Part 2

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.

In the more tropical North frosts are unknown on the coast, and there is no danger to even the most delicate plants from cold.

Running parallel with the coast we have a series of ranges of low mountains, running from 2,000 feet to nearly 6,000 feet, the general height being from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, and at the back of these ranges more or less level tablelands, sloping generally to the west. On and adjacent to these ranges in the Southern part of the State, there are fairly sharp frosts in winter, but the days are warm and bright. This is the district best adapted for the growth of deciduous fruits and vines, table varieties doing particularly well. It is a district well adapted for mixed farming and dairying, as well as fruit-growing; the climate is even and healthy, and is neither severe in summer nor winter. The average rainfall is some 30 inches, and is usually sufficient, though there are dry periods, when a judicious watering, as recommended for the coast districts, would be of great value to fruit and vegetable growers. The more northern end of this tableland country has a much better rainfall--some 40 inches per annum--and frosts, though they occur at times, are not common. Here the climate is very healthy, there are no extremes of heat and cold, and, lying as it does inland from the most trying portion of our tropical seaboard, it forms a natural sanatorium to this part of our State.

Further west the rainfall decreases, the summers are hot--a dry heat, as distinct from the more humid heat of the coast, and much more bearable. There are frequent frosts in winter, particularly in the Southern part of the State. Fruit-growing is only carried on to a slight extent at present, and then only with the help of water, but when the latter is obtainable, very good results are obtained. Grapes do well, both wine and table, and for raisin-making. Citrus fruits are remarkably fine, the lemons especially, being the best grown in the State. The trees are less liable to the attack of many pests, the dryness of the air retarding their development, if not altogether preventing their occurrence. The date palm is quite at home here, and when planted in deep sandy land, and supplied with sufficient water, it is a rapid grower and heavy bearer. As an offset to the smallness of the rainfall, there is a good supply of artesian water, distributed over a wide range of country, that can be obtained at a reasonable rate, and that is suitable for irrigation purposes. All bore water is not suitable for irrigation, however, as some of it is too highly mineralised, but there are large areas of country possessing an artesian supply of excellent quality for this purpose. It will thus be seen that we have in Queensland, roughly, three distinct belts of fruit-growing country--

1st.--The Eastern Seaboard, and the land adjacent to it, suitable for the growing of tropical and semi-tropical fruit;

2nd.--The Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the growth of deciduous fruits, vines, olives, and citrus fruits in parts;

3rd.--The Central Tablelands, suitable for the growth of grapes, for table and drying, dates, citrus fruits, &c., but requiring water for irrigation to produce profitably.

So far, I have confined my remarks mainly to the climatic side of fruit-growing, and, before dealing with the growing of the different kinds of fruit, I will say a few words about our fruit soils, and will deal with them in districts, as I have endeavoured to do in the case of climate.

1st.--Soils of Eastern Seaboard, and Land adjacent to it, suitable to the Growth of Tropical and Semi-Tropical Fruit.

Several distinct types of soil are found that are well adapted for fruit-growing, but they all have one general characteristic which is a sine qua non of success--viz., they must possess good natural drainage, so that there is no danger of their becoming waterlogged or soured during periods of continued or heavy rainfall, as these conditions are fatal to fruit culture under tropical and semi-tropical conditions. Of such soils, the first to be considered are those of basaltic origin. They are usually of a chocolate or rich red colour, are of great depth, in parts more or less covered with basaltic boulders, in others entirely free from stones. The surface soil is friable and easily worked, and the subsoil, which is usually of a rich red colour, is easily penetrated by the roots of trees and plants grown thereon. Occasionally the subsoil is more compact, in which case it is not so good for fruit-tree growth, but is better adapted for that of sugar-cane, corn, grass, &c. These basaltic soils are usually rich, and are covered in their virgin condition with what is termed scrub--a dense mass of vegetation closely resembling an Indian jungle. The scrub growth is totally distinct from forest growth, which will be described later, in that the bulk of the timber growing in it, much of which is of large size, is of a soft nature, and once cut down soon rots away. Imagine a dense wall of vegetation, consisting of large trees running up to 100 or 150 feet in height, with trunks ranging from 2 to 8 feet, or even more, in diameter, and between these trunks an impenetrable mass of smaller growths, all of the most vivid green colours, together with innumerable vines and creepers that are suspended from the branches of the trees, hanging in festoons, creeping palms and bamboos, ferns and orchids of many kinds, both on the ground and growing on the tree trunks, as well as many beautiful foliage plants only found in hothouses in England, and you will have a faint idea of what a virgin scrub in coastal Queensland is like. Much of the timber of the coastal scrubs is of considerable commercial value for building purposes and furniture making, and is, or should be, so utilised prior to felling and burning off.

True scrub lands are not by any means the most difficult to clear, though to a "new chum" the work will appear at first of a Herculean character. Brushing the dense undergrowth and then felling the timber at a face costs from £1 10s. to £2 per acre, according to density, size of timber, and proportion of hardwood trees contained in it, and once this is done the fallen mass is allowed to become thoroughly dry, when it is burnt off. A good fire is half the battle, as the subsequent work of burning off the heavy timber left from the first burn is comparatively light. No stumps are taken out, as the bulk are found to rot out in a few years, and their presence in the soil is no detriment to the planting of such crops as bananas or even citrus fruit trees. No special preparation of the land, such as breaking up, &c., is necessary prior to planting. Holes are dug, trees or bananas are planted, and the whole cultivation for the first few years consists in keeping down weed growths with the chipping hoe. Once the stumps have rotted out the plough and other implements of culture take the place of the hoe. These soils are especially adapted for the growth of oranges, limes, mandarins, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, papaws, custard apples, strawberries, and cape gooseberries in the South; in fact, for nearly every kind of tropical and semi-tropical fruit.

Some basaltic soils are occasionally covered with forest in the place of scrub, or a mixture, part scrub and part forest. Forest country, as distinct from scrub, is open-timbered country, with little undergrowth, and no vines or other creepers. The timbers are also, as a rule, very hard, and the stumps will not rot out. Such land, when at all heavily timbered, is much harder to clear and get ready for fruit-growing than true scrub, as all timber must be felled and burnt off, and all stumps and roots taken out, so that the land can be thoroughly broken up and brought into a good state of tilth prior to planting. These soils are suitable to the growth of similar fruits to the true scrubs, but, as a rule, they are not as rich. The second class of soils suitable to fruit-growing are of alluvial origin, and are of a sandy, loamy nature, of fair depth. They are usually met with along our creeks and rivers, or in the deltas of our rivers. In their virgin state they are either covered with scrub or forest, or a mixture of both, but the growth is seldom as strong as on the red volcanic soils. Heavy alluvial soils are not suitable for fruit culture, and are much more valuable for the growth of farm crops, but the light sandy loams and free loams of medium character suit all kinds of fruit to perfection. These soils usually are easy to work. They retain moisture well when well worked, and frequently they are capable of being irrigated, either from adjacent creeks or rivers, or by water from wells. These soils are some of our best for citrus fruits, and are well adapted for the growth of pineapples and bananas, as well as most other tropical fruits, when free from frosts. The third class of soils are free sandy loams, either scrub or forest. They are of various colours, and range in texture from light sandy loams to medium loams; they possess excellent drainage, and though, when covered with forest, they are not naturally rich, they make excellent fruit soils, and respond rapidly to systematic cultivation and manuring. They are usually of sandstone or granitic origin, and, when covered with scrub in the first place, grow good crops for the first few years, when they become more or less exhausted in one or more available plant foods, and require manuring. These soils, like the sandy alluvial loams, are easy to work, retain moisture well when kept in a state of perfect tilth, and respond readily to manuring. They will grow all kinds of fruits when free from frost. There are other soils on which fruit can be grown, but those mentioned represent those most suitable. The land on which these soils occur is often much broken, particularly in rich scrub country; it is fairly level when of alluvial origin, and more or less rolling, as a rule, when of a sandy loamy nature. High, ridgy, free, loamy country is usually the most free from frost, and alluvial flats the most liable to it.

2nd.--Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the Growth of Deciduous Fruit.

Starting from the Southern part of the State, adjoining the New South Wales border, the fruit soils are all of granitic origin. The country is much broken, but between the ridges and along the creek flats there is a considerable area possessing soils varying from a coarse, granitic, gritty soil to a fine granitic soil; that on the creeks of an alluvial nature, but still granitic. These soils vary considerably in quality, but are, as a rule, easy to work and retain moisture well. They are covered with open forest and are particularly adapted to the growth of apples, plums, peaches, and grapes, though other deciduous fruits are grown but not to the same excellence as those mentioned. Proceeding north the fruit soils are either sandy loams or loams of a brownish colour of volcanic origin. The former are suitable for almonds and wine grapes, and the latter for peaches, apricots, pears, apples, and especially olives. Further north a few of these fruits may be grown on loamy soils, together with citrus fruits, but, commercially, deciduous fruits are confined to the southern end of this district, the winter temperature being too high for their successful growth further north, as the trees get no winter rest, hence do not mature their fruit-bearing wood properly.

3rd.--Soils of the Central Tablelands, suitable to the Growth of Grapes, Dates, Citrus Fruits, Etc.

At the Southern end of the State the fruit soils are all of a sandy nature. Nothing else is used in any quantity, as sandy soils alone will retain sufficient moisture for the growth of grapes and fruit trees during dry spells, and even then only when kept well and deeply worked. Further north, where suitable artesian water is available, the best fruit soils are also free loams of a sandy nature, either alluvial or open forest soils, but deep, and possessing perfect drainage, as irrigation on land without good natural drainage is fatal to fruit culture. These sandy loams are also easy to work; though by no means rich, they, on account of their depth, grow good crops of fruit by means of irrigation, and the fruit, such as dates, oranges, lemons, grapes, &c., is of very fine quality. The fruit soils of this district are covered either with open forest--the trees being of comparatively small size--or with a scrubby undergrowth through which a few larger trees are scattered. Nearly all the timber of this district is extremely hard, is more or less stunted, and burns readily, hence clearing is not a very expensive item.

Having now given a very brief description of our climate and the fruit-soils in our principal fruit-producing centres, we will next consider the culture of those fruits which are grown in commercial quantities in the different parts of the State, as well as that of a few less well-known fruits which show especial promise. We will first deal with our tropical fruits, of which the first to be considered is the banana, as its production greatly exceeds that of any other tropical fruit, and, as far as Australia is concerned, this is the only State in which it is grown in commercial quantities. From tropical fruits we will go on to semi-tropical fruits, then to temperate fruits and vines.

THE BANANA.

Under the heading of "Banana," all kinds of plantains will also be included, as they belong to one and the same family. The members of this family of plants are all tropical, and produce the most typical and best known tropical fruits.

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.

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.

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.

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 £3 to £4 per ton, so that the cost of growing is so low that there is nothing to prevent us from canning the fruit and selling it at a price that will defy competition.

Pineapple-growing has been a very profitable industry, particularly in the older plantations of the Brisbane district, and still continues to be so in many places despite the fact that prices are much lower now than they were some years since. The plantations from which the illustrations are taken are comparatively new ones, the land having been in its virgin state from six to eight years ago, and, as shown, some is only now being cleared. The owners of the plantations started without capital, and, by dint of hard work and perseverance, are now reaping an excellent return of some £50 per acre net profit. This is by no means an isolated example, but is one that is typical of what can be done, and has therefore been chosen. There is a great opening for the culture of this fruit in Queensland, and its cultivation is capable of being extended to a practically unlimited extent. We have a large amount of land suitable for the growth of this fruit that is available in different parts of the State, much of it at very reasonable rates, so that there is no difficulty in this direction for anyone wishing to make a start. It is an industry from which returns are quickly obtained, and is a branch of fruit-growing that holds out strong inducements and every prospect of success to intending growers. At present our production is about sufficient for our presently existing markets, but there is nothing to prevent these markets being widely extended. Our present means of utilising our surplus fruits, by canning or otherwise preserving same, are by no means as complete or up to date as they should be, and before they can become so, it is necessary to greatly increase our output. Small works cost too much to run as compared with large canning establishments, hence we are not yet in a position to make the most of our fruit. With increased production we will have an increase in the facilities for utilising the fruit. This requires labour, and there is right here an opening for many industrious workers, a business that I have no doubt will pay from the start, a business of which we have the Australian monopoly, and in which there is no reason that I can see in which we should not compete satisfactorily in the markets of the world.