Category: Queensland State Archives’ Photostream About Fortitude Valley

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Paw-Paw Culture.
(From Queensland “Agricultural Journal.”)

Notwithstanding that the pawpaw will almost grow and thrive in sand, it, like other plants, likes good soil. The position chosen for planting should be sheltered from cold, westerly winds, as the tree is apt to be seriously injured by frost and cold winds. The seed should be sown in September in rich soil in a sheltered spot. When the seedlings have attained a height of from 6in. to 9in. they may be removed to their permanent positions. It is better to plant close – say, 6ft. apart – which will allow for thinning out, a the first flowering of the trees (which will occur in ten or twelve months after planting out), of those bearing the long-panicled flowers, which are mostly male, the female flowers, if any, on them bearing poor fruit. Each young seedling should be shaded with a

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History tells us some very interesting facts about mangoes. Fossil evidence shows us where and how long ago the first mango was found and where it was first cultivated, while historical reports tell the story of how it spread to other parts of the world.

Where was the first mango found?

The history of mango began thousands of years ago on the Indian subcontinent where, according to legend, the Buddha was presented with a mango grove so he could rest in the shade. Legend aside, fossil evidence indicates that the mango made its first appearance 25 to 30 million years ago in northeast India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. In these areas mangoes have been grown for more than 4000 years and it was probably here, on the Indian subcontinent, that mangoes were first cultivated for domestic use.

How did mango spread to other countries?

According to historical reports, mango plants

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Often called pandanus palms, these plants are not closely related to palm trees. The species vary in size from small shrubs less than 1 m tall, to medium-sized trees 20 m tall, typically with a broad canopy, heavy fruit, and moderate growth rate. The trunk is stout, wide-branching, and ringed with many leaf scars. Mature plants can have branches. Depending on the species, the trunk can be smooth, rough, or warty. The roots form a pyramidal tract to hold the trunk. They commonly have many thick prop roots near the base, which provide support as the tree grows top-heavy with leaves, fruit, and branches. These roots are adventitious and often branched. The top of the plant has one or more crowns of strap-shaped leaves that may be spiny, varying between species from 30 cm to 2 m or longer, and from 1.5 cm up to

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Poplar

Large, stately trees which are widely used for street and avenue plantings, parks and garens, large properties, shelter belt planting and along driveways. Poplars are probably best known by the stately Lombary Poplar, widely planted in temperate Australia, however several styles of poplar are available including some newer introductions with improved form and functionality. Poplars are excellent for use in soil conservation areas for erosion control, are tolerant of air pollution and coastal areas and can be used in exposed sites.

Wild Sarsaparilla

Aralia nudicaulis is a 1-2 foot tall shrub common to the forest understories of southern New England. It produces tiny white flowers in spherical clusters beneath the compound leaves, which ripen into blue-black berries in mid-summer. The rhisome of wild sarsaparilla has a sweet, aromatic taste, and sometimes has substituted for sassafras in the making of home-made root beer.

Description source: Fleming’s Nurseries, Go Botany

Image

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The Apple

The wild apple or crab apple belongs to northern and central Europe, and from it have been derived the numerous varieties cultivated in many parts of the world. The apple is mentioned by the ancient Greek writers and in Pliny’s time was cultivated in abundance in the villages about Rome. The name pippin was so called on account of the plant having been raised from the “pips” or seeds and was taken to England from France during the reign of Henry the Eighth.
In Shakespeare’s time apples were esteemed as instanced in Justice Shallow’s invitation to Falstaff, “You shall see mine orchard where in an arbour we shall eat a last year’s pippin of my own graffing (grafting).” Again in the Merry Wives of Windsor, Sir Hugh Evans says, “I will make an end of my dinner – there’s pippins and cheese to come.”
Costard-monger (now

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Giant Trees In Australian Forests.

Australia lays claim to growing the tallest trees in the world, whilst Californian trees are noted not so much for height as for their girth and diameter. The tallest Californian forest giant discovered was found by actual measurement to be 340ft. high. But Australia’s record gum tree beats this by 140ft. Baron Mueller, who was formerly Government Botanist in Victoria said that the Australian gum trees attained a height of 500ft., but the tallest that the Baron every measured was a prostrate one on the Black Spur, ten miles from Healesville, which was 480ft. high. This tree was 81ft. in girth near its root. in 1889 Mr. G. W. Robinson, a civil engineer, of Berwick, in journeying from Gippsland to Mount Bore, measured a tree 471ft. in height, though the same tree had previously been estimated at not less than 500ft.
Remarkable

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Rich in vitamins A, C and E and a great source of dietary fibre and potassium, Australian peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots are some of the world’s best eating fruit thanks to Australia’s leading horticultural practices.

Australia’s warm climate and hot, dry summers promote sweeter, juicier summer stonefruit, and its proximity to Asia enables lower freight costs and better access to fresh markets in the region.

Plums are far more diverse than their stonefruit relatives coming in a wider range of shapes, sizes, skin colours and tastes which vary from extremely sweet to quite tart. As a result of the wide range of colours it is quite difficult to know exactly which fruit to select. Some cultivars will become dull and soft as they ripen and lose their acid flavour. other varieties will remain firm as they ripen and will be very high in sugar straight from

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The grapefruit is a member of the citrus family and comes in many varieties determined mostly by colour.

The bulk of Australia’s grapefruit supply comes from the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Queensland and NSW and Victoria along the Murray Valley also produce and supply grapefruit in Australia. Grapefruit is available almost all year round, with the exception of January.

The varieties most common in Australia are the Marsh, the Thompson, the Wheeney and the Texan Pink. The Marsh, Thompson and Wheeney have predominantly yellow fruits. The Marsh has fewer seeds. The Texan Pink features the pink coloured fruit.

The grapefruit originated in Barbados and were originally named the ‘Forbidden Fruit’. It is believed the grapefruit is a hybrid of the pomelo fruit and the orange.

When buying grapefruit avoid fruit that have soft spots, especially near the stem. It is also good to avoid wrinkly skins but don’t

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Stanthorpe Orchards.

The season of mellow fruitfulness is in full swing at Stanthorpe, and the orchards are well worth a visit (writes a correpsondent). It is not many years since this district was condemned by agriculturists for its sterility, yet now the landscape is diversified by orchards in all stages of development.
The transformation has been almost magical in its rapidity. The early apples and peaches are now ready, and are being despatched daily in large quantities to the markets. One morning last week six and a half tons of fruit were sent from Ballandean siding to Brisbane, one orchardist accounting for more than 300 cases.
It is gratifying to know that the crop is unusually prolific, and that there is an entire absence of the fruit fly. A stroll through an orchard at this season cannot fail to be absorbing – to the palate. If

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In the Fruit Pavilion: Montville.

A recess containing a fine display of other fruits is surrounded by cases of pines, bananas, papaws, citrus and custard apples to form the main part of the district display forwarded by the Montville Fruitgrowers Association. As is natural for a district which has for many years gained the citrus shield at the State exhibition, a fine collection of citrus fruits comprising thirty-one varieties is presented to the public. The quality of frui is not quite as fine as previously, but the organisers say that the reason for this is the fact that the old orchards which have given such wonderful products in the past are now practically finished, and it was to the young orchards that the society had to look for the display. Nevertheless the 28 cases, half of which are mandarins, are a pleasing sight. A nice trophy

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