock or Pomelo, several types
+     Star Apple
+     Strawberries, many varieties
+     Tamarinds
+     Tree Tomato
+     Vi Apple
+     Walnut
+     Whampee
+
+
+
+
+List of Vegetables Grown in Queensland.
+
+
+     Artichokes--Jerusalem and Globe
+     Asparagus
+     Beans of all kinds
+     Beetroot
+     Broccoli
+     Brussels Sprouts
+     Cabbage
+     Cabbage--Chinese
+     Capsicums
+     Cardoons
+     Carrots
+     Cassava
+     Cauliflowers
+     Celery
+     Chicory
+     Chokos
+     Cress
+     Cucumbers
+     Earth Nuts (Peanuts)
+     Egg Plant
+     Endive
+     Eschalots
+     Garlic
+     Herbs--all kinds
+     Horseradish
+     Kohl-rabi
+     Leeks
+     Lettuce
+     Mushrooms
+     Mustard
+     Nasturtiums
+     Ockra
+     Onions
+     Peas
+     Potatoes--English and Sweet
+     Pumpkins
+     Radishes
+     Rhubarb
+     Salsify
+     Seakale
+     Spinach
+     Squashes
+     Sweet Corn
+     Swedes
+     Taro
+     Tomatoes
+     Turnips
+     Vegetable Marrows
+     Yams
+
+
+By Authority: ANTHONY JAMES CUMMING, Government Printer, Brisbane.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Fruits of Queensland, by Albert Benson
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