1 Jan, 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 69 
Orchard Notes for January. 
By ALBERT H. BENSON. 
Tux Orchard Notes for the month of December apply equally to that of 
anuary, especially the remarks anent the handling and marketing of fruit 
and the treatment of various fruit pests. The fruit of the month is the grape, 
and growers should take every care to market this fruit properly. The fruit 
should be eut when dry and cool before the heat of the day, and should be 
™nly packed into cases of moderate size, as if the grapes are at all tender 
vey are apt to be badly crushed if packed in too large cases. For shipping 
Igh-class grapes such as Black Muscat of Alexandria, White Muscat of 
Alexandria, Waltham Cross, or even Raisin de Dames, I strongly advise growers 
to use 5-lb. chip baskets, eight or ten of which go to a crate, as the 
Tult carries better in them and will reach its destination with the bloom on if 
Well packed and carefully handled. The fruit should be sold in the chip 
basket, so that the purchaser gets the grapes as packed in the vineyard and 
without being handled by the retailer. his method of packing grapes is 
“ommon in California, especially where the fruit has to be shipped long distances ; 
and as our best grapes here come from the Roma and Mitchell districts, and are 
often more or less damaged in transit, it should be of value to us in that it 
Would enable the fruit to be marketed in a better and fresher condition than is 
€ case at present. 
T do not think such chip baskets are obtainable in Queensland, but if not 
they could be easily introduced, as they are now coming into regular use in 
elbourne, 
Mangoes will also be ripening in the Southern part of the colony towards 
the end of the month, and I strongly advise, if any are to be shipped to the 
outhern colonies, that none be sent unless they are of good quality, as the 
itrot-Havoured stringy rubbish that has been sent in the past has simply killed 
the demand for mangoes in the Southern markets, and it willl be impossible to 
pen up a trade for our fruit there unless it is of good quality, and this good 
quality must be maintained. As there is a great deal of uncertainty as to what 
foustitutes a good mango, I may say briefly that a good mango should be 
reless or nearly so, and should have no pronounced unpleasant flavour of 
“arrots or turpentine, but should be either a luscious, high-flavoured fruit or 
% Juicy, good-flavoured, sprightly fruit. Too large mangoes are not an 
vantage, a round mango of 6 to 8 oz. weight being about the best size 
and shape for packing and carrying. 
T would be glad to receive samples of the fruit and foliage of any 
jangoes that the grower may consider to be of special merit, with a view 
® making drawings of and keeping a complete record of same, so that we 
my have reliable information as to the, best varieties of mangoes in the 
e o2Y, and know which are best to. propagate. In addition to sending the 
a lt and foliage, I would be glad for the grower to supply information 
“specting the source from which the tree producing the fruit was derived, the 
hiture and habit of growth of the tree, whether it is a good or bad cropper, and 
© class of soil it is growing in. 
a During the month see that the orchard is kept well cultivated; and in 
ay districts, where there is water available, citrus trees should receive 
b 800d irrigation. Keep the nursery clean, look after all grafts or spring 
8, and see that they are growing clean and straight, and where strong 
*noush head back at the height at which it is desired to form the head of the 
