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diff --git a/26552.txt b/26552.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d438ae5 --- /dev/null +++ b/26552.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3339 @@ +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 + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND *** + +***** This file should be named 26552.txt or 26552.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/5/5/26552/ + +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.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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