1 Juny, 1201.) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 7 
when we have to place our fruits on outside markets—a condition of the 
industry that we shall reach ere long—as our local demand and that of the 
Southern States will soon be over-supplied by local production. The question 
of opening up new markets for our fruit has been carefully considered by the 
Department,.and an experimental shipment of oranges was sent to Vancouver 
on the 20th July last year. The fruit was obtained from the Buderim Mountain 
and Woombye districts, and was sent as ordinary cargo. The net return was. 
3s. 11°85d. per case for 105 cases sent. As the fruit was worth only about 
2s. 6d. per case in the local market at the time of shipment, the experiment was: 
considered fairly successful. The chief value of the experiment, however, was 
that it proved the carrying and keeping qualities of our fruit when properly 
handled and packed. The importance of careful handling and of the use of 
suitable cases was exemplified, and it is felt that these considerations are 
essential to the successful establishment of a profitable export trade. The 
importance of keeping fruit trees and fruit free from insect and fungus pests is 
becoming generally realised. The Departmental cyaniding plant has been kept 
fully employed, and several private outfits have been established in various: 
parts of the State, the results on the whole being highly satistactory. The 
spraying of strawberries, vegetables, and fruit trees is distinetly on the increase, 
srowers finding out by experience that it pays to keep their trees and plants 
free from disease. Experiments were conducted with a view to preventing the 
damage done by the fruit fly, the means employed being the covering of the trees. 
with a cheap netting. These experiments were a complete success, trees so 
covered ripening their fruit free from maggots when the fruit of adjacent trees 
was worthless. This is considered to be ot great importance to those who grow a 
limited amount of fruit for home consumption, and there is no question that it 
will be found profitable to cover all trees of medium size that produce fruit of 
high quality for which, when free from maggot, there is always a good demand 
at remunerative rates. 
VITICULTURE. 
The area under vine cultivation in Queensland last year was nearly 
2,000 acres, showing an increase of about 300 acres on the two preceding 
years. To judge from the demands made to this Department for cuttings 
this season, the area is being rapidly extended, applications for upwards 
of 8,000 cuttings in excess of last season having already been made. 
Fruitgrowers are beginning to find out that a vineyard properly looked after 
is a paying undertaking, and that the demand for grapes exceeds the supply. 
If table grapes are sold at as low as Id. per lb., the return from an acre of 
vines is not less than £18; and if sold at 2d. per lb., a common price, the 
return is £86 per acre. Wine grapes would return not less than £10, and 
turned into wine by the grower himself would realise much more. The cost 
of cultivation in both cases is about £3 per acre, if labour is employed. Much 
of the grape crop for 1899 was injured by frost, yet it totalled 3,230,627 1b. 
weight of grapes, which, calculating the value of the wine made from the 
wine grapes, has a total value of £46,000. Experiments are being carried on 
at the State farms with a view to establishing in Queensland one or more of 
the Almeria varieties ; if successful, a large export trade in grapes to Canada 
and Great Britain would growup. Experiments in currant growing and drying 
are being also carried on; the imports of currants into this State for 1899 were 
1,636,185 lb., with a value of £13,646. 
Some of the finest varieties of European wine grapes have been imported 
by the Department for propagation and distribution, which should eventually 
materially assist in improving the quality of Queensland wines. With regard 
to winemaking, we have a satisfactory proof that some of our vignerons 
appreciate the assistance given them by the Viticulturist, one winemaker 
having written to the Department to the effect that £500 a year had been put 
into his pocket by Mr. Rainford’s services. Improvement in the quality of 
table grapes and wine is evident, although in the latter case the result is 
obtained more slowly. 
