192 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Szpr., 1902. 
The Orchard. 
FRUITGROWING IN THE BOWEN DISTRICT. 
By ALBERT H. BENSON. 
Although a short article on the above subject appeared in the February 
number of this Journal, the editor, who has recent y received a number of 
PoecersDns of the fruitgrowing industry as at present carried out in the & 
owen district, has asked me for a further contribution on the subject. 7 
Tn my previous paper I stated that successful fruit culture in’ this district 
is mainly dependent on the intelligent and systematic use of water for irrigation. 
purposes, as there is an abundant supply of suitable water, and the soil is one 
that responds readily to its judicious application. Since writing my previous 
article I have paid a visit to Bowen, and have inspected all the orchards shown — 
in the accompanying illustrations.* The result of this inspection has shown me 
conclusively that growers must look to irrigation as the first source of water 
supply for the trees’ requirements, and that such irrigation should be carried 
out regularly rather than trusting to the uncertainty of the rainfall. The 
winter, spring, and early summer are always more or less dry, and extra moisture, 
that must be artificially applied, is required during this time of the year in 
order to set the fruit, and thus secure a crop; and this, followed by the 
summer rains of normal seasons, will usually be found sufficient to produce 
satisfactory returns. Growers have been too apt to trust to the rainfall, and, 
instead of starting irrigating when the trees needed it, have, in many instances, 
pul off doing so in the hope that rain would come ; and, finally, when they 
ve started irrigating, the trees have already suffered to a considerable extent 
through lack of moisture. 
Tam thoroughly satisfied as to the suitability of the district for the produc- 
tion of citrus fruits of the best quality, as the soil is well adapted for this 
growth, and, with the abundant supply of suitable water that is available for 
irrigation purposes, I am confident that if the same is intelligently applied, and 
its application is combined with thorough cultivation, the industry is capable o 
considerable extension with profit to the individual growers and to the district 
generally. 
As to the quality of the fruit grown by means of irrigation, the specimens 
submitted by the Bowen delegates to the recent Conference at Toowoomba 
would have been hard to beat both for size, appearance, and flavour, and the 
bulk of the fruit seen by me during my recent visit was of very good quality, 
taking into consideration the extremely unfavourable season. In addition to 
fruit culture, the growing of all kinds of vegetables is being systematically 
carried out by means of white labour in the Bowen district. The quality of the 
vegetables grown is very good, and there is a good supply for local requirements- 
At the time of my visit potatoes, peas, beans, tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, 
turnips, squashes, pumpkins, onions, leeks, &c., were in plentiful supply. 
The garden of Mr. Maltby, on the north side of the Lower Don, is a good 
example of the quality and quantity of vegetables of all kinds that are capable 
of being produced in the district when energy and intelligence are devoted to 
their culture. The soil is by no means the best in the district, but by hard 
work, thorough cultivation, manuring, and latterly, by irrigation, by means of @ 
windmill, the results both as regards quality and quantity are very satisfactory, 
and prove the oft-repeated and very commonly neglected fact that a small area, 
thoroughly looked after, and with the concentration of one’s energies to such al 
area, is found much more profitable than trying to handle a larger area 0 
ground than can be profitably made use of, or, in the words of our AmericaD 
cousins, trying to chew off more than you can swallow. 
* We are indebted for our illustrations to Mr. F. Kenna, M,L.A., member for Bowen.—Ed- 
VAS, 
