96 INTRODUCTION OF ECONOMIC PLANTS 



four Chinese varieties in 1S76. 26,563 bushels of 

 fruit were produced from 444 acres in 1908. 



Alligator Pear {Persia gratissima). 



Sent by Sydney Botanic Gardens in 1854 t( M. C, 

 O'Connell, Port Curtis, and to a gardener in Brisbane, 

 and was grrwing in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, 

 and three plants were distributed fr(^in there in 1862. 

 Fruited for the first time in 1867. Plants were intro- 

 duced from the Mauritius by the Acclimatisation 

 Society in 1867. So far as I am aware, the only 

 fruiting plant growing about Brisbane is in W. H. 

 Parker's garden at Enoggera. 



AVERRHOA CaRAMBOLA. 



Introduced by tlie Acclimatisation Society in the 

 eighties. 



Blackberry {Rubus fruticosus). 



J. G. Cribb introduced several American varieties 

 from America during the seventies, one of the most 

 fruitful being Lnwton's Blackberry. 



Banana {Musa spp.) 



Backhouse records having seen bananas growing at 

 Brisbane in 1836. In 1856. Captain Wickham had 

 the Cavendish {31. Cavendishi) and the Sugar Banana 

 {M . sapientwm, var.) growing at Newstead. and eight 

 varieties, including the two mentioned, were growing 

 in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in 1861. The 

 Acclimatisation Society from the first also interested 

 itself in the introduction of good varieties, notably* 

 nine from Singapore, in 1874. and several from Fiji, 

 in 1875. Since its inauguration in 1888, the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture has been active in securing good 

 varieties from countries where this fruit is success- 

 fully grown. During the year 1908, the i)roduce 

 from 4,647 acres under cultivation amounted to 

 1,651,163 bunches. 



Breadfruit {Artoccirpus incisa). 



Introduced by the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at the 

 end of the fifties. In 1860, Hon. H. Hood presented 

 plants to the gardens, and plants were distributed 

 from there and from Bowen Park on quite a number 

 of occasions during the sixties and seventies. Plants 

 introduced from Fiji were distributed by the Depart- 



