Fruits of QueenslandBenson, Albert H. (Albert Henry)
Science
Fruits of Queensland
Benson, Albert H. (Albert Henry)
Fruit-culture -- Queensland
Rockhampton and Yeppoon; Bowen, Cardwell, Murray River, Tully River,
Cairns and district, Port Douglas, and Cooktown. In addition to these
districts a few citrus fruits are grown at Mackay, Townsville, and
several other places. Citrus fruits are also grown further inland, but
their cultivation here is largely dependent on the ability to supply the
trees with suitable water for irrigation during dry spells. Frosts have
also to be taken into consideration, for, though the days are warm, the
temperature often falls considerably during the night, owing to the
great radiation, and citrus-trees in districts like Roma, Emerald, &c.,
are liable to injury thereby. West of Emerald, at Bogantungan,
Barcaldine, and other places, citrus fruits do very well with
irrigation. Some of the finest lemons, Washington Navel, and other
improved varieties of oranges are grown here to perfection, the lemons
especially being of high quality, and curing down equal to the imported
Italian or Californian article. The soil in many of the inland districts
is well suited to the culture of citrus fruits, and when the trees are
given the necessary water, and are uninjured by frost, they produce
excellent fruit. I stated, some short distance back, that there is
probably no country in the world that is better adapted to the
cultivation of or that can produce the various kinds of citrus fruits to
greater perfection or with less trouble than the eastern seaboard of
Queensland. To many of my readers this may seem to be a very broad
statement; but I am certain that, if suitable trees are planted in the
right soil and under favourable conditions, and are given anything like
the same care and attention that is devoted to the culture of citrus
fruits in the great producing centres for these fruits in other parts of
the world, we have nothing to fear either as regards the cost of
production or the quality of the fruit produced. In order to exemplify
this, it may be interesting to compare our capabilities with those of
the principal citrus-producing districts north of the equator. To begin
with, I will take Florida, which more nearly approaches our climatic
conditions than any other citrus-growing country that I know of, and
which is noted for the excellence of its citrus fruit, and we find that
we have all its advantages except that of proximity to the world's
markets, without its disadvantages. We have a better and richer soil,
requiring far less expensive artificial fertilisers to maintain its
fertility, and at a very much lower price. We can grow equally as good
fruit; in fact, it is questionable if Florida ever produced a citrus
fruit equal in quality to the Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarin, a
Queensland production. We get as heavy, if not heavier, crops, and our
trees come into bearing very early. We have no freeze-outs similar to
those which have crippled the industry in Florida so severely in the
past that many of their wealthy growers are actually covering in whole
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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