d States of
America--great fruit-growing districts--no killing frosts, and now, at
the close of one of the coldest winters on record, and one of the
driest, nowhere have our pineapples--fruit nor plants--been injured,
except on low-lying ground, over in the Southern part of the State, and
mangoes, bananas, &c., are uninjured.

[Illustration: Burning-off for fruit growing, Mapleton, Blackall Range.]

[Illustration: Same land one year later. Fruit-grower's family gathering
strawberries.]

In the more tropical North frosts are unknown on the coast, and there is
no danger to even the most delicate plants from cold.

Running parallel with the coast we have a series of ranges of low
mountains, running from 2,000 feet to nearly 6,000 feet, the general
height being from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, and at the back of these ranges
more or less level tablelands, sloping generally to the west. On and
adjacent to these ranges in the Southern part of the State, there are
fairly sharp frosts in winter, but the days are warm and bright. This is
the district best adapted for the growth of deciduous fruits and vines,
table varieties doing particularly well. It is a district well adapted
for mixed farming and dairying, as well as fruit-growing; the climate
is even and healthy, and is neither severe in summer nor winter. The
average rainfall is some 30 inches, and is usually sufficient, though
there are dry periods, when a judicious watering, as recommended for the
coast districts, would be of great value to fruit and vegetable growers.
The more northern end of this tableland country has a much better
rainfall--some 40 inches per annum--and frosts, though they occur at
times, are not common. Here the climate is very healthy, there are no
extremes of heat and cold, and, lying as it does inland from the most
trying portion of our tropical seaboard, it forms a natural sanatorium
to this part of our State.

Further west the rainfall decreases, the summers are hot--a dry heat, as
distinct from the more humid heat of the coast, and much more bearable.
There are frequent frosts in winter, particularly in the Southern part
of the State. Fruit-growing is only carried on to a slight extent at
present, and then only with the help of water, but when the latter is
obtainable, very good results are obtained. Grapes do well, both wine
and table, and for raisin-making. Citrus fruits are remarkably fine, the
lemons especially, being the best grown in the Sta