438 
Supplement to the <' Tropical AgrimUuriat." [Dec. 1, 1902. 
In Queensland, however, I have not met with 
any large specimens — the average would seem to 
be from 5 to 10 lb., although one fruit of 23 lb. is 
on record. 
The tree comes into bearing here in three to 
four j'ears, and while large fruit will contain as 
many as 200 seeds, ten to twelve seeds per fruit 
is more common. The croping season is also very 
short in this State, usually lasting less than two 
months between January and March. 
The fruit is distinctly palatable and is wholesome 
and nutritious. The smell, however, is apt to pre- 
judice one against it on tasting it for the first 
time, and if, in ignorance, an over-ripe fruit is 
opened, not only is the smell intensified and 
rendered disagreeable, but the fruit is not so nice 
flavoured, for, like the Durian, to which it is 
sometimes likened, it must be taken at the right 
degree of ripeness to be appreciated. 
If these over-ripe fruit are removed or buried, 
the smell is really no stronger than that of the 
mango, and not as disagreeable. To judge a ripe 
Jackfruit, however, needs a little practice, for one 
cannot judge by colour. The usual method is to 
tap the fruit or flip it with the finger, when the 
hollowness of the sound denotes the degree of 
ripeness. 
The white milky juice, which is very sticky, 
renders an unripe fruit uneatable, and in an over- 
ripe one, the stringyness as well as strong smell 
makes it equally unpalatable. An ideal fruit 
should have the pulp firm but neither soft nor hard, 
and a pale yellow colour, when it will be found 
sweet and of a most agreeable flavour. 
In its native countries the fruit is considered a 
delicacy ; natives will pay Is. to Is. 4d. each for 
them, and Europeans become exceedingly fond of 
them. The pulp may also be cooked in various 
ways ; I have had it boiled in milk, cooked in 
custards, fried in butter, and preserved in honey. 
In the latter form it is an excellent dessert. 
Bernayp, in his "Cultural Industries," gives a 
receipt for boiling in milk, from which, however, 
the pulp would subsequently seem to be strained 
off. 
In opening a fruit, the rind, which is about 
half-an-inch thick, should be cut through and the 
fruit then broken open. The pulp sacs containing 
the seed may then be picked out from the sur- 
rounding fibres. These should at once be cut open, 
the seed taken out, and put into a basin of water. 
The addition of a very little salt to the water im- 
proves them, and, it is said, eliminates what little 
smell may remain. If strained and served up 
promptly with icing sugar sifted over, they are 
not only palatable but excellent eating and quite 
odourless. 
However, although it cannot be said that in 
this case "all love Jack," still all concur in attest- 
ing to the excellence of the nuts when roasted. 
These may be roasted like English chestnuts, 
which they much resemble, or boiled and used in 
curries or stews. After being boiled they are 
sometimes dried and ground, and cakes and nutri- 
tious farinaceous foods made from the flour. 
{To be Concluded.) 
GENEKAIi ITEMS. 
The Station, Farm and Dairy referring to tha 
value of manures and the conservatism of some 
cultivators who are prejudiced against them, 
says : — If Agriculturists continue to refuse the 
teaching of their fellowman, the least they should 
do is to give up farming, for unquestionably such 
men do not deserve the name of agriculturists, and 
by keeping to it they merely drag the name in the 
mud. 
The same paper referring to Sunflower'cultivation 
in Russia, says : — The industry which is stated to 
be very remunerative is rapidly increasing in 
proportions, and promises to still further develope 
before long. It is claimed tliat the sale of the oil- 
cake produced, in itself more than covers all the 
working expenditure of the mills. The stalks of 
the plant are used as fuel for driving the machinery, 
and the ash that remains gives from 25 to 30 per 
cent of potash. Briefly speaking, it would appear 
that the sunflower seed, when properly crushed, 
gives 23 per cent oil, 40 percent cake, and 37 per 
cent stalk. 
" Sunlight Oil Cake," advertised as the best food 
for stock and poultry, is nothing more than "Coco- 
nut poonac," the residual cake after the express 
from copra of the oil used in the manufacture of 
sunlight soap. The wonder is that there is no 
local firm manufacturing soap. Messrs. Preuden- 
berg & Co. did a business in coconut oil soap 
some years ago, but we believe they have given up 
the manufacture now. 
Have any of our readers come across plafftaiu 
trees bearing bunches of fruit about a yard from 
the ground ? This is said to be as common in 
lower Bengal, especially in the variety known as 
" Beejee-kela." 
The German Emperor has determined to help the 
agriculture of his own country by opening a new 
career for the potato. With this object he is doing 
all he can to extend the use of potato alcohol aa 
fuel. He has already induced a number of firms, 
including that of Herr Krupp, to adopt potato 
alcohol for their motors. 
To keep fruit trees clean of pests a correspondent 
to the Queensland Agricultural Journal recommwda 
the following treatment : — " The soil about the roots 
of the trees was removed as far as the roots went, 
80 that they were laid bare. Woodhouses dry and 
well preserved were strewn over the exposed roots 
and kerosine spiukled over afterwards. The soil 
was then returned to its place. The trunks were 
tarred to the height of one foot, and beyond that 
washed with kerosine and warm water. At the 
same time the upper trunk and the limbs as far 
as convenient were whitewashed. All this need 
only be done when the trees have started budding." 
With a few valuable fruit trees this may be 
possible, and will be compensated for the fine yield 
of good fruit ; but for large areas some modiftcatiofi 
of the above elaborate plan would have to be 
adopted, and may still be found beneflciaU 
