2 6o 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[September i, 1882. 



sea<!ou of 1S82 of over a million additional trees for the 

 colony. 



19. — As will be seen from the above table, many kinds 

 of trees beside the Obiuese pine have been planted. Some 

 of them are put out for experiment— and I have great 

 hope that they will succeed — but others are of indigenous 

 trees which are certain to do well. A few of them, as the 

 Japanese wax tree, the tallow tree and the pride of 

 India, will probably fiu'uish valuable products, as they do 

 in China and Japan, such as wax, vegetable tallow, and 

 timber, besides the great addition of diversity of form and 

 coloiu: which they will make to the beauties of the future 

 sylvan scenery. 



20. — Roadside planting outside of the town has been 

 extended on both the Pokfoolum and Shaidiiwan roads. 

 About a mile of the former, and a little less than a 

 mile of the Shaukiwan road, was planted. The trees used 

 were bamboos and " banians.'' Many of the former were 

 purchased from Chinese ou the mainland. The " banians " 

 were translated from the Botanic Gardens, Bowriugton 

 Plantation, and other places where they were no longer 

 required. The dimensions of these trees ranged from 7 

 feet 2 inches down to about 1 foot 6 inches in circum- 

 ference, at three feet from the ground ; in height, after 

 about half the length of the branches had been lopped, 

 from 25 feet downwards to 10 feet ; and their ages were 

 from about 25 years down to 10 years. A few of these 

 trees were much damaged by the large larvre of a .species of 

 Lomiicorin'^. Jlany kinds of trees here dm-ing the weakened 

 condition of their health, consequent on removal, are very 

 subject to attacks from species of Loii(/irornes. The eggs 

 of the Lowjicornes are deposited in the bark, and when 

 they hatch the larvae subsist by consuming the inner 

 portions of the bark, thus causing much injury to, and 

 sometimes the destruction of, the tree. 



21. — By the typhoon of the 14th October 20 trees in the 

 streets and roads were blown down, most of which, how- 

 ever, were replanted in their old positions or conveyed to, 

 and planted in, more suitable sites. 



22. — Ten nurseries in Hongkong and Kowlong have been 

 maintained. The trees— smaU seedlings — in two of these, 

 which are situated at considerable altitudes — 900 to 1,100 

 feet — suffered severely in the October typhoon. Although; 

 for the sake of saving labour in the transport of trees, 

 it would be very desir-able to maintain nurseries high up 

 on the hills, in the middle or vicinity of intended plant- 

 ing grounds, the damage done by this typhoon to the 

 seedlings points to the inadWsability of risking quantities 

 of tender seedlings in nurseries in high and exposed 

 positions. 



23. — In the beginning of the year Forest Guards were 

 appointed to protect trees and shrubs from the depred- 

 ations to which they were constantly subject, and also 

 to control the goat-keepers in regard to the lands used 

 for grazing purposes. For the protection of the young trees 

 it was found necessary to interdict certain lauds for grazing 

 purposes and grass cutting, and to allot lands where goats 

 and cattle might be permitted, and where grass might 

 be cut. The result of the appointments has been very 

 satisfactory. Tree cutting has been very much checked, 

 and the cutting of large pine trees, which had gone on 

 very much, has been almost entirely stopped, except at 

 Little Hongkong, where there have been two or three 

 mstauces of a number of good sized trees being felled and 

 carried away. The villagers report that the cutting was 

 done by night by boat people who landed at Deep W'ater 

 Bay. I have much reason for beUeving, however, that the 

 villagers themselves are the culprits, and to put a stop 

 to this tree cutting it may bo necessary to adopt more 

 stringent measures. 



24. — HiU fires have occurred in several places. In the 

 vicinity of the Chinese Cemetery ou Mt. Davis the grass 

 was set fire to twice — by wor.shippers at the Cemetery, 

 I believe ; in the first instance the fire destroyed about 

 5,000 healthy trees which had been planted only a few 

 months, and in tlie second case about 500 trees were burnt. — 

 I have the honour to be. Sir, Your most obedient servant: 

 Charles Fobd, Superintendent, Botanic and Alforestation 

 Department. 



The Houom-able 'W. M. Deane, M.A., Acting Colonial 

 Secretary, &c., &c., &c. — China Mail, 



FEUIT-GRO\VING IN QUEENSLAND. 



Among the objects of interest to be seen in the neigh- 

 bomrhood of Maryborough the most attractive to a visitor 

 from the south are the ^V"illow-vale gardens, the property 

 of Mr. John Oheyne. These gardens, which are certainly 

 the most famous in the district, are situated on the south 

 bank of the Mary River, about four miles from Mary- 

 borough. The road out is a very uninteresting one, being 

 through a sour-looking forest country in which there is 

 a deal of undergrowth and very little grass. On approach- 

 ing the bauk of the river the character of the soil and 

 the appearance of the country suddenly change for the 

 better. The flat monotony of the forest is replaced by 

 pleasaut swelling banks, on which the grass grows luxuriantly. 

 Nearer the river the country is covered with fields of 

 maize and sugar-cane, and in one of the most pleasant 

 spots in view are situated Mr. Oheyne's gardens. The 

 area of the property is about 25 acres, of which a con- 

 siderable portion is given up for flower-growing,' the Willow- 

 vale bouquets being considered far superior to any other. 

 On entering the ground the fine dark green of the orange 

 trees at once attracts attention. The trees here grow 

 much healthier than in auy place in Queensland that I 

 have yet seen, and the fruit is extremely fine. All kinds 

 of oranges are grown, there being 16 acres planted with 

 this fruit alone. Some of the mandarins are very well 

 grown, and of excellent flavour. The trees .are planted 

 20ft. apart and the ground between kept thoroughly clean, 

 a horse hoe being used occasionally when the condition 

 of the soil is favoiu-able. At preseut the ground is so 

 hard that it is being gone over with the hoe. Like every- 

 where I have been in Queensland, this district is suffering 

 from the effects of a severe drought. Last season was 

 considered the worst, by a long way, ever known in the 

 district, and yet the trees are all healthy, with a fine dark 

 foliage, and plenty of fruit. Mr. Oheyne attributes his 

 success with his fruit trees (of all kinds) during the drought 

 to deep cultivation, the whole of the ground where the 

 trees are planted having been thorougoly trenched. The 

 oranges are sent to market at Brisbane and Sydney, and 

 a good many cases find their way to Melbourne. Few 

 lemons are grown, this fruit not appearing to be in such 

 demand in Waay borough as it is in Melbourne. Limes, 

 however, grow well and yield plenty of fruit. Of the 

 fancy kinds of orange the cumquat does the best, the 

 fruit being much fancied by those who are used to it for 

 eating as well as for preserving. About two .acres are 

 planted with pineapples, the rough and smooth varieties 

 being pretty equally represented. They are planted in 

 double rows with a space of about 5ft. between. The 

 ground is kept perfectly free from weeds, and the plants 

 are better grown and more healthy than any I have seen 

 in the country. In tlie proper season the smooth-skinned 

 pines grow to a large size. The finest are sent to Sydney 

 for sale, and I have been informed that they are scarcely 

 ever kept there, the cases being redirected for Melbourne, 

 whither they are at once forwarded. For the finest pines 

 Mr. Oheyne considers he is fairly well paid at Is each. 

 Those who buy the fine large pines occasionally seen in 

 Melbourne fruits hops can guess at the profit made by 

 the dealer and retailer Owing to the bad season, the 

 pines this year have not been so fine or so plentiful as is 

 usually the ease; but in walking through the ground I saw 

 many very fine ones, the most numerous at present being 

 the smooth-skinned variety. Next season Mr. Oheyne in- 

 tends increasing the area under pines. The next fruit in 

 importance is the banana, for the growing of which a space 

 between the high bank and the river is reserved Some 

 of the bananas grow here to a considerable height, while 

 the foreground is occupied with the dwarf varieties. The 

 soil in tills part of the ground is very rich, the plants are 

 well looked after, and they ai'e all in excellent health. 

 The crop in fair seasons is a heavy one, and sells whole- 

 sale at 4d per dozen. None but the finest varieties are 

 grown. These three fruits — the orange, the pine, and the 

 banana — represent the main crop; there are, however, many 

 other friuts coming into bearing, which, in the course of 

 a year or two, premise to equal any one of the three fruits 

 named. Of these the gloriou mango is the most important. 

 This fruit grows to perfection at WiUow-vale, and commands 

 a ready sale at Maryborough. The trees are as yet young, 

 but they are handsome and well grown, and evidently very 



