Tung Oil Cultivation

“AS a result of your article on tung oil (‘Cultivation of Tung Trees,’

P.I.M. 19/7/1934), we have had a large number of enquiries from your subscri bers and have made available to planters supplies of tung seed for testing,” writes Mr. L. Macintosh Ellis, consulting forest engineer to Queensland Forests Ltd., which has established a large tung plan tation in North Queensland.

“I believe that in many parts of Oceania the culture of Aleurites Fordii and its brother species Montana will be quite successful. If we had listened to the condemnations and negative head shaking of the various Government offi cers in Queensland there would have been no plantation in that State. But despite discouragements received, my principals had enough faith to proceed with the pro ject, and I am glad to say that it has attained a measure of success. There is nothing to be lost in trying, and if it is successful in only a restricted part of the Southern Pacific Islands, then some ad vance will have been made.”

M4\ Ellis adds that an inaccuracy oc curred in the article mentioned. It was stated, inter alia, that the Queensland

company’s plantation when in full bear ing could produce enough Tung oil to fill the requirements of the Commonwealth and also export a quantity to England.

Mr. Ellis points out that his company alone could not do this, but that there is in Australia a large area of suitable coun try which if planted could produce enough oil to fill Australia’s requirements and ex port a surplus.