Sept. 2, 1901.] 
THE TKOPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
185 
TEA CROPS AND MANURE. 
It may be of interest to mention the im- 
ports and transport (by R;iilway) of manure, 
for the series of years corresponding to 
those for which we have reckoned the 
average yield of tea per acre. Taking the 
country as a whole, it is not easy to say on 
what particular crop, within one, two or 
three years, an application of manure has 
most effect. But for a rough comparison 
it will do to contrast the "manure" figures 
for any particular twelve months with the 
succeeding years yield, thus :— 
Iiiiljoi ls of Carried 
Average yield of Manure, by Rail : 
tea per acre. tous. ions. 
1895 ... 12,487 7,218 
1896 ... .396 1b; 1896 ... 11,576 8,186 
1897 ... 403 1b; 1897 ... 10,874 8,431 
1898 ... 400 1b; 1898 ... 12,745 9,025 
1899 .. 400 lb; 1896 ... 14,200 11,126 
1900 .. 424 1b; 1900 ... 20,341 17,717 
It may be said that the increased yield per 
acre last year corresponded with an increased 
application of manure in the previous twelve 
months; but the most striking fact is the 
enormous increase in imports and carriage 
upcountry of fertilizers during the past year. 
With "fine plucking" following on "liberal 
cultivation," estates should continue in very 
good order for some time. 
SUB-TROPICAL CULTURE IN 
QUEENSLAND. 
VITICULTURE. 
The area under -vine cultivation in Queensland last 
year was nearly 2,0U0 acres, showing an increase of 
about 300 acres on the two preceding years. To judge 
from the demands made on this department for 
cuttings this season, the area is being rapidly extended, 
applications for upwards of 8,000 cuttings m excess 
of last season having already been made, fruit- 
growers are beginning to find out that a vineyard 
properly looked after is a paying undertaking, and 
that the demand for grapes exceeds the supply. If 
table grapes are sold at as low as Id per lb., the 
return from an acre of vines is not less than £18 ; 
and ifsobi at 2d per lb., a common price, the return 
is £36 per acre. Wine grapes would return not less 
than £10 and turned into wine by the grower himself 
would realise muc'^ more. The cost of cultivation in 
both cases is about £3 per acre, if labour is employed. 
Much of the grape crop far 1899 was injured by frost, 
yet it totalled £3,230 627 lb. weight of grapes, which, 
oaloulatine the value of the wine made trom the 
wine grapes, has a total value of £46,000. Experi- 
ments are being carried on at the State farms with a 
view to establishing in Queensland one or more of 
the Almeria varieties; if successful, a lartie export 
trade in grapes to Canada and Great Britain would 
grow up Experiments in currant growing and 
drying are being also carried on; the imports of 
cuirants into the State for 1899 were 1,636,185 lb., with 
a value of £13,646. . ^ -c 
Some of the finest varieties of European wine 
grapes have been imported by the Department or 
propagation and distribution, which should eventually 
materially assist in improving the quality of Queens- 
land wines. With regard to wiuemakmg, we have a 
satisfactory proof that some of our vignerons appre- 
ciate the assistance given them by the Viticulturist, 
one winemaker having written to the Department to 
the effect that £500 a year had been put mto his 
pocket by Mr. Rainford's services. Improvement in 
the quality of table grapes and wine is evidene 
although in the latter case the result is obtained mort' 
slowly. 
TOBACCO. 
Since the last' meeting of this Conference, an ex- 
periment farm for tobacco has been established at 
Texas, and 9i- acres of desirable leaf hp.s been suc- 
cessfully grown, housed and cured. The varieti( s 
grown are those producing the lavourite tobacco for 
the British and United States markets of the heavy 
pipe-smoking sorts. The results, so far, have been 
satisfactory. The industry is growing, and may be 
said to be in a fairly prosperous condition. White 
men are going more into the cultivation as they 
realise the value of the crop. New South Wales buyers 
have entered the market, and, if the product proves 
satisfactory to them, and there is every reason to 
believe it will, the future of the industry is most 
promising. It is to be regretted that an interest 
has not been manifested in cigar tobacco, as under 
federation, Sydney and Melbourne would give an out- 
let for considerable quantities and at a fair price. 
These tobaccos can be grown on many of the alluvibl 
soils north of Brisbane, below the Range, the crop 
being suitable for both the large and the small farmer. 
COFFEE. 
In view of the great demand for coffee, and of the 
suitability of a large portion of Queensland for its 
cultivation, nothing has been left undone to place 
the coffee-growing industry on a sound basis, and to 
bring before the growers the latest and most effective 
methods of production. For years the Department 
scattered broadcast the best literature on the subject, 
and in 1899 appointed a most competent expert to 
give practical assistance and instruction to the 
planters, with the result that at present coffee-growing, 
though not conducted on a very extensive scale or 
in all the localities adapted for it, is one of the irrost 
prosperous of our industries. So favourable, indeed, 
is our seaboard from Rockhampton northward, so far 
as climate and soil are concerned, for the cultivation 
of coffee of the best kind, that Queensland within 
the next decade will be able to supply the coffee 
required for the whole population of the Australian 
Commonwealth. — Quetnsland Agricidtiiral Journal, 
June 1. 
JAMAICA ORANGES. 
The "Fruitman's Guide" of New York publishes 
the following interesting figures on the receipts of 
Jamaica oranges in tliat city from September 
to March : — 
Month. Boxes. 
September .. .. 12,700 
October .. .. 51,200 
November .. .. 105,200 
December .. .. 19,300 
January . . . . 4,700 
February .. .. 800—193,908 
This amounts to over 530 carloads, and indicates 
that Jamaica is quite a factor in the orange market, 
in spite of the tariff. The crop was a light one 
this year and under normal conditions with a 
lower tariff the island could easily put one 
thousand or even two thousand carloads of 
oranges into N»w York. Naturally the California 
orange grower does not enthuse over any reciprocity 
treaty that will increase imports from Jamaica. — Cal. 
CuUivatoi- in the Hawiian Planters' Montldy for 
June 1901. 
ALOE 
A NEW INDUSTKY IN SOUTH 
INDIA. 
Sir, — It may intei est your readers to know that 
a new planting industry is being opened up in 
our midst and one which may help the much 
distressed tea and coffee planters out of their 
