428 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Dec., 1902. 
is regrettably doubtful, as the vitality of either is known to be short. Cinnamon and 
allspice pean have been germinated, and are available. Black pepper and the two 
plants of cardamom are doing well, but are not yet in bearing. The vanilla plants 
‘obtained from Fiji are doing particularly well, but have not yet blossomed. 
The algaroba or mesquit bean has borne a good crop, but the kola trees, though 
showing a few blossoms, failed to set any nuts. The candle tree blossomed, and 
loquats bore for the first time this season; whilst the Monstera deliciosa, which bore 
no crop last year, is carrying several of its curious fruit again. 
All the varieties of fibres are doing well except ramie, which, it not being 
possible to obtain sufficiently moist conditions for on the nursery, remains somewhat 
stunted. Plants of all varieties are available. Pines have done well, and so far * 
remained very free from disease. All varieties of tobacco have done especially well, 
and a good stock of seed was obtained and sent to the tobacco expert. Plants of tea 
have been raised, and are available. Cassava, yams, arrowroot, and ginger, and all 
root crops have done well this year. Cotton of two varieties, Sea Island and Egyptian 
Upland, thrive, and plants in their second year are bearing heavily. Mature and 
ood seed of both varieties is available in limited quantity. The vi apples bore 
eavily again, and granadillas and the new choko vegetables have carried crops above 
the average. ; 
Paspalum dilatatum and other grasses have been in great demand. A small 
charge has been made for the former, but the stock in hand proved insufficient to 
supply all applicants, and some applications are being held over until the end of the 
year, when a quantity will be again available for distribution. 
Inpicrenous Timper TreEs.—Seed of several of these has been received from 
the Conservator of Forests. The seed has been carefully set in germinating beds, and 
will subsequently be put out into nursery beds, and plants be available in quantity 
later on for re-afforestation or any other purpose by the Forest Department. 
Ruspers.— Manihot glazivvii (Ceara) has done well. This season experiments 
are being conducted in tapping them by several methods. The trees sufficiently large 
to tap are still very few in number. Seed in quantity is available. Hevea Braziliensis 
(Para) is the best variety of rubber. The trees put out in the field some three years 
ago are growing rapidly, and under cultivation seem to have done better than they do 
in their indigenous or natural state, as shown by existing records. They are, however, 
still somewhat slender, and are not old or large enough to tap. Central American 
rubber (Castiloa elasticu): These trees proved to be much quicker growing out in 
the field than in the nursery beds, and are now doing well and showing remarkable 
growth. This is one of the quickest of the rubbers to come into bearing, but the 
trees are still too young to experiment with. An effort is, however, being made to 
raise plants from small slips of both of the two latter varieties. Hicus elastica (Assam 
rubber): The three large trees in the nursery have grown well, and ahouge not yet 
within many years of the age at which rubber is usually extracted from these trees 
under ordinary conditions, they have been experimentally tapped during the year 
with exceedingly satisfactory results. Further experiments are being conducted 
while this report is being written. The rubber produced would, so far, seem to be a 
better quality than is generally obtained from the Ficus elastica. Cuttings are 
readily propagated and are available in quantity at all times. West African rubber 
(Labernaemontana crassa?): Most of these trees have come into bearing this year, 
and experiments in tapping have been conducted, So far the product seems to be 
more waxy than elastic. A few plants were raised from the seed of three fruits 
obtained last year. This tree seems to have readily adapted itself to the climate and 
soil of the State, and promises to be a valuable one, as well as one of the quickest 
in bearing of rubber-producing plants. ; ( 
It is proposed, as the experiments in tapping now being conducted are completed, 
to deal with each variety of rubber in detail in the Agricultural Journal. 
Matizr.—The red Jamaica maize supplied by Mr. Pink has done well, but owing 
to drought only sufficient seed was obtained to replant. Of the American maize, the 
five varieties—Golden Beauty, Leaming’s, Legal Tender, Piasa Queen, and Riley’s 
Favourite—were sown on the 6th January, but owing to unexpectedly dry weather, 
and later on toa small plague of caterpillar, did not do well. Under the circum- 
stances, therefore, itis impossible to judge of them. The seed obtained was resown 
on the 27th of May, and, the weather being more favourable, they are so far doing 
very well. 
Soreuums.—Of the four varieties of American sorghum—Coleman’s, Folger’s 
Early, Early Orange. and Collier’s—the first planting out on the same date as the 
maize, was not an unqualified success for the same reasons, but was by no means a 
