FRUITS OF QUEENSLAND. 67 



that of the Southern States, we are enabled to dispose of a considerable portion 

 of our crop in the Southern markets before the local fruit is ready for gather- 

 ing. This gives us three markets first, a local one ; secondly, a Southern one ; 

 and, finally, when this demand is supplied, an oversea market to Europe, 

 America, and the East. 



When grown under favourable conditions, citrus-trees are heavy bearers 

 in this State, it being no uncommon thing to meet with seedling or worked 

 orange-trees of from ten to twelve years of age producing- over twenty cases 

 of marketable fruit to the tree, averaging about 10 dozen medium-sized fruit. 



Citrus-trees of all kinds, particularly worked trees, come into bearing very 

 early, and the returns obtained from an orchard rapidly increase. The illus- 

 trations give a good idea of the rapid growth, and a fair one of the crop of 

 fruit the young trees are bearing, but the following examples, taken at random 

 for the crop that was marketed in January, 1906, will show better how our 

 trees bear: 



Mr. A., Blackall Range, marketed 7J cases per tree from a row of twenty- 

 five Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins, planted April, 1900. A return of 

 1 10s. per tree. 



Mr. B., from the same district, averaged 7 cases of Washington Navel 

 Oranges per tree from trees six years old, which realised 1 15s. per tree, 

 and 8 cases of Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins from trees of the same age. 

 The navels were large, and averaged 5 dozen per case, and the mandarins 10 

 dozen per case. 



Mr. C., another district, averaged 6 cases of Valencia Late Oranges, from 

 trees six years planted, and 10 cases per tree from Emperor Mandarins, nine 

 years old. 



One twelve years old orange-tree in this district produced over 25 cases of 

 fruit. 



Mr. D., same district as last; Washington Navels averaged 10 cases per 

 tree, ten years planted, and have borne regular crops since three years old.. 



Numerous other cases might be given, but the above are sufficient to shovr 

 the earliness at which our trees bear, and the crops they yield. Trees in full 

 "bearing often yield up to 40 cases, but these are usually old seedlings, which 

 bear a very heavy crop one year and a comparatively light crop the next. All 

 the instances I have quoted are from worked trees, which are found to give the 

 most regular and constant yields. Until quite recently, citrus-trees were almost 

 entirely grown from seed in this State, with the result that we have a very 

 large number of types, and many crosses between different species. This was 

 not advisable, as a uniformity in type is desirable for marketing, hence the 

 greater number of trees now being planted are of selected varieties of proved 

 merit. Many of the seedlings have produced most excellent fruit, but a seedling 



