Queensland Macadamia Nuts are Big

IT COULD HAPPEN IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, TOO:-

Queensland Macadamia Nuts are Big Business in Hawaii

a report that Macadamia Nuts, which are native to Queensland, were i- being grown extensively in some of the Hawaiian Islands for the American market, we sought to learn why they were not grown for the market in Australia. It has been a tussle of some months to find out anything at all about these nuts, for these, along with many other natural foods of Australia, are almost without honour in their own country.

It is obvious from the information which follows, and which we have been able to piece together from various sources, that Macadamia trees would be suitable for planting in many areas of the Pacific islands, both on the coast and in the uplands.

In Hawaii, some interests are cultivating them on a large scale; and although residents of the South Pacific islands may not feel inclined to do that, they could —probably with considerable profit—consider them as a side-line.

THE Australian nut, or more cor rectly, Macadavnia terni folia, is another neglected native and has obvious commercial pos sibilities that have never been fully explored.

Edible and highly nutritious, the nut is said to have the best flavour of any in the world; it is also the richest in oil, yielding more than 70 per cent, of oil which is equal in quality to the best olive oil.

Yet this rich, native prize is prac tically unknown in the greater part of Australia although it flourishes in the coastal areas of northern NSW and Queensland and is well known there for the symmetry of its self-sown trees and the richness of the fruit which regularly litters the ground. There have been only

half-hearted attempts to grow the nut commercially.

Sometimes, Australians buy a bag of mixed nuts, mostly at Christmas time, with a few macadamias thrown in. These they relish, with out having any idea what they are or where they come from.

In recent years there has been a partial awakening to the commer cial possibilities of macadamia in the Australian sub-tropical belt, and planting has been steadily ex tended; but commercial growing is still so limited that reliable culti vation data is lamentably small.

It is an unpleasant commentary on Australian disinterest that much more progress has been made in

Hawaii where, according to reports, the macadamia nut industry has grown rapidly and is now worth four or five million dollars an nually.

No less than 1,000 acres have been planted there, and the first 70 acres will bear this year. The nuts are expected to meet with a ready mar ket in America.

The successful cultivation in Hawaii indicates that the nut could be grown, at least as an alternative crop, in some South Pacific areas.

There is every possibility that the demand for the nuts in America and Australia, and perhaps else where, will have increased by the time new plantings begin to bear — from four to seven years after

planting. Before the war there were one or two experimental at tempts to grow the trees near Rabaul, in New Britain, but with out success. It is thought that the varieties planted were unsuitable for the area, but the tree’s charac teristics vary so greatly that suitable types should be available for in tested growers in the Territory.

A healthy, grafted Macadamia nut tree growing on Maui, Hawaiian Islands.

Australian Cultivation

A LEAFLET, “The Australian Nut —An Industry Awaiting De velopment,” was written by the Special Fruit Officer of the NSW Department of Agriculture (Mr. H.

W. Eastwood, HD A) in 1948. It sets out what was known, at the time, of the cultivation of maca damia in Australia and is still available from the Department.

Mr. Eastwood pointed out that the nut was not on the market to any great extent, but that there was said to be an unlimited de mand for it. Nevertheless, he warned that any exaggeration of the yields or profits might result in the disappointment of growers later on. Most of the information available had been obtained by ob servation of single trees growing under natural conditions or from a small number of trees that had “been semi-cultivated.

Points from Mr. Eastwood’s leaf let are:— • Macadamia provides a good opportunity for establishing per manent orchards, an advantage over the short-lived fruits. • It thrives best in the semi tropics, and being a rain-forest tree requires considerable moisture and good rains in spring and early sum mer. Other desirable conditions are shelter from prevailing winds, and a deep, friable loam. • Pending successful vegetative propagation, seed selection is the best means of securing desirable characteristics. Nuts, foliage and growing habits vary greatly.

Vigorous and thrifty growth, regu lar and heavy bearing, well-filled and uniformly shaped nuts, free dom from disease and earliness of -commercial bearing are the things to aim at. • Propagation from seed is not difficult and good germination is Obtained. Great care is needed in transplanting. The tree responds to cultivation and attention. • Inter-planting with bananas is successful. Cultivation given bana nas suits the nuts, which thus be come established during the profitable life of the bananas and develop into a permanent grove. • The flowers are produced in racemes up to 12 inches long in spring and the main harvesting months for the nuts in the Aus tralian sub-tropics are March and April. The variety integrifolia carries blossoms and nuts prac tically all the year. It has two more or less distinct crops with in termediate ones depending on the season. • If well-grown, the trees come into bearing in from four to seven years, the early crops being light.

Nuts are first produced in quantity at about eight years. Crops from .50 to 70 pounds have been recorded from aged trees. In 1932, 26 trees, 45 years old, 28 to 30 feet apart, yielded 1,625 lbs of nuts. • The nut has an extremely hard

n? 6 nii- tv,o yie i d n a P P er < cs nt ; 2 R nor hel l lX ¥** al ?out ahniß 14 ° f n £i 1; a f nd t h ! hull about 14 per cent, of substances suitable for tanning.

Success In Hawaii

AMERICAN Big Business is backing the production of the nuts in Hawaii, indicating that the demand in the States is expected to increase. America’s 150 million or so people can always be depended upon to provide a market of some kind for any new fad. But there is nothing faddish about macadamia.

It is a nut with a delightful flavour, and one that comes in a bigger size than other nuts. The Gl’s who were lucky enough to sample them in Australia during

the war liked them very much; and there is no reason why they should not become one of the most popular varieties of edible nut .

It is typical of American purpose fulness that already a great deal I ?_ ore see ms to be known about ternifolia in Hawaii ? ** natlve .north-eastern The Hawaiian groves are certaird y the biggest in the world, The big sugar firm of Castle & Cooke purchased 1,000 acres of land on Hawaii Island in 1948 and 650 acres have since been planted with 46,000 trees. The first 70 acres will come into bearing this year and should yield about 12,000 lbs of nuts, with peak production of about 5 million pounds by 1970. The firm

will spend an estimated 11 million dollars on the plantation.

Following four years of experi mentation on the processing of the edible nuts, the firm will set up an experimental plant on the plan tation. Nuts will be harvested from the ground by a suction harvester operating like a vacuum cleaner.

LATEST development is that the Hawaiian Pineapple Co. will fol low the lead by planting 108 acres this year. Old-established plantation firms are also said to be taking up large areas for the nuts.

According to the Hawaiian Agri cultural Department, growers con sidering extensive plantings should have their soil tested thoroughly to a depth of three feet. A red soil high in manganese content is un suitable. Reasonably fertile loam with a moderately high organic matter content and good under drainage is best. Analysis should give a pH range of 4.5 to 6.5 for climates similar to that of Hawaii (such as in the Cook Islands and Tonga).

As with citrus, hollows, sheltered slopes and valleys are the best sites for the nut orchards. The tree has a fairly wide toleration to elevation variations. It thrives at 2,500 feet.

Rainfall of 50 to 150 inches is in order, but it is best when distributed throughout the year.

Other reports are that the Jap anese had a promising macadamia industry developing in the Caro

line “wet” islands before the war, and that a few of the trees are growing near Keri Keri, in the far north of New Zealand.

A New Zealand Department of Agriculture ■ officer said he knew nothing of the likely market for macadamia in NZ, but he believed that there should be one. The nut was excellent for dessert and con fectionery, and good to eat fresh or roasted.