Chapter II: Part 2

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

_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.

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.

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.