22 FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND. 



and semi-tropical conditions. Of such soils, the first to be considered are those- 

 of basaltic origin. They are usually of a chocolate or rich red colour, are of 

 great depth, in parts more or less covered with basaltic boulders, in others 

 entirely free from stones. The surface soil is friable and easily worked, andt 

 the subsoil, which is usually of a rich red colour, is easily penetrated by the 

 roots of trees and plants grown thereon. Occasionally the subsoil is more- 

 compact, in which case it is not so good for fruit-tree growth, but is better 

 adapted for that of sugar-cane, corn, grass, &c. These basaltic soils are usually- 

 rich, and are covered in their virgin condition with what is termed scrub 

 a dense mass of vegetation closely resembling an Indian jungle. The scrub 

 growth is totally distinct from forest growth, which will be described later, 

 in that the bulk of the timber growing in it, much of which is of large size, 

 is of a soft nature, and once cut down soon rots away. Imagine a dense wall 

 of vegetation, consisting of large trees running up to 100 or 150 feet in height, 

 with trunks ranging from 2 to 8 feet, or even more, in diameter, and between? 

 these trunks an impenetrable mass of smaller growths, all of the most vivid 

 green colours, together with innumerable vines and creepers that are suspended! 

 from the branches of the trees, hanging in festoons, creeping palms and 

 bamboos, ferns and orchids of many kinds, both on the ground and growing 

 on the tree trunks, as well as many beautiful foliage plants only found in 

 hothouses in Eiigland, and you will have a faint idea of what a virgin scrub 

 in coastal Queensland is like. Much of the timber of the coastal scrubs is of 

 considerable commercial value for building purposes and furniture making, 

 and is, or should be, so utilised prior to felling and burning off. 



True scrub lands are not by any means the most difficult to clear, though 

 to a " new chum " the work will appear at first of a Herculean character. 

 Brushing the dense undergrowth and then felling the timber at a face costs. 

 from 1 10s. to =2 per acre, according to density, size of timber, and propor- 

 tion of hardwood trees contained in it, and once this is done the fallen mass 

 is allowed to become thoroughly dry, when it is burnt off. A good fire is half 

 the battle, as the subsequent work of burning off the heavy timber left from 

 the first burn is comparatively light. No stumps are taken out, as the bulk 

 are found to rot out in a few years, and their presence in the soil is no- 

 detriment to the planting' of such crops as bananas or even citrus fruit trees. 

 No special preparation of the land, such as breaking up, &c., is necessary prior 

 to planting. Holes are dug, trees or bananas are planted, and the whole culti- 

 vation for the first few years consists in keeping down weed growths with the 

 chipping hoe. Once the stumps have rotted out the plough and other imple- 

 ments of culture take the place of the hoe. These soils are especially adapted 

 for the growth of oranges, limes, mandarins, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, 

 papaws, custard apples, strawberries, and cape gooseberries in the South; in 

 fact, for nearly every kind of tropical and semi-tropical fruit. 



Some basaltic soils are occasionally covered with forest in the place of 

 scrub, or a mixture, part scrub and part forest. Forest country, as distinct 

 from scrub, is open-timbered country, with little undergrowth, and no vines or 

 other creepers. The timbers are also, as a rule, very hard, and the stumps 



