BY J. F. BAILBY. 79 



of Maryborough, in a letter recently written to C. H. 

 Hughes, of the same town, states that most of the kinds 

 of fruits now grown about Maryborough were gro\^'ing in 

 Mr. BidAvill's garden at Tinana, .... and that the 

 large tree of Hovenia dulcis growing at Tinana was planted 

 by that gentleman. 



While Government Resident during the middle fifties, 

 Captain Wickham was instrumental in introducing quite 

 a large number of useful plants, which he cultivated at 

 Nevvstead. For information as to the kinds grown, I am 

 indebted to Robert Lane, now of the Parliament House 

 staff, but who in those days was gardener to Captain 

 Wickham. Mr. Lane also informed me that about the 

 same time R. R. McKenzie had a good collection of 

 fruits, etc., in his garden near the Bulimba point. About 

 the same time the Hon. Louis Hope, of Cleveland,, imported 

 quite a number of useful plants, many of which he shared 

 with the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. 



With regard to the cultivation of fruits, etc., on the 

 Darling Downs, I cannot obtain definite information on 

 the subject, but Benjamin Crow, a well-known and 

 very able horticulturist of Toowoomba, informs me that 

 when he w^ent as gardener to Dr. Nelson (father of Sir Hugh 

 Nelson, K.C.M.G.), at Gabbinba, in the sixties, that gentle- 

 man had growing apples, peaches, figs, grapes, which 

 appeared to be about 10 years old. and Mr. Crow planted 

 oranges. Dr. Nelson was interested in experimenting 

 with various plants likely to become useful, and at the 

 time mentioned had hops and raspberries thriving. During 

 the early sixties Mr. Penticost j)lanted a small orangery 

 near Toowoomba, and Messrs. Bushnell and Molde, in 

 addition to the above mentioned fruits, had nectarines 

 in their orchards. About this time, Mr. Crow states, good 

 collections of fruits were s;rown at the following stations : — 

 Gowrie (Mr. King's), Glengallan (Mr. Deucher's). Talgai, 

 Eaton Vale, and others. 



Dr. Joseph Bancroft, another of our past presidents, 

 must also be included among those who worked in this 

 direction, especially with regard to vines and Indian 

 wheats. 



The different nurserymen of Queensland have not 

 been forgetful of the advantages to be derived by the intro- 



