1 June, 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 4:73 
growing in it. Perfect drainage is essential to the successful culture of pine- 
apples in this colony, and in cases where such is deficient or there is an impervious 
subsoil heavy rains are always followed by more or less loss from the so-called 
pineapple disease, which is mainly, if not entirely, due to the retention of 
stagnant water in the soil round the roots of the pineapples. A soil such as 
that recommended would also dry out very rapidly, as after the moisture in the 
foot or so of soil has become exhausted, there would be no possibility of its being 
replaced by moisture drawn to the surface _by capillary attraction, as the hard- 
pan would absolutely preyent this taking place. 
The nature of the soil—namely, a sandy loam, rich in organic matter 
(humus)—is well adapted for the growth of pines provided there was no clay 
subsoil or hard-pan, but instead of this a perfectly free open subsoil; and such 
a soil would grow good pines here. As to the manure applied, it is a complete 
manure containing all the important elements of plant food, and its application 
would be beneficial on any soil deficient in such plant food. 
From manurial experiments now being conducted at the Redland Bay 
Experiment Orchard, I may state that so fara mixture of soluble nitrogenous 
and phosphatic manures is having a very marked effect on the pineapples to 
which it has been applied, but as far as I can judge at present potash manures 
are having little, if any, effect. Full particulars of the manurial experiments 
now being conducted at Redland Bay will be published in due course, but it is 
premature to do so now. The experience of such experiments conducted on a 
typical Queensland fruit soil, and under our climatic conditions, will prove of 
more value to our pineapple-growers than any experience obtained under totally 
different conditions of soil and climate in other parts of the world. I have 
‘drawn attention to this matter, as I feel it would be unwise for our fruit- 
growers to attempt methods of culture, &c., that, though of proved merit in 
other countries and under certain conditions, are quite unsuitable to and 
unworkable in this colony. 
COFFEE-ROASTERS. 
By HOWARD NEWPORT, 
Instructor in Coffee Culture. 
SoME inquiry having been made concerning coffee-roastin g and preparation for 
market on the plantation, Mr. Howard Newport, who has been on an extended 
tour amongst the Northern coffee-planters inquiring into the position and prospects 
of the industry, and also advising ax to the proper methods of planting, growing, 
pruning, harvesting, and general manipulation of the crop, in order to ensure 
success, supplies the following illustration of a useful roaster, together with a 
full description of the machine. He says:— 
Before going into this subject in detail, I would mention that the roasting 
and subsequent tinning, labelling, and retail selling of ground coffee do not 
seem to be worth the while of small coffee-growers. 
The treatment of the coffee after it has left the huller, winnowing fan, and 
sizer is a business in itself, and would necessitate more attention and the 
expenditure of more time than a small grower would be able to spare for it. 
I have not the space here to go fully into my reasons for thinking thus, 
but these will be mentioned in my report on the industry. While readily 
‘supplying the information required, I do not advocate, as a general rule, the 
manufacture of coffee by the grower. 
The Roaster.—A useful size of cylinder is 2 feet external length—which 
allows for the riveting in of the ends, 9 inches—about 1 foot 10 inches internal 
length, with about 12 inches diameter. To this is fixed a bar to act as axle, one 
end of which is bent to form a handle by which to reyolve the cylinder. The 
bar may or may not go through the cylinder; it is often fixed to the discs at 
the ends merely, but it is difficult in doing this to have them so nicely and 
