1 Aprtn, 1898.] - QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 299 
Tropical Industries. 
THE BREADFRUIT. 
ARTOCARPUS INOISA (TRUE BREADFRUIT). 
By E. COWLEY, 
Manager, Kamerunga State Nursery, Cairrs 
_Tnts tree was introduced from Fiji to Kamerunga State Nursery in the year 
1892. A specimen of the first fruit was sent to the Queensland International 
Exhibition during last year, preserved in methylated spirits. The breadfruit 
has been known in North Queensland for some years.. A tree is growing at 
Balaclava, on the Mulgrave road, which, from its size, is probably twelve or 
fifteen years old, perhaps more. From what was noted, I should deem it a 
sparse fruiting sort. It may be it is rather far from salt (sea) water, in which 
case it can hardly be expected to be prolific of fruit, as the breadfruit is a 
native of the South Sea Islands, and cannot be expected to thrive very far from 
the ocean. A rather fine specimen was observed by the writer in the fownsville 
Botanic Gardens about two years ago. This seemed to be bearing fruit in 
considerable numbers, and had altogether a healthy appearance. It is probably 
not so old a tree as the Balaclava specimen, but it isina much more favourable 
locality, the Townsville Botanie Gardens being in a spot similar to the site of 
_ the Cairns Esplanade—i.e., somewhat fronting the sea. This tree evidently 
feels more at home where it can breathe the salt sea air. Mr. Montgomery, of 
Port Douglas, reports a tree growing near that port, from which he has taken 
fruit and eaten it after cooking, and he very kindly sent me some root cuttings 
from this plant. It has been reported that it is also growing at or near 
Geraldton; but as my informant could not tell if the tree he saw was Arto- 
carpus incisa or Artocarpus integrifolia, it is a matter of doubt. The true 
breadfruit is found in its wild or uncultivated state mostly in the South Sea 
Islands. The quality of the fruit seems to decline as it nears the Equator, 
and it seems to do best in about our own latitude, Cairns—so much so, that the 
missionaries of New Guinea have introduced from Fiji plants of the indigenous 
variety growing in those fertile islands. It certainly somewhat surprised the 
writer to find no good breadfruit was to be had in that possession when he 
was there a few years ago. The breadfruit-tree was also noticed in Java, 
between Batavia and Buitenzorg, but the fruit was not tasted. It is probable 
this has been introduced into Java, as it has been into most tropical 
countries, from the Pacific Islands. In our school days we used to read with 
very considerable satisfaction about Bligh and his two voyages from England 
to the South Seas. 
There is a captivating spirit of romance in the tale of the mutiny of 
the “Bounty” (Bligh’s ship), which sailed, commissioned by the British 
Government, on a mission to the South Sea Islands to collect plants of this 
tree and transport them to the West Indies. The first voyage was made in 
1787, but a fatal mutiny cf the crew at that time prevented the accomplish- 
ment of the design. ‘The commander of the vessel, however, returned in safety 
to his country, and a second expedition, under the same person and for the 
same purpose, was fitted out in the year1791. After an absence from England 
of about eighteen months, he landed in Jamaica with 350 breadfruit-trees in 
a living state, having left many others at different places in his passage 
thither. The breadfruit does not seem to have been much esteemed by the 
