THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May 1, 190L 
almost the opposite of the former, being a 
loosely-knit tree, with large leaves and heiries, but 
somewhat delicate, and a sparse bearer; C. Arab. 
var. Nalknad, which would seem to be identical with 
the varieties known as "Ceylon" and "Java" — a 
strong, heavily-bearing tree ; C. Arab. var. Cooirj, a 
variety having a very few points of difference from 
the previous variety, and being also a hardy tree 
and good bearer; C. Arab. var. Chicle, I have come 
across iu one place only, and this is essentially the 
worst variety of Co^fea Arabica, recognisable readily 
by its primary branches pointing invariably upwards. 
Of these, several hybrids are to be^seen, especially 
between the Nalhiad and Coorf/ or Ceylon. These 
prove somewhat delicate but good-bearing trees. 
Cl/icJo-Xalhiad or Chich Ceylon hybrids are extant, 
and in every case seem to have been raised from 
seed obtained from the estate on which some healthy 
specimens of " (Jhick " are still to be found- Several 
young plants are to be seen that look uncommonly 
like Mararjofjipe- Ceylon hybrids, but which are not 
yet old enough to identify as such. Such hybrids 
would probably prove valuable trees, if the bearing 
capabilities of the Ceylon can be combined with 
the size and quality of the Marae/ogipe. ArahicU' 
Liberica hybrids I have not seen in this colony as 
yet, though experiments are being conducted at the 
State Nursery, Kamerunga, with a view to obtaining 
this valuable hybrid. 
On the whole, the condition of the estates as I 
found them was not encouraging — in some cases the 
weeds were over the coffee. Where the coffee had 
been kept clean, the growth and bearing were remark- 
able. For amount of crop the Buderim mountain 
is noticeable, the quality being also specially good 
here. On the Daiuti-ee River one or two estates 
that had been kept assiduously free from extraneous 
growth showed remarkable development, trees of 
thirteen and fifteen months being topped at 4 feet, 
having a good spread of secondary growth, and 
spiking heavily, showing promise of a 5 to 6 cwt. crop 
that would ripen when the trees were not more than 
two and-a-half years old. For all-round good qualities 
some of the properties in the vicinity of Cairns, speci- 
ally on the range about Kuranda, are pre-eminent. 
To summarise, the area specially adapted to coffee 
culture may be said to extend from Rockhampton 
northward to Cooktown, and the principal centres 
to be at, or in the vicinity of, Maokay, Geraldton, 
Cairns, and Port Douglas. The places that I have 
yet been unable to visit are Bowen, Cardwell, Ger- 
aldton, Johnstone River, the Bloomtield, St. Lawrence, 
and Percy Island. .. .Figures regarding the extent of 
the industry, .... are still necessarily approximate ra- 
ther than exact ; statistics later on. 
The-e would appear to be some 200 growers; aggre- 
gating 700 acres or more. I have not included in 
this the areas that have been allowed to lapse during 
the past year, and which amount to over 100 acres 
alone. The industry is now on a much firmer and 
better footing than last year. I found in some in- 
stances that areas had been opened by growers (per- 
haps in an excess of enthusiasm) without experience, 
knowledge of coffee culture, or consideration of the na- 
tural couditionsgoverning the growth of the coffee-tree, 
which they were in consequence subsequently utterly 
nnable to cultivate or properly attend to. In such 
cases I have advised the concentration of attention 
upon some lesser part of the estate, and the selected 
portion. The result of such work on the part of the 
grower has been to reduce the extent of the industry, 
but to put their estates on an infinitely better foot- 
ing, financially and otherwise. The increase of area 
under cultivation is steady, though not rapid, for the 
same reason. Under my advice, those intending to 
open up are clearing perhaps 4 or 5 acres to begin 
with, in the place of 20 or 30, but with the obvious 
result that what is opened is well cultivated, satis- 
factory, and in a condition to pay the cost of subse- 
quent openings in due course, instead of large and 
unsatisfactory estates, which, being difficult to keep 
clean from the commencement, are over after a source 
o£ extra expense iu weeding alone. 
The number of applications for seed and advice re 
opening up is increasing, and the areas reduced will, 
it is to be expected, be more than made up riuiiug 
the coming year by thete new cleariug.s. The value 
of the industry cannot be gauged by the mere acreage, 
coffee being considerably more valuable than most farm 
staples. The area under coffee in the colony at present 
is capable of giving easily — with ordinary cultivation and 
no manuring— an average oflO cwt. to the aeie, a crop 
worth some ,£20,000, and possibly giving a crop worth 
at the same cultivation £2.5,000, to £30,000 annually. 
The improved methods of work started last year 
are showing good results, the samples of coffee at 
the various shows improving Vu.sily, both in size, 
shape, and colour, and showing better and more 
satisfactory returns both to the grower and buyer. 
At present, practically all Ihj Queensland-grown 
coffee is bought up and manuf;.ctuied in the colony, 
the prices remaining fairly steady at from £56 in the 
parchment to £112 per ton clean according to sample. 
Last season some buyers complained of the quality 
of coffees received, owing to the loss they sustained 
in both weight and bulk on ni mufacture. Tliis I 
found to be due. to a great extent, to the iiisnlticient 
drying of the crop before hulling. In hulling insuffi- 
ciently-dried coffee the quality of the .m uiufactured 
article is seriously impaired, and loss" in weight of 
from 30 to 35 per cent, sustained. It is not alwavs 
easy for growers to dry thoroughly in bulk, but 'it 
was possible to very greatly improve, in this matter 
alone, on last year's work, and this has been veiy 
generally done. Growers see the advantage of drying 
thoroughly, and having buyers ask again for consign- 
ments, and buyers appreciate the absence of heavy 
losses in weight and possible loss by mould, etc., 
in storing, an advantage that is sali=factory to koth par- 
ties, and one that has resulted in an apparently newly- 
discovered improvement in the quality of colonial 
coffee generally. The improvement is very noticeable 
in the manufactured articles now being put on the 
local retail market. 
Coffee is being put on the local market in tiua 
well got up, and of very good quality, at from Is 6d 
to Is 9d per lb. and the local sales of such would 
tend to show an increase and increasing consumption 
of the commodity. Local manufacturers are finding, 
as was to be expected, that they have to purchase 
from smaller growers to supply the' demand— a healthy 
state of siTairs that will, it is to be hoped, continue, 
enabling small estate owners to dispose at once and 
for cash of the raw article. Seeing the apparently 
large price obtained for coffee per lb. manufactured, 
compared with the price in the raw, there setms to 
be an inclination among some of the growers to at- 
tempt the manufacture individually, which is to be 
deprecated. The putting on the market of an unlimited 
number of brands would result, in course of time, 
in a lowering of prices, adulteratiun, and reriuciiun 
of quality. The grower will find it pay better to 
sell in the parchment than to spend the time in 
manufacturing small quantities; and rice versa the 
niauufacturer will find that the work entailed and 
time occupied in manufacturing will not admit of 
the proper working of an estate for cultivation of the 
coffee also. 
The prospects of the industry are c'ecidedly good. 
That the sample, when properly treated, is of high- 
grade quality has been amply demonstrated ihis 
season, and, in spite of labour competition iu other 
countries, it has also been demonstra'ed that the 
colony's natural advantages can compe ^ with them 
by the fact of a high-giade coffee b. i,.g put on the 
retail market at the same or a lower figure, with a 
fair margin of profit to both grower and manufac- 
turer. The removal of intercolonial tanffi will also 
open up the Australasian markets to this staple of 
Queensland, and in the home markets the prices are 
slowly but surely rising. 
From the grower's point of view it is one of the 
most paying of products, giving a return of 10 cwt. 
and, possibly, a 15 to 20 cwt. crop, whicSi, at even 
6d. per lb. in the parchment, or £56 per ton, would 
