FRUIT AND FLOWERS IN QUEENSLAND. 



489 



protect plants designed for the tropical North, such as Cocoa and Vanilla — 

 and passing the packing shed, through which may be seen in the winter 

 time such plants as Cherries and other stone fruits destined for the 

 elevated inland portions of Southern Queensland, should further evidence 

 be required to carry conviction, one minute's longer stroll over a sward 

 composed mainly of tropical Buffalo Grass and English Clover will take 

 the visitor to a pond within which, flanked on one side by Burmese 

 Bamboos and on the other by a Weeping Willow, can be seen growing 

 from seeds ripened in the open air, and soon now to be in full bloom 

 together, the British white Water-lily, culled originally from a tiny Welsh 

 streamlet, and the giant Brazilian Victoria regia from the mighty 

 Amazon. 



Bananas. — The area under Bananas was greater in the past than in 

 the previous year by 413 acres, but the yield has been considerably less. 

 The area under this crop in 1900 was 6,215 acres, as against 5,802 acres 

 in 1899, the district showing the principal increase being Cairns, with 

 652 acres greater area in 1900 than in the previous year. Singularly, 

 this district showed a decrease for 1899 as compared with 1898, so that 

 some additional land must have been put under this crop during 1900, 

 probably new land, just cleared, which always yields the best returns under 

 Bananas. The total production in 1900 was 2,321,108 bunches. 



Pineapples. — The area of ground under Pineapples was less for 1900 

 than for 1899, the areas being 939 acres, yielding 424,835 dozen, in 1900, 

 against 994 acres, yielding 401,692 dozen, in 1899 ; so that whilst there 

 was a reduction of 35 acres there was an increase in the yield of 23,143 

 dozen. 



In addition to yielding in large quantities a product that under careful 

 cultivation is one of the most delicious of all fruits, from the leaf of this 

 plant, either in its wild or its cultivated state, a fibre may be obtained 

 surpassing flax for strength, fineness, and glossy appearance. Their 

 relative strengths were found to be as 26 is to 35 ; it is also found to 

 possess special qualities for rope-making, it being a good damp-resistant ; 

 and from the fineness of its fibre it is considered by some experts that it 

 would offer special advantages for mixing with cotton or wool. As the 

 plant grows so freely in Southern Queensland it is possible that a little 

 investigation might lead to its further utilisation in this direction. 



Okanges. — A satisfactory increase is returned under this heading for 

 the past as compared with the previous year, both in area and yield. For 

 1900 there were returned 2,882 acres, yielding 2,041,068 dozen, against 

 2,324 acres, yielding 1,420,839 dozen, in 1899, being an increase of 558 

 acres and 620,229 dozen in yield. 



The area of productive trees was 2,045 acres, and of non-productive, 

 837 acres. 



Mangos. — A good steady increase was shown in the area under this 

 fruit for the past as compared with the previous year, the area for 1899 

 being 245 acres, returning 191,074 dozen, which increased in 1900 to 411 

 acres, yielding 277,444 dozen. Of this area 349 acres were productive, 

 whilst 62 acres were non-productive, not having yet come into bearing. 



All the northern portion of the State on the seaboard seems to be well 

 adapted to the growth of this fruit, which can be produced there in any 



p 



