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 space 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
quantities 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 classed as semi-tropical--viz., the Japanese 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
competition, and, consequently, meet with a ready sale at fair prices.
The fruit grown in the largest quantity is the apple, so I will deal
with it first.