Fruits of Queensland Part 5

THE OLIVE.

A much-neglected fruit in this State, as it is also in most English-speaking countries. Few English people are fond of either the fruit or the oil, and yet it is probable that there is no tree that for the s.p.a.ce it occupies will produce a greater annual return of food than the olive. A number of trees are scattered throughout the State, some of which are now of large size and fair age, but, so far, practically nothing beyond making a few gallons of oil and pickling a few gallons of fruit has been attempted, and this only in a purely experimental manner.

The present condition of the olive industry is destined to have a wakening up ere long, as a country that can produce this fruit in such quant.i.ties and of such a quality as the lighter soils of the Darling Downs is destined some day to be one of the largest producers of olives on earth. Some years since I planted a number of the best varieties of olives--trees obtained direct from California--on the Darling Downs, in land that I considered suitable for their growth, and which was properly prepared prior to planting. The trees here have made a really phenomenal growth, they came into bearing within three years of planting, and have borne steadily ever since. They have proved enormous bearers, and an experimental crushing showed that the oil was of high quality.

There are large areas of similar country to that in which they are planted in different parts of the State, and I feel certain that this really valuable food fruit is bound some day to be a considerable source of our national wealth. So far, the drawback to the growth of olives has been the cost of gathering the fruit and the limited demand for the oil or pickled fruit, but, against this, it has many advantages, one, and by no means the least, of which is its value as a shade and shelter tree on our open treeless plains. It is also a very hardy tree, withstanding drought well, and thriving in land that is too stony for the cultivation of ordinary farm crops. It is a healthy tree, free from most fruit pests other than the olive scale, which can be kept in check by spraying or cyaniding; and last, but not least, it is an ornamental tree whose wood is of considerable value. The olive does best with us in loamy soils of fair depth and basaltic origin, that are moderately rich in lime and potash, and have a fair drainage. A subsoil of decomposed rock answers well. It will, however, do on several other kinds of soil, but it is in the type that I have just described that it does so well, and in which I would recommend its culture on a large scale. It will stand a fair amount of frost as well as great heat, and I have never seen the trees injured by either on our Downs country. I have also seen trees doing well right on the coast, where they have been subject to heavy rainfalls, so that it appears to adapt itself to the conditions prevailing in many parts of our State.

In addition to the fruits I have briefly described, there are several others of minor importance that can be grown successfully, but, as they are not of any great value commercially, I will leave them out, and go on to the fruits of our more temperate districts, as, in addition to growing the tropical and semi-tropical fruits which I have already dealt with, Queensland can also produce temperate climate fruits to a very high degree of perfection.

The fruits of the temperate regions that we are able to grow include the apple, pear, plum, prune, quince, apricot, Persian peach, nectarine, almond, walnut, chestnut, cherry, &c., as well as some of the hardier fruits which I have cla.s.sed as semi-tropical--viz., the j.a.panese plum, persimmon, Chickasaw plum, strawberry, &c. The districts adapted for the growth of the distinctly temperate fruits are mostly situated in the Southern portion of the State, and at an elevation of from 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea-level--districts having a warm summer but a comparatively cold winter, during which frosts are by no means uncommon, but where snow rarely falls; a healthy climate, with warm days and cool nights, to which many visitors go during the heat of summer, when the humidity of the coast is somewhat trying to persons not naturally robust. The Downs country, particularly its southern or Stanthorpe end, is the most suitable; the soil is mainly of granitic origin, and is very suitable for the growth of apples, stone fruit, and grapes, but the latter I will deal with by themselves later on. The country is by no means rich from an agricultural standpoint, and is considerably broken, but, as already stated, it is admirably adapted for the growth of fruit, and within the last ten years at least 100,000 fruit trees, mostly apples, plums, and peaches, have been planted out and are doing well.

The Stanthorpe show, which is held annually during the month of February, is always noted for the excellence of its fruit exhibits, which would be hard to beat, both for size, quality, and appearance. The fruits ripen earlier than similar varieties grown in the Southern States, hence supply our markets at a time when there is little outside compet.i.tion, and, consequently, meet with a ready sale at fair prices.

The fruit grown in the largest quant.i.ty is the apple, so I will deal with it first.

THE APPLE.

As a description of this well-known and universally used fruit is entirely superfluous, I will confine my remarks to the types of fruit grown, and their method of growth. Owing to the fact that our fruits ripen much earlier than similar varieties in more southern parts of Australia, we have gone in largely for early varieties of apples, both for cooking and table use, but have not confined our attention to them entirely, as good-keeping sorts are found to do equally well, and have been shown at the annual exhibition that is held in Brisbane during August, in perfect condition, showing that the fruit has good keeping qualities. The soil on which the apple is mostly grown is largely composed of granitic matter, and is of a sharp, sandy, loamy nature, often of a gritty character. It is usually rich in potash, the predominating felspar being orthoclase, but somewhat deficient in nitrogen and phosphoric acid. It is usually easy to work, of fair depth, and retains moisture well when kept in a thorough state of tilth. The trees are usually planted at from 20 to 25 feet apart each way, when they are either one year or two years old from the graft or bud. They are headed low, so as to shade the ground from the heat of the sun, and also so as to facilitate the handling of the crop when grown, as well as to prevent their swaying about with the wind. The trees make a rapid growth, come into bearing very early, often bearing a fair crop three years after planting, and fruiting even earlier. The fruit of the early varieties has usually a handsome appearance, but lacks keeping qualities, but the later fruits are both handsome, high-coloured fruit, and good keepers. The trees are not very liable to disease, as, thanks to all varieties being worked on blight-resistant stocks, there is very little American blight (woolly aphis). Scale insects do a certain amount of damage, but are easily kept in check by winter spraying, and codling moth is not bad unless grossly neglected, many orchards being quite free from this great pest of the apple-grower. So far, the growing of apples has been confined entirely to the growing of fruit for the local markets, no attempt having been made to export same. A very small quant.i.ty is dried, and a little is used for jelly.

Many varieties of apples have been tested in this State, but growers have found out that it pays them best to confine their attention to comparatively few sorts that have proved to be the best suited to the soil and climate, as a few good kinds are much more profitable to grow than a mere collection of varieties. Many varieties are p.r.o.ne to overbear, and trees of large size have produced enormous crops of fruit, whereas young trees frequently break down under the weight of their crop. The usual plan is to plant a few varieties that ripen in succession, so as to extend the season over as long a period as possible, and not to cause a glutted market at any one time. Early fruits particularly are not noted for their keeping qualities, and a market glutted with such would entail a heavy loss to growers, hence a succession of varieties that suit the district as well as the market is grown.

Nearly all kinds of apples do well, those that are resistant to the attack of woolly aphis are, however, generally chosen in preference, even though they may not be of the highest quality, as their prolificness and freedom from this pest renders them more profitable than varieties of superior quality that are liable to blight, and that are at the same time often somewhat indifferent bearers. It is outside the scope of this paper to go into the question of varieties, but I may mention that such sorts as Irish Peach, Gravenstein, Summer Scarlet Pearmain, Twenty-ounces, Jonathan, Lord Suffield, Rome Beauty, and Prince Bismarck do remarkably well, and many other well-known kinds can be grown to perfection.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Prince of Pippins Apple, Darling Downs District.]

THE PEACH.

This king of the temperate fruits grows with us to perfection. The tree is hardy, a rapid grower, comes into bearing early, and is, if anything, inclined to overbear. It can be grown over a considerable part of our coastal and inland downs, as well as the Stanthorpe district, and thrives in many kinds of soil, from light sandy loams of poor quality to rich loams of medium texture or even heavier. In this State, the peach is always grown on peach roots, the desired variety being either budded or grafted on to a seedling peach, and the resulting tree is planted out when it has made one year's growth. No tree is easier to grow, but if the best returns are desired, it requires very careful pruning for the first three years, after which an annual winter pruning is usually all that is necessary. The young tree is such a strong grower that unless it is heavily cut back it becomes top-heavy and breaks to pieces with the weight of fruit, but when hard cut back for the first two years, so that it has a good main stem and strong primary branches, it will form a strong tree, and stand up well under a heavy crop of fruit. The strong growth it makes necessitates heavy pruning when large fruit is desired--and it is large showy fruit which sells best here--as were the tree allowed to go unpruned, it would bear enormous numbers of fruit, many of which would be of small size. Growers now realise this, and many of our orchards are well pruned, whereas a few years since the trees were allowed to grow pretty much as they like.

The peach remains profitable much longer here than it does in California, as the trees do not wear out so quickly, the roots remaining sound up to the last, so that, unless the top is too far gone, the life of the tree may usually be extended for several years by heading hard back and forming an entirely new head to the tree. Trees in full bearing often produce fully 1,000 lb. weight of fruit in a single season. This is, of course, very much above the average, but by no means exceptional.

When in their third season, they should bear enough to pay for all working expenses.

A very large number of varieties have been tested in Queensland, most of which do well, but, as in the case of apples, we find from experience that it is best to stick to a few kinds, and those that have proved to be most suitable to our soil and climate, rather than to experiment with a large number of varieties.

The usual plan is to plant a number of varieties that ripen in succession, as with the apple, so as to spread the season over as long a time as possible, and to stick to kinds that bear well, look well, and ship well, for appearance will usually beat quality, and fetch more money.

So far, little has been done in the way of utilising the peach, as the demand for the fresh fruit has been equal to our supply. There is, however, no reason why we should not be able to establish and maintain a fair canning and drying trade, should the production overcome the demand for the fresh fruit, as our peaches are of large size, and will can and dry well--that is to say, varieties adapted to those purposes will do so.

The nectarine, which is simply a smooth-skinned peach, does equally well, many varieties bear heavily, and some produce fruit of exceptional merit. I have seen as fine nectarines grown in the Stanthorpe district as I have met with in any part of Australia or America, fruit of large size and the highest flavour, that compared favourably with the finest hothouse-grown fruit of the Old World.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Peach Avenue, Darling Downs District.]

THE PLUM.

As already mentioned, plums of j.a.panese and American origin (Chickasaw) do well in the more coastal districts. They also bear heavily on our coastal downs and more western country, but some kinds of j.a.panese plums blossom too early for the Stanthorpe district. European plums, however, do well, and are heavy bearers. All kinds do not bear heavily, the freest bearers being those of the damson family--White Magnum Bonum and Diamond type. Prunes also do well. Plums of European origin do best in the coldest districts, but their cultivation is not confined entirely to these, as some varieties thrive well in warmer and drier parts of the country. So far, there has been a ready sale for all the plums we can produce for fresh consumption, excepting some of the smaller plums of the damson type, which have been converted into jam. It is not a fruit, however, in which there is much money, as it is too easily grown in the Southern States, and can there be converted into jam or canned at a lower rate than we can do here, hence our cultivation will be more or less confined to the growing of large fruits for supplying our local markets rather than to the production of the fruit in quant.i.ty.

THE APRICOT.

Most varieties of this fruit do well on our coastal downs country in the South, and to a certain extent further west. The trees are very rapid growers, and bear heavily. The earlier ripening fruit usually escapes damage from fruit fly, but the late fruit often suffers considerably.

The apricot does best in a fairly strong rich soil, when it makes a great growth, and bears heavy crops of large-sized fruit. It also does well on sandier soils, which produce a firmer and better-drying fruit.

So far, although a number of trees are planted throughout the State, the cultivation of the fruit is mainly confined to the production of table fruit, drying or canning having been carried out to a small extent only.

The apricot grows to a large tree, and lives to a good old age. Like the peach, it is a very vigorous grower when young, requiring severe pruning in consequence, but, when once shaped, the trees require little in the way of pruning other than the removal of superfluous branches and an annual shortening in winter.

THE CHERRY.

Queensland is almost outside the limit of the successful growth of this fruit, but not quite, as we produce the first fruit to ripen in Australia, which realises a high price on account of its earliness. Many varieties have been tested, but, so far, no one variety can be said to be a complete success in our climate, nor do the trees grow to the large size or produce as heavily as they do in the Southern States, where the winters are more clearly defined than they are in Queensland. Another drawback to the growth of this fruit is that the soils of our coldest district are not the best of cherry soils. The cherry likes a deep, moderately rich loam, whereas we are growing it mostly on sandy loams of a granitic origin. What fruit we do grow is good, and pays well on account of its earliness, but I do not consider that this State will ever be able to compete with the South in the growth of the cherry.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Litchi, Mossman District.]

THE PEAR.

Many kinds of pears do well, but, unfortunately, this fine fruit is very liable to be attacked by fruit fly. It does well generally in the districts that I have mentioned as suitable for the apple, plum, and apricot. The tree is healthy, grows rapidly and to a large size. It comes into bearing remarkably early as compared with the pear in colder climates, and produces excellent fruit. I have grown as good Bartletts here as could be obtained anywhere, and the trees have proved to be good bearers and doers. This fruit does best on deep soils of a medium to strong loamy nature, and of good quality, though it does well in much freer soils, but does not make as good a growth or bear as heavily. It is usually grown on seedling-pear stocks, but the growing of suitable varieties on quince stocks and keeping the resultant trees dwarfed is to be recommended. This method of growing the pear does well here, and dwarf trees can be easily protected from fly, whereas it is practically impossible to deal with big trees, which the pear becomes when grown on pear roots.

THE ALMOND.

This fruit does well in parts of our coastal tableland country, though its habit of blossoming too early in the season renders it very liable to injury from late frosts. The trees do remarkably well, grow rapidly, and bear heavily when the blossoms are uninjured by frost, hence it is a good tree to grow in selected situations containing suitable soil, as it commands a ready sale, and is very little troubled with pests. A free, sandy, loamy soil is best suited to the growth of the almond, and the situation should be well protected from frost. The trees are usually worked on peach stocks, on which they make a very rapid growth. Several varieties should be grown together, as a better set of fruit will be obtained by doing so, most almonds requiring the pollen of another variety flowering at the same time to render their flowers fertile. The almond grows into a handsome, shapely tree, and, when in blossom, an orchard is a sight not easily forgotten, the wealth of flowers being such that it must be seen to be fully appreciated.

The walnut, chestnut, quince, blackberry, raspberry, and one or two other fruits of the temperate regions are also cultivated to a small extent, but are of no great value so far, though there is no reason why the walnut, which does well with us, should not be cultivated to a much greater extent than it is, as there is always a fair demand for the nuts. Blackberries of different kinds have been introduced, and do well, the common English blackberry almost too well, as unless kept in check it is apt to spread to such an extent as to be a nuisance. In addition to the cultivated fruits I have briefly mentioned as growing in Queensland, we have a number of native fruits growing in our scrubs and elsewhere that are worthy of cultivation with a view to their ultimate improvement. Of such are the Queensland nut, a handsome evergreen tree, bearing heavy crops of a very fine flavoured nut. The nut is about 3/4-inch in diameter, but the sh.e.l.l is very hard and thick. It could no doubt be improved by selection and careful breeding. The Davidsonian plum is also another fruit of promise. It is a handsome tree of our tropical North coast, and bears a large plum-shaped fruit of a dark purple colour, with dark reddish purple flesh, which is extremely acid, but which is well worth cultivation. Several species of eugenias also produce edible fruit, and there are two species of wild raspberries common to our scrubs. There are the native citrus fruits I referred to in an earlier part of this paper, as well as several other less well-known fruits that are edible.