November i, 1884.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



3 6 3 



and Gracilaria confervoides approach most nearly in character 

 the algie, from which thao is made. Gelose, of which thao 

 consists, differs from the carragheenin obtained from Chond- 

 rus crispus in its power of combining with a very large 

 quantity of water to form a jelly. It yields ten times as 

 much jelly as an equal weight of isinglass. For purposes 

 of food, thao jelly is not quite so pleasant as animal jelly, 

 as its does not melt in the mouth ; it also contains no nitro- 

 gen. A great advantage which it possesses is that it is but 

 little prone to undergo change, so much so that the jelly 

 is sometimes imported from Singapore, sweetened, flavored 

 and ready for use, and may in this state be kept for years 

 without deterioration. The .vest coast of Australia also yields 

 a seaweed possessing similar properties. — Independent Jour- 

 nal. 



AGRICULTURE AND ITS PROSPECTS IN THE 



NORTH OF QUEENSLAND. 



[by the Queensland's agricultural reporter.] 



{Continued from page 196.) 



In my last I contented myself with giving the general 

 features and some of the leading charcteristics of the 

 soil, climate, and general surroundings of the Johnstone 

 River. In this I will enter into some of the details iu 

 connection with the sugar industry there. There are three 

 large plantations on the river, two of which are in full 

 swing with mills and machinery ready for crushing as 

 soon as the cane is ripe, and on the third powerful machin- 

 ery is being erected, and it is expected to be complete 

 in time for crushing the cane crop this season. A fourth 

 plantation, the one mentioned in my last, is not so for- 

 ward ; still there are plots of cane growing on different 

 selections belonging to this estate which may either be 

 cut and punted to the most convenient mill, or used as 

 plant cane hi extending operations. It is worthy of notice, 

 as illustrating one of the pioneer difficulties connected 

 with sugar growing on this river, that on two adjoining 

 selections on the north bank of the north branch of the 

 river two cottages have been erected for the accommod- 

 ation of bailiffs, and around one there is a cleared plot 

 of a few acres planted with cane. The other is very near 

 this clearing but also quite close to the scrub. * * * 



On the Dalton selection I saw over 32 acres of cane, 

 the planting of which was started in October and finished 

 in December. This patch wa 5 remarkably healthy and 

 vigorous, and a sight of such cane would rejoice the 

 hearts of cane-planters in the cooler and drier South. My 

 visit was in the middle of April, and at that time the 

 cane stood fully 8 ft. or 9 ft. high, and was growing most 

 vigorously. The moisture in the soil was then all that 

 could be wished, and smart showers were of frequent 

 occurrence, and are usually so the year through, so that 

 failure through drought is a casualty that does not enter 

 into the calculations of the Johnstone River sugar- 

 planters. * * * * * * 



Another selection called Sundown had also somethi ng 

 to show in the way of sugar. A crop of cane was cut 

 from it last season which yielded from 70 to 80 tons per 

 acre, all of the one season's growth. It does not answer 

 to let cane stand over in these northern latitudes, and 

 it will be seen, therefore, that no other district has shown 

 greater, if even equal, capacity for producing heavy crops 

 of cane than this, for the 80 and 90 tons to the acre 

 spoken of on the Tweed at times has been the growth 

 of two seasons or stand-over cane. I saw six months' 

 ratoou cane on this selection from 10 ft. to 12 ft. high, 

 and some older cane was as much as 14 ft. long fit for 

 the mill, and stout at that. The Meera and the Rose 

 Bamboo, or Rappoe, are stout canes here compared with 

 the same in the South, ami these two canes, the latter 

 especially, are in great favour with planters everywhere 

 in the North. On this Sundown cultivation I saw some 

 of the largest hunches and also the largest fruit of the 

 famous Cavendish banana I ever set eyes on, and they 

 were grown with little or no cultivation whatever. Holes 

 were made in the roughest and readiest manner possible 

 for planting the suckers, and all the attention they received 

 afterwards was an occasional surface hoeing to prevent 

 grass and weeds smothering them. Some of the bunches 

 I saw would very nearly fill a tlour-sack — that is, a flour 



bushel bag; and yet I did not judge the bunches to con- 

 tain over twenty dozen each. Bananas such as tlK 

 very rarely to be seen in any of the fruit shops of the 

 metropolis, and if a bunch such as those mentioned was 

 to be hung up it would attract a crowd This Johnstone 

 River country might justly be called "banana land," for 

 in the first place the banana is indigenous there; and no 

 other part of Queensland is so well adapted for its profit- 

 able cultivation. The papaw and the mango thrive almost 

 as well, and, as for pumpkins, they may be seen on the 

 river bank where any clearing has been done right dowu 

 to the water's edge, and even below high-water m;,rk;and, 

 although they are hoed and hacked about and variously 

 mangled and despised, they are as tenacious of life as the 

 proverbial cat, and are to all appearance there hardy 

 perennials, and not, as they are understood to be in cooler 

 countries, annuals. These, with sweet potatoes, yams, and 

 taro, would yield immense supplies of wholesome food at 

 all seasons for black labourers, and be of great service- 

 to all. 



As I am still commenting on portions of Parbury, Lamb, 

 and Raff's estate, I will mention here what I omitted 

 to say in my last, that forty-four kanakas, five Chinese, 

 five Sinhalese, and twenty Europeans were at the time 

 of my visit working there, but some of the Europeans 

 had received marching orders, and other changes were 

 imminent. The saw-mill at work there employed a number 

 of hands in the bush felling, and on a tramway three- 

 quarters of a mile long hauling; also at the mill cutting; 

 and these formed a large portion of the workers on the 

 estate. * * * * * * * 



I was very forcibly struck with the suitability of these 

 lands for the growth of many valuable fruits, and prob- 

 ably in the entire range of Australian territory no locality 

 more favourable for the growth of the tea plaut will be 

 found than here. When it is remembered that tea requires 

 a fertile soil and a humid climate to flush sufficiently to 

 be remunerative, it will be seen that these essentials are 

 here in perfection, and tea is one of the possible, if not 

 probable, products of the Johnstone River region. ' 

 is also destined to luxuriate and be successfullv cultivated 

 here. Not on the low lands though; the hillsides of this 

 scrub country are exactly the thiug for coffee, and will 

 produce it of very superior flavour and value to the rich 

 alluvial flats. I heard that a. coffee planter of experience 

 had located himself there with the intention of prosecuting 

 the industry, and I am certain that in good hands it will 

 prove remunerative. That the cultivation uf the coffee 

 plant will eventually succeed cannot be doubted, seeing 

 that it has already been grown experimentally in all the 

 coast country of Queensland. 



FRUIT-GROWING IN QUEENSLAND AND ITS 

 TROUBLES. 



Visitors to Queensland from the other colonies — and 

 indeed, from more distant lands as well — often express 

 much surprise that the quantity of fruit produced here is so 

 limited. Most of the tropical fruits can be grown with 

 little difficulty, and, in moderately favourable, seasons, 

 abundant crops of full-sized and well-flavoured fruit are 

 produced. But, in addition to these, many of the fruits 

 of the colder climates can be cultivated with success. We 

 are, therefore, very advantageously circumstanced in some 

 respects, but, instead of supplying all the would-be purchasers 

 of fruit within the boundaries of the colony, and having 

 large quantities to export, we are really dependent to a 

 large extent upon our neighbours for many of the fruits 

 which grow here with very little attention. Then, too, 

 in the matter of preserves, almost the whole of the many 

 thousand pounds' weight that are annually consumed are 

 imported from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, America, 

 and elsewhere. It is not a very great while since an enter- 

 prising gentleman determined upon starting a jam factory 

 near Roekhampton. Fruits of excellent quality are grown 

 in that neighbourhood, and the local market is a good one, 

 so that, on the whole, his prospects of success seemed to 

 be fairly good. But the attempt ended in failure, and it 

 arose from a 'cause which, at first sight at any rate, might 

 be considered one easy of remedy, if the farmers and settlers 



