1 Jury, 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 151 
Marxettne.—Small growers should dispose of crops in home markets, as not 
being able to send quantities of uniform quality and size to make regular shipments, 
small quantities generally prove unsatisfactory. Large growers must find distant 
markets as local are soon glutted. Do not wait for payable prices before shipping ; 
send each season small lots regularly, even if not fully satisfactory at first. This 
will give a fair and thorough knowledge of market’s needs and general prices. Itmay 
result in encouraging the use of such fruits, it will divide the bulk of the crop, and 
help maintain full prices in nearer markets, thus giving a better average for the full 
crop. While giving a full knowledge of all markets, a choice can then be taken of 
those likely to give the most satisfactory results for future seasons. Neither grower 
nor salesman can make a market, but both can do a great deal that will assure good 
results—the grower by well packing and carefully grading and packing in neat and 
attractive cases, the salesman by studying the requirements of the market, and by his 
business tact and experience will often give fair returns on the worst of markets. 
Second quality should not be sent to distant markets except when prices are high, as 
freight and charges are as heavy on bad as on good fruit. Poor and indifferent fruit 
often lowers a market to such an extent that it is yery hard to dispose of the real good 
at fair rates. In some cases if the first quality had only been sent it would realise as 
much as the poor and indifferent and good combined. 
I am fully assured that 75 per cent. of the losses occur through the carelessness 
and want of tact of the grower, meee most of which could have been averted by a 
little care and thought. 
Selling.—In some cases the grower prefers to sell from shop to shop rather than 
in the markets, which is a mistake when fully considered. It stands to reason better 
prices can be obtained where there are several buyers than when only one. ‘This and 
the great saving of time more than compensate for the commission charged. 
Selling at the orchard has also proved a failure, as a dealer is generally full 
cognisant of the state of the market, consequently the grower is placed at a cea 
vantage. When markets are fully supplied the average dealer will not buy at all, 
thus the grower loses the good market and has to avail himself of a glutted one. 
Had he sent regularly to the market he would have had the good as well as being 
obliged to take the bad price. 
Selling on Commission.—This is now the most popular and convenient, and, to me, 
the most practicable mode of disposing of crop. In the markets you find the buyers 
from many districts gathered. ‘There practicable and efficient salesmen of long 
experience fully consider the stocks held and demand there is likely to be for such, 
the varieties and qualities most needed, and the disposition of the buyers. He not 
only knows the wants of his own particular markets, but being in communication 
with salesmen in the markets of the Commonwealth he knows their requirements and 
can thus often alleviate a glutted market. Should the agent be. faithful, no other 
mode can be more successful than this. 
Any person can sell an article when it is very scarce and needed, but none but a 
thoroughly practical salesman can make a fair market into a good one or a bad into 
a fair one. lence if the grower is faithful in picking, packing, and grading, he will 
have little cause to blame the salesman or markets. 
At present frait culture is a successful industry in our State as well as in the 
whole of our Commonwealth. Its progress.during the last few years has been great. 
Australian fruits are now known in the principal markets of the world. Successful 
fruitgrowing means a great deal to our people. It is a living to thousands now, and 
in the near future it will take a high place among the staple industries of our State. 
THE ORANGE INDUSTRY IN THE MAROOCHY DISTRICT. 
By I. J. Jounson, Palmwoods. 
A FEW FIGURES SHOWING THE INCREASE OF THE INDUSTRY. 
Ma. Prestpent And GunrneMEN,—Considering the enormous strides the orange- 
growing industry has taken in the Maroochy district, and in fact all along the Kastern 
coast of Queensland within the past fifteen years, it was thought by the Palmwoods 
Fruitgrowers’ Association, by whom this paper is endorsed, that it might be of interest 
to|prepare an article on the mode of cultivation and the profits, &c., attendant on the 
crops in this particular district, as this is, without doubt, one of the districts most 
favoured for the culture of the citrus tribe to be found in the whole of the State. 
From statistics compiled in 1899, and kindly supplied me through the courtesy of the 
Department of Agriculture, I find there were in the Maroochy district 377 acres under 
