104 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fes., 1902. 
The Orchard. 
ERUITGROWING IN THE BOWEN DISTRICT. 
By ALBERT H. BENSON. 
Although one of the oldest settled districts in tropical Queensland and 
possessing one of the finest harbours in Australia, Bowen is comparatively 
unknown to the greater portion of the people of this State; and even fewer 
persons haveany actual knowledge of its agricultural and horticultural industries 
—industries that are capable of considerable extension, with a promise of paying 
returns should they be carried on in a business-like and up-to-date manner. 
In the culture of fruits adapted to the climate there is room for considerable 
extension, as the quality of the produce is undeniable and is fully recognised as 
such by the fruit trade generally. 
Citrus fruits and mangoes are especially adapted to the district ; and when 
they have been placed on our local markets in good condition, they have met 
with a ready sale. 
I have, therefore, thought that a short article on fruitgrowing in the 
Bowen district as at present carried out, together with my ideas concerning the 
profitable extension of this industry, may be of interest, not only to the Bowen 
fruitgrowers, but also to agriculturists and fruitgrowers throughout the State. 
In the first place, there is a large area of land suitable for fruit culture, 
the greater proportion of which is at present practically unremunerative. For 
several miles along the Don River, from its mouth upwards, there are stretches 
of land adjoining the river on one or bothsides. Amounting to some thousands 
of acres that are as a rule fairly level and of which the soil is of an alluvial 
character, varying considerably in texture from sharp, sandy loams of great depth 
to medium and heavier loams of adark colourand fine texture. Some of the heavier 
loams approach a “‘ black” soil in character, but are not asadhesive. They would 
probably require to be sub-drained before they would make first-class fruit 
land; in fact, they are more suitable for vegetable-growing and the raising of 
maize, potatoes, and other farm crops. 
In addition to the land adjacent to the Don, there are large areas of nearly 
level country lying between Bowen and the Don, right on to the coast, and to 
the north of the Don, that are well adapted for fruit culture. 
The soil is not usually as deep as on the lands adjacent to the river, but it 
is usually of a friable nature that is easily worked, and that will retain moisture 
well when properly cultivated. In places, a more or less clayey subsoil is met 
with, but as a rule the land has good natural drainage. 
Bowen possesses one great advantage over many parts of Queensland, as, in 
addition to the suitability of the soil for fruit culture, it has a never-failing 
supply of rain and underground water throughout all the district that I have 
described. 
The river may not be running, as was the case at the time of my visit in 
August last, but an unfailing supply can be obtained by sinking a short depth 
in the sand, and underground water is met with at shallow depths—10 to 50 
feet—over the district mentioned. 
The water is suitable for irrigation, and it is on the extension of systematic 
irrigation that the future development of the district will depend, as the good 
water supply renders droughts ineffectual if the water is systematically and 
intellectually applied. ' 
I shall have more to say about irrigation presently, but, in the meantime, 
many of my readers may not know that the climate of Bowen and of the delta 
of the Burdekin is different to that of any other part of Eastern Coastal Queens- 
land in that rain during the end of winter, spring, and early summer is almost 
