332 
THf TROPICAL AGftlCULTUftlST. [MoVEMBfcfc i, t8S8, 
wealth of the colonies depends, and it has become a 
matter of urgent public importance to the colonists 
that something definite should be done for the more 
profitable tillage of the fertile soil with which Nature 
has endowed them. There was, therefore appointed 
some time ago a Royal Commission on vegetable pro- 
ducts to investigate the matter. This commission 
held fifty six meetings in Melbourne, besides visiting 
South Australia and had before them all sorts and 
conditions of men who were able to give advice 
regarding the cultivation of the soil and its 
products. 
One of the main objects of the commission was to 
indicate to farmers how to use their lands to greater 
advantage in the cultivation of products now imported. 
Customs returns show that vegetable and animal pro- 
ducts capable of being grown or manufactured in 
Australasia are imported into Victoria to the value of 
about six millions sterling per annum, and into the 
other Australian colonies to the value of about 
thirteen millions per annum. These imports include 
many drugs and allied products, which are shown by 
the official returns to amount to the following sums 
annually : — 
All the 
Colonies 
£ 
96,164 287,814 
:68,472 1,668,517 
Victoria 
£ 
Materials 
Oils, vegetable 
Tea 
Tobacco, including Cigars and 
manufactured and unmanufac- 
tured Tobacco 282,061 745,446 
Mustard 19,073 65,570 
Opium 41,651 142,570 
Perfumes and Essential Oils ... 13,549 22,664 
Starch 16,136 61,732 
Resin 7,099 12,847 
Lime Juice 2,585 10,460 
Dyes 23,667 31,238 
Arrowroot ., 998 7,885 
Gum 4,992 16,732 
Liquorice 3,455 3,824 
Blue 2,579 25,668 
Canary Seed 1,392 3,780 
Chicory 355 6,443 
Gelatine 1,697 1,697 
Glue 2,886 S,487 
Honey and Beeswax 286 ;2,109 
Of the chief items in this list there can be no doubt 
that oil, tea, tobacco, and opium-yielding plants can 
be grown in Australasia with but little trouble. In 
South Australia, for example, the olive has been 
successfully cultivated since 1851, and the samples of 
of oil exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition 
were excellent of their kind. This is an industry 
which might with advantage be greatly extended, 
more especially as the manufacture of the oil is not 
so largely dependent upon manual labour as some 
other manufactures of vegetable products. Moreover, 
the market for pure olive oil is seldom overstocked, and 
if we were to judge alone from the prevalence and 
persistence of adulteration in this article, a pure 
Australian oil would be remunerative. The report by 
Dr. Trimen, which we recently published, contained 
a reference to the cultivation of tea in Australasia. 
There is little doubt that the climate is suitable for 
this plant, and the consumption of tea per head of the 
population is nowhere in the world so large has it is 
in Australasia ; but there is one powerful deterrent 
to the extension of tea-planting in the colonies, and 
that is the cost of labour. Labour there costs as 
many shillings as pence are paid for it in China, 
India, and Ceylon ; and these countries could, in spite 
of heavy duties, place tea on the Australian market 
at a lower price than it could be produced there. 
For the same reason the cultivation of the opium 
poppy has never become general. Mr. Joseph Bosisto 
has produced excellent opium on his estate, but he 
makes on secret of the fact that although there is an 
import duty of 11. per pound on the drug, it is 
questionable if opium production could be made to 
pay in Australia. Cheaper labour the colonists can 
get if they like, but they strongly object to the intro- 
duction of it in the shape of John Chinaman, and he 
is really the only coolie who could exiBt in the 
colonies. Tobacco is already grown in Australia, but 
if we may judge from the price which it fetches as 
compared with the imported article, viz., about one- 
half, it cannot be of high quality. Some attention to 
the cultivation of the herb and the harvesting of the 
leaf should, however, improve matters in this respect. 
Fairly good tobacco has recently been grown in England 
under proper scientific conditions; these conditions 
might be observed in the colonies, and, as they have 
the advantage of England in climate, the result there 
ought to be at least equal. In regard to these matters 
we find in the fifth report of the commission that a 
bonus for oil and opium production is suggested, and 
for tobaccc-growing it is urged that capable experts 
should be obtained to instruct both growers and 
manufacturers. The licence-fee of 150?. for small 
factories is recommended to be reduced, and whole 
question of duty and excise should be carefully 
reconsidered. 
The colonies, it is well known, yield some wattle 
barks rich in tannin, which are exported to Europe in 
large quantities. On the strength of evidence given 
before them, the commission recommend owners of 
poor lands to try wattle-growing as likely to be 
remunerative where other crops fail. The supply of 
wattle barK is failing, and the price has doubled 
within the last few years. The cultivation of tho 
" Canaigre root," which has grown well at Dookie, 
and contains from 26 to 40 per cent, of tannin, is 
also strongly recommended ; and the Council of 
Agricultural Education hope to be able shortly to 
distribute roots of the plant amongst the farmers. 
Mr. "Warrick has recently spoken of the cultivation 
of perfume plants in Australia, and he is of opinion 
that it would be likely to turn out successful. We 
learn from the report that the growth of perfume 
plants and the manufacture of essential oils and 
perfumes is successfully carried on at Mitcham, near 
Melbourne, and reference is made to the opinion of 
Mr. A. Piesse, whose experience in this line is suffi- 
ciently indicated by his name, and the fact that he 
is a son of the author of the " Art of Perfumery." 
Mr. Piesse gave evidence before the commission, and 
stated that " Victoria is particularly well suited for 
the production of perfumes." Apart from the native 
odorous plants, whose number is legion, the culti- 
vation of the well-established favourites not indigenous 
to the country would be most remunerative. 
Closely allied to this is the cultivation of fruit. 
Australia produces more of the succulent fruits than 
she knows well what to do with, so that it is not 
surprising to note that the commission have sugges- 
tions to make regarding the export of the ripe fruit 
and manufactures from it. We should think that 
much of this, which at present is allowed to go to 
waste or sold unprofitably, might advantageously be 
employed for the manufacture of fruit-juices — rasp- 
berry, strawberry, and the like. The demand for 
these is constant, and the supply of natural juice 
from European fruit is but a small part of the total 
consumed, most of the fruit essences being of arti- 
ficial production. With proper means for concen- 
tration and preservation, the natural juices might be 
made in Australia on a paying basis. What the 
Australians have, in short, so successfully done in 
viticulture might also be done in arboriculture. In 
connection with this and other vegetable products, 
which the commission believe may be exported from 
the colonies, it is suggested "that action be taken 
with a view to the establishment of colonial 
markets in London, so that colonial goods 
would be shown to the best advantage, and the 
public would know where to go to secure bona-f.de 
Australian goods of the best qnality." This can only 
be done by private enterprise. "United Australian 
action," which is limited at most, probably means 
"official action," and this would result in a useless, 
unprofitable museum^ For real results shops all 
over London are required, and if the capital and 
enterprise for these are forthcoming, Londoners will 
