194, QUEENSLAND AGRICULTTRAL JOURNAL. [1 Srpr., 1902. 
THE JACK (ARTOCARPUS INTEGRIFOLTIA). 
[By the Manager, State Nursery, Kamerunga, Cairns. ] 
The Jackfruit (Artocarpus integrifolia, Linn.) is of the same family 
and the nearest known relative of the famous Breadfruit (4. incisa). The 
name Artocarpus is derived from two Greek words literally translated, viz., 
Artos, bread; and Cuarpos, fruit, and its second name is purely botanical, 
tntegrifolia meaning entire leaved to distinguish it from A. incisa, the cut or 
incised leaved Breadfruit. 
The Jack fruit, being of a much darker green, and having very much 
smaller leaves, and often being quite a different shape and size, the similarity 
of the two trees will often not be commonly apparent. 
There are seyeral allied species, as A. Lakoochia, A. Chaplasha, A. hirsuta, 
about which very little would seem to be known, and which do not appear to 
have an economic value proportionate to the two species mentioned. The Jack 
is a native of Hast India and the South Seas, inhabiting countries with a hot 
and moist climate, and is essentially a tropical tree. It will not generally 
thrive in a locality subject to strong winds, as it is somewhat brittle, and will 
not stand severe frost, though much hardier in this respect than the Breadfruit, 
It is an umbrageous or thick foliaged tree and an evergreen. One tree 
exists in this Nursery which is thriving particularly well, having readily adapted 
itself to the climatic conditions obtaining here. An illustration accompanies 
this article. The tree shown is about ten years old, and 35 to 40 feet in height ; 
it has been in bearing four years or so. During the last season it bore a 
heavy crop of fifty or sixty fruit, averaging in weight from 5 to 10 or 12 lb. 
I have observed a few trees here and there in North Queensland, mostly 
in old gardens, where presumably it was grown more as a curiosity than for 
use ; in any case very little advantage would seem to be taken of its useful 
properties. Several varieties of the tree exist, and some were probably intro- 
duced into Queensland at one time, though I have not yet met with more than 
one variety, which is by no means the best. The better varieties are known as 
the “ Honey Jack” in India and Java, from the sweet syrup that is to be found 
within the pulp round the seed, and the “ Root-bearing Jack,” which produces 
its fruit entirely or partially underground. This latter is a specially fine fruit, 
and much valued in the Orient. Some writers seem to be of opinion that old 
trees of the ordinary or ‘“‘ Honey Jack” variety will bear fruit upon their roots 
in this way, but this is not authenticated. The root-cropping tree is generally 
considered a separate variety, and though I have seen, sown, and cultivated 
thousands of these trees, have never yet seen an ordinary Jack that will do this 
from mere age. This root-bearing may, however, be brought about by artificial 
treatment occasionally, which methods I will describe later. 
Another variety of the species is the “ Wild Jack,” which is a much larger 
tree than the cultivated or sweet one. The fruit is smaller, and though sweet, 
not so pleasant; the tree itself, however, is more spreading, contains more 
timber, and as a fodder tree is the more useful of the two. 
The fruit of the Jack tree is oval or oblong, is muricated on the rind, and 
of a bright green colour, turning slightly darker or duller when approaching 
ripeness, but never becoming quite yellow. When opened it is white inside; 
the inner pulp or edible parts are separately attached to the centre core, and 
surrounded by or packed in viscid fibres. Each piece of pulp is about the size 
of an egg plum, pale yellow in colour, and contains one seed. 
The tree, like the cocoa, bears its fruit upon the stem and thicker branches. 
The fruit has a somewhat strong scent, which is intensified if allowed to become 
over-ripe. This smell is disliked by some, but on becoming accustomed to it, or 
on tasting the fruit, it ceases to be offensive or even noticeable. 
The tree is very prolific, and the fruit often attains tremendous size and 
weight—fruit of 80 lb. have occasionally been met with. In Southern India I 
have obtained fifty to seventy fruit from one tree, and myself cut a specimen 
weighing 70 lb. 
