These few instances show how favourably the conditions prevailing in Queensland compare with those of the great citrus-growing districts of Europe and America, especially in the matter of soil and climate, and I feel confident that, if the industry were taken up in the same business-like manner that it has been done in California and Florida, we could easily hold our own against any part of the world. In comparing Queensland with the rest of the world we have the advantage--also shared by New South Wales and South Africa--of ripening our fruit at a time of the year which is the off season in the citrus-producing countries to the north of the equator, so that our fruit does not clash with theirs, their ripening period and ours being at different times of the year. As regards our Australian market, our fruit ripening earlier than that of the Southern States, we are enabled to dispose of a considerable portion of our crop in the Southern markets before the local fruit is ready for gathering. This gives us three markets--first, a local one; secondly, a Southern one; and, finally, when this demand is supplied, an oversea market to Europe, America, and the East. When grown under favourable conditions, citrus-trees are heavy bearers in this State, it being no uncommon thing to meet with seedling or worked orange-trees of from ten to twelve years of age producing over twenty cases of marketable fruit to the tree, averaging about 10 dozen medium-sized fruit. [Illustration: Bunch of Valencia late Oranges, Blackall Range District.] [Illustration: Washington Navel Oranges, Barcaldine District, Central Line.] Citrus-trees of all kinds, particularly worked trees, come into bearing very early, and the returns obtained from an orchard rapidly increase. The illustrations give a good idea of the rapid growth, and a fair one of the crop of fruit the young trees are bearing, but the following examples, taken at random for the crop that was marketed in January, 1906, will show better how our trees bear:-- Mr. A., Blackall Range, marketed 7-1/4 cases per tree from a row of twenty-five Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins, planted April, 1900. A return of L1 10s. per tree. Mr. B., from the same district, averaged 7 cases of Washington Navel Oranges per tree from trees six years old, which realised L1 15s. per tree, and 8 cases of Beauty of Glen Retreat Mandarins from trees of the same age. The navels were large, and averaged 5 dozen per case, and the mandarins 10 dozen per case. Mr. C, another district, averaged 6 cases of Valencia Late Oranges, from trees six years planted, and 10 cases per tree from Emperor Mandarins, nine years old. One twelve years old orange-tree in this district produced over 25 cases of fruit. Mr. D., same district as last; Washington Navels averaged 10 cases per tree, ten years planted, and have borne regular crops since three years old.