A COCOANUT GROVE.

Kumara Times, Issue 1684, 21 February 1882, Page 2

A COCOANUT GROVE.

Tire special reporter of the Queenslander, who has been giving a series of interesting reports on t he sugar-growing capabilities of the north east coast, has one descriptive article which shows other remunerative products can he grown in that district besides sugar. This paper describes his visit to the cocoauut grove of Mr Barnes, near Mackav, which he says “ is one of the grandest sights in all Austialia.” Mr Barnes, it appears, has 1200 of these graceful trees, with their long, feathery 7, frond-like leaves, growing 011 ten acres of ground, and as the leaves of one tree touch those of its near neighbor, “ the whole forms a shady grove of elegant beauty unparalleled in its effect anywhere on the surface of this wide continent.” The oldest trees reach a height of twenty feet. The quality of the nut improves wiih the age • f the tree, and as those at Mackay are not yet at their bes r , Mr Barnes contents himself for Urn present with securing the local market, and has not yet looked about for export. The grove is said to thrive remarkably well, so that the cocoanut may be added to the long list of important vegetable products to which Australia-, in some part of its vast extent, has been proved to be suited.