6o2 



Journal of Agriculture . Victoria. [ii Sept., 1911. 



the trellises are over 5 ft. high. Last season, a v'^i.ng grower planted 

 16 ft. X 16 ft., but this method is regarded by t'le more experienced, 

 growers as a waste of ground. 



The Trellis. 



After giving due consideration to the various methods of planting out,. 

 I would recommend 12 ft. x 18 ft., i.e. u ft. between the rows or trellises- 

 and 18 ft. between the plants in the rows. The accompanying rough 

 sketch will serve to illustrate the kind of trellis which is recommended to- 

 be used in conjunction witli this method of planting. No attempt has been 

 made to draw to scale, nor to draw the plants beyond giving a rough idea 

 of the positions taken up by the leaders. 



The trellis illustrated is 6 ft. high with 6 in. x 6 in. posts 18 ft. apart. 

 The end posts are 8 in. x 8 in. The post marked i is an extra one and is- 

 8 ft. from the end post. It supports the stay (2). The crosspiece (3) is 

 nailed to it and the end post. When erecting the latter, some growers put 

 it in at an angle, as at 4, but this is unnecessary if the trellis be properly 

 erected. In this trellis 5 galvanized Xo. 10 gauge wires are shown. A 

 few grow-ers use 4 wires of No. 8 gauge. Although this makes a good trellis- 

 I prefer that illustrated. 



c a e 



TRELLIS FOR PASSION FRUIT PLANTS. 



Occasionally, growers plant the young vines one or two years before 

 erecting the trellis and allow them to lie on the ground all that time as 

 at {a). This method is to be deprecated, as too many light and useless- 

 leaders are produced and they must be afterwards cut away when the- 

 plant is being put on the wires. 



But if the young plant one year old {b) is .sown at the end of Septem- 

 ber, when the frosts are over, a fair growth is produced by the following 

 February {c). The plant may then be put up. The natural habit of the- 

 passion is for its leaders to take hold with their tendrils and climb ; by 

 placing them on the wires, Nature is assisted. A plant tw^o or three years 

 old is show-n at {d). Its leaders are few, but are healthy and strong as- 

 compared wdth {a) and its great number of weak leaders on the ground. 



Prior to putting the plants on the wires, saplings about f in. in dia- 

 meter at the butts should be w^oven about 18 in. apart, one against the- 

 other, into the wires, on the principle of wicker W'Ork (b). The butt ends 

 should be kept uppermost ; if put in butt downwards, the vibration of the 

 wires would cause them to drop. The saplings make the trellis firm and 

 afford the plants a support on which to climb from wire to ware. 



Cultivation and Manuring. 



The soil around the young plants, after planting out, should be kept 

 well worked, so as to destroy weeds and conserve moisture. They should 

 be copiously watered as often as required during dry weather. 



A little .stable manure should be dug in around the young plants; and, 

 providing the soil be kept well worked, an occasional .sprinkling of bone- 

 dust or bonedust and suprr])hosphate will be all that is necessary to main- 

 tain vigorous growth. 



