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