FKUIT PRODUCTION OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



105 



South Australia. — In 1906-7 the State sold 26,369 cwfc. of grapes, 

 and produced 2,441,504 gallons of wine, 39,404 cwt. of raisins and 

 currants, 311,538 cases of apples, 141,150 cases of oranges, 37,378 

 cases of lemons, and 16,164 gallons of olive oil. 



Queensland. — In 1908 this State produced 4,239,980 lb. of grapes, 

 1,651,163 bunches of bananas, 598,794 dozen pineapples, 440,312 

 bushels of oranges, and 77,698 gallons of wine. The value of the grapes 

 and other fruits was given at £399,754. 



Western Australia. — Fruit-growing in this State is at present in its 

 infancy, the principal crop being grapes, of which 90,187 cwt. were 

 produced in 1907, from which 153,755 gallons of wine were made. 



Tasma7iia. — The smallest State in the Commonwealth of Australia 

 is pre-eminently an apple-growing country, the production of which 

 was 1.070,546 bushels for the year 1908-9. Pears are a bad second 

 at 71,306 bushels, and of small fruits 3,110 tons were produced. The 

 export value of fruits for that year was well over £300,000 sterling. 



Australia is peculiar, inasmuch as, having large areas of fruit-growing 

 country, it has few indigenous fruits. The flourishing orchards and 

 plantations are the results of enterprise and acclimatisation. In Queens- 

 land are grown in abundance sub-tropical fruits, and there is a con- 

 siderable export trade in pines, bananas, &c., to the sister States. As 

 we come further south, to New South Wales, Victoria, and South 

 Australia, we find large orchards, vineyards, and groves of more tem- 

 perate varieties, such as citrus and stone fruits. The hardier kinds — 

 viz. apples, pears, plums, peaches, &c. — are mostly to be found in 

 Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania. 



Viticulture has, during the past few years, attained great import- 

 ance, and there are now over 60,000 acres under vines, producing 

 grapes for the table, and, in 1907-8, 4,450,000 gallons of wine. 



As examples of what capital and enterprise can perform, we have 

 the irrigation colonies of Mildura, in Victoria (already referred to), and 

 Eenmark, in South Australia. The scientific application of water has 

 converted dry wastes into orchards and vineyards, each a centre of 

 considerable population, and annually adding largely to the prosperity 

 of the community. Victoria and South Australia produced, in 1907-8, 

 13,800,000 lb. of dried raisins and currants. The importance of the 

 orchard industry in Australia can be gauged by the value of the produc- 

 tion of fruits (other than grapes) for the year 1907-8, when it reached 

 the satisfactory figure of over a million sterling. Apples are the prin- 

 cipal fresh fruit exported from the Commonwealth, and the bulk comes 

 from Tasmania. The export from that State to Europe last year 

 numbered about 360,000 cases ; this coming season we hope to send 

 between 500,000 and 600,000 cases. 

 I In the northern part of Australia, where, at the present 

 I moment, settlement has hardly been commenced, we have a large 

 i area suitable for all kinds of tropical agriculture. The Chinese 

 gardeners have already settled this question, for they have grown the 

 very finesb pineapples. The pawpaw apple grows luxuriantly in all 



