-f8t£ TROPICA*: AGBYCtrtTtTRfST. 



flftfWE %i 1885, 



allowances for ploughing, sowing, scarifying, thinning, 

 pruning, shipping, carting, and interest on capital, there 

 is a clear profit shown of £1,108. It must he admitted 

 that tin 1 estimates of both yield and price are moderate, 

 and a return of more than £10 per acre over and above 

 interest and working expenses in seven years for poor 

 land would be highly satisfactory. There are extensive 

 areas in the vicinity of the mountain ranges unsuitable 

 for agriculture, and of very little value for grazing pur- 

 poses, upon which wattles might he profitably cultiv- 

 ated. The Government should undoubtedly utilise in this 

 way those portions of the state forests and reserves 

 where the wattle grows naturally, and holders of poor 

 sandy land in favourable localities should also give care- 

 ful consideration to this question. It is also probable 

 that extensive areas might he taken up. under the new Land 

 Act, fur the purpose of cultivating wattle and producing a 

 tanning material, which, on account of its special qualities, 

 is always likely to command a high price. — Australasian. 



■+■ 



AGRICULTURE AT THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF 

 QUEENSLAND. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Royal Society 

 was held at the Museum yesterday week. The President 

 (J. Bancroft, Esq.j M. D.) occupied the chair. The 

 honorary secretary announced that no papers bad been 

 received by the council of the society prior to their 

 last meeting, but that one announced then bad been 

 sent in immediately afterwards. On the motion 

 of the President, it was unanimously decided that 

 this paper should be read. This communication was by 

 Mr. James Pink, F. R. H. S. 



On tlte Hybridisation and Cross-fertilisation of Plants. — 

 After mentioning how little the vegetable kingdom 

 directly ministered to many of the requirements of 

 civilised man, the author stated that this end had been 

 attained by means of agriculture) including the systematic 

 hybridisation and cross-fertilisation of plants ; that under 

 natural conditions hybrids rarely existed, and that cross- 

 fertilisation was mainly dependent on insect agency. The 

 sexuality of plants was known to the ancients, who 

 artificially fertilised one plant by pollen from another 

 iu order that the produce of trees competent to bear 

 fruit might be secured. In 1187 Thomas Andrew Knightj 

 president of the Horticultural Society of England, first 

 saw the great importance of artificial cross-fertilisation 

 between plants of the same species, aud hybridisation 

 between those specifically distinct as means of adding 

 to the available stock of our fruit, vegetables, or florists' 

 flowers. The influence of Knight's discoveries extended 

 to the present day, and the methods which he suggested 

 were still used, ami with as great results. In Queens- 

 laud, however, the systematic use of this formidable 

 process had been little availed of by the agriculturist or 

 horticulturist. Dr. Bancroft had crossed the Isabel with 

 sweet water amongst grapes, and a further cross was sug- 

 gested of the muscat of Alexandria with the Isabel. It was 

 highly important that these and similar experiments should 

 be continued with a view to developing, our local fruit 

 supply. Thi! methods to be employed were of a simple 

 nature, but a knowledge of the organs of (lowers and 

 their disposition was necessary for the would-be hybrid- 

 ist. America was quoted as an iustauce of what might 

 be effected by these processes. Here the first varieties 

 of apple trees planted by the earlier colonists had 

 retrograded, aud their produce reverted to that of the 

 familiar "crab." The practice of hybridisation, as taught 

 by Knight, was brought to bear on this condition of 

 affairs, and now America was first in the world hoth for 

 the quality anil quantity of her supply of marketable 

 produce of this description. Their experiments did not 

 rest with the apple, but all other fruit-producers were 

 subjected to them. Thus the European varieties of grape- 

 were crossed with their native I'iiis labru.scula with 

 results of the highest importance. Mr. Fink inquired 

 why we should not in Queensland take a leaf from 

 their bonk, and use flne Or ether of our native species 



1 ( i , - I . . ! .;,.,. I 'i- nati 



,-] g, aeration "l" our fruit 1 rees s'ncl peach 



iraugos, Eor example oven in situation's highly ada] I 



for their growth, could only he obviated by cross-fertilis- 



ation, and it was through the agency of insects, who 

 accidentally accomplished for us this desirable result, 

 that varieties had persisted as long as they had. Hybridis- 

 ation was not a process the result of which was a 

 matter of chance, but such as could be duly predicted, 

 and. inoreever, required (results could be brought about 

 by its systematic use. Thus a fruit or flower could be 

 made to combine the properties which were characteristic 

 of their respective parents. It was rare, however, that 

 the progeny of two distinct varieties represented the 

 parents in a perfectly intermediate degree ; but the 

 general habit was usually that of the mother or seed- 

 bearing plant, and accordingly the plant of strongest 

 constitution shou'd be selected for the seed bearer. The 

 florist was also indebted to this means for procuring the 

 different varieties of roses, geraniums, or other 

 flowers, and eveiy season demonstrated the fact that 

 the varieties to be secured by this means were practic- 

 ally unlimited. The author concluded by stating that 

 it had been recently demonstrated by Mr. Oulverwell 

 that the gooseberry could be crossed with the black 

 currant, and seedlings raised as the result of the cross, 

 and also the strawberry with the raspberry, and that 

 these successes had opened up to scientists a vista of 

 unlimited possibilities, the full effect of which on our - 

 orchards aud gardens was impossible to predict. 



In the discussion which arose Dr. Bancroft entered 

 into further detail on his own operations in connection 

 with the raising of different varieties of grapes, including 

 seedlings from seeds procured fom India. Ho also 

 mentioued that Mr. Hockings, of Brisbane, deserved 

 great credit for the peaches which he had raised by taking 

 advantage of the results of hybridisation artificially 

 brought about. 



One of the most interesting exhibits of the evening 

 was a small sheaf of wheat which the president had 

 brought from one of his experimental farms. He remarked 

 that, with a view to discover a wheat which would with- 

 stand the influence of rust, he had procured seeds from 

 all the European wheats, including the varieties from 

 Russia, France, and England ; also wheats from Egypt, 

 India, Japan, and America. Out of this large number 

 of samples, all of which had been subjected to experi- 

 ment, he hail only found four which were rust proof 

 entirely, or in a very considerable degree, and of these 

 only one which preserved an entire immunity from it, 

 excepting a single small wheat from Japan. The present 

 sample was oue of these four varieties, aud was an 

 Indian wheat from Allahabad, long and robust in the 

 straw, with a full ear and well-developed grain. It was 

 remarked that this wheat ripened in the Brisbane aud 

 Darling Downs districts a month earlier than any of 

 the European wheats, and that its freedom from rust 

 was due to this fact perhaps rather thau to any in- 

 herent quality rendering it more especially free. Dr. 

 Bancroft stated also he hail tried this wheat for several 

 seasons with similar results, and that if its growth was 

 extended to large areas it would no doubt yield splendid 

 returns, even where a rust-proof wheat was not a 

 desideratum. It was one of those varieties which contrib- 

 uted greatly to the large export of wheat from India. 

 The method of cultivation adopted had been of the most 

 simple description ; the land had not been dressed or 

 manured in any way, and the seed was simply sown 

 broadcast and harrowed. 



The indifference of Queensland wheat-growers to their 

 own best interests was severely commented upon, especi- 

 ally as exemplified in their apathy in neglecting to 

 avail themselves of the opportunities which had been 

 given them of growing this wheat, amongst others, on 

 a much larger scale than Dr. Bancroft was in a position 

 to do. The experiments in the other colonies in wheat- 

 growing were also referred to. 



Dr. Bancroft's remarks were provocative ol consider- 

 able discussion, relating to the acclimatisation of plants 

 of economic value, and their insect and vegetable posts 

 — Qi'ccnslandcr. 



■' < : I if tin 10,01 10 fores! 



p bhj rcpret enl the i ibi | 1m ing 1 apahlil ii ■■ r»f tie 

 globe, 7,000 or 8,000 would flourish in .New South Vales 

 P. L. Simmonds. — in Journal of the Society of <• 



