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 Coffee-Growing at Cairns, 
From the Cairns Post we reprint the following extracts trom a private letter 
written by a well-known resident to a friend in England in reply to queries re 
coffee and sugar growing in the district:—‘‘ On the low-lying lands between 
the sea-coast and the foot of the Cairns ranges, the climate from about 
September to March is more or less damp and steamy, of course, perfectly 
suitable for tropical agriculture, such as sugar, which is fast becoming a very. 
large industry. There is plenty of scope for sugar-planters ; the soil is rich and 
well watered ; rainfall very good; remaining months of the year are cool and 
pleasant. Ascending the range by railway, a sort of hilly tableland occurs, 
which extends inland, but which, for some miles around the vicinity of Kuranda 
and extending in each direction about parallel with the coast, is covered with 
dense tropical scrub. The soil is exceedingly rich in many places, and this 
portion of the tableland is from 1,100 to 1,600 feet above sea-level, and averages 
about six miles from the coast. This prevents frost in the cool months; and 
the sea breezes in the warm months, being above the influence of evaporation, 
are very cool and pleasant. The thermometer goes downto about 36 degrees 
in winter, and averages about 83 degrees in summer. . Further inland again, at_ 
Atherton, about fifty miles from Cairns, lies an immense belt of agricultural 
country covered with very heavy scrub full of valuable timbers. The land — 
about Atherton is about 2,500 feet above sea-level. 
“ Frosts occur in the cold months, and the climate, with the exception of. 
about thre. months out of the year, is probably as near perfection as it is 
possible o be. ‘The soil about Atherton is generally considered to be amongst 
_the richest in Australia. The rainfall is also good. The average rainfall at 
Cairns and on the adjoining ranges is about 80 to 100 inches per annum, well 
distributed. It is generally considered that along the top of the range or 
tableland, where the soil is good and no frost occurs, is the best place for 
growing coffee. There is no doubt, as has been proved, that at any rate up to 
about six years the coffee-trees grow exceptionally well and bear heavily when 
properly planted, but a lot yet remains to be proved before the industry can 
be called a perfect success, although enough has been proved to warrant 
anyone going in for it with an exceptionally good chance cf success. With 
regard to labour, there isa moderate supply of kanaka labour available, which is- 
good labour. Wages are from £16 to £18 per annum and find them in food. 
Children (who pick well) are available to cope with it for some years to come. 
From the crops already picked, it is generally expected that, with 430 trees to 
the acre, about half a ton of dried beans to the acre may be relied on when the 
tree is five years old; the trees generally commence to bear when three years 
old, and the dried beans are worth about £90 per ton. The price of land is 
£4 per acre, varying in different localities. Anyone going in for coffee, by 
looking well around, might possibly pick up good bargains. The approximate 
cost of purchasing and preparing uncleared scrub land fer acre for coffee 
would be about as follows :— 
Purchase of land, say wa 
Clearing and burning off scrub a de nee wo eh 
Grubbing up stumps sx} ee ee bys) ae ag 
Digging holes for plants... fax; ox a tek ado. 
IG) ce rua) an BES = an tee xu. Mt 
£22 
