1 Ocr,, 1901.] = QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 405 
a I may state that it is not always necessary to use the net for catching the: 
| thes, . 
This can often be easily done by placing the fingers under the fruit and’ 
ging the thumb down flat on the fly, but it wants doing gently. 
The idea of using trap trees for the flies must not be forgotten; that is, 
-‘rtain odd trees of some variety which, by ripening early, or by reason of some: 
other characteristic, may prove a special attraction for the fly. 
brin 
This often occurs, and the flies will be found to stick to such trees as long; 
‘S the fruit is there, and they can be caught in numbers. 
While writing on this subject, I would like to say that, to my mind, the 
| best means of working against the fly which has yet been discovered is that 
| *° constantly advocated by Mr. Benson and myself—viz., the gathering and 
| “struction of all dropped and infested fruit. How long will it be before fruit- 
| Sowers, both large and small, come to realise that this is the surest way of 
| “ping with this dreadful trouble? | 
| __ Remedies are asked for, and of course will prove more or less useful, but 
ile we clamour for a cure, we go on breeding the pest, and more cure, and 
Nore cure again will be wanted. anit 
Boil your infested fruit for a couple of minutes, and you kill the: 
| Mageots, “Kill these, and you have stopped the future fly, and all the swarms 
that might come from it. 
|. I hope careful attention will be paid to this matter as the early fruits come: 
| this season. 
PICKING OLIVES. 
|. Although the olive tree thrives well and fruits heavily in this State, yet,. 
| 2til some cheap way of gathermg the fruit is discovered, the manufacture of 
| ive oil on a large seale will be long deferred. In Calabria, in Italy, where 
“te are very extensive olive groves, the proprietors dig out a kind of huge 
“tucer round the trees, about a foot deep towards the centre, sloping up to the 
qeace. The ripe olives, as they drop from the trees, roll down the sides of 
| "© depression, and are daily shovelled out with wooden shovels. Some such 
| Pocess might be found to dispose to a certain extent of the labour difficulty 
|, ucensland connected with olive-growing. When the trees are beaten, a 
Pen ey of women and children is employed in picking them up. Wages in 
| yo, .°Ut tations ; a little wine is all they receive in addition to this miserable 
| hee Ordinary farm labourers in the mountains are paid 7d. per day, and a 
tonerd will work for 4s. month and rations of rye bread and skim milk from 
| ee to dark. We would rather be without Queensland-grown olives than see 
| “ grown for what can but be starvation wages, 
THE FIG IN AUSTRATIA. 
( Some years ago Smyrna figs were imported by the late G. Neilson, then 
|,Mator of the Burnley Gardens. Mr. ©. T. Cole (ex-nurseryman of Rich- 
hed and late horticulturist at Gatton College, Queensland) reports thus to 
| ang Aeseralasian in respect of two of the trees—namely, the supposed male 
4 female of those imported. They were duly planted, and fruited, both 
| ying fruit, the fruit being of a pale, yellowish-green, slightly ribbed towards 
® stalk, of an uneven shape, short in stalk, flesh-pale to bright red, very 
Rony and juicy, of a most delicious flavour. They would hang upon the 
lean till they became a perfect rich jelly inside; also they were very good 
TS, 
ern Italy for women amount to 6d. per day and for boys 4d. per day, . 
