^64 Journal of Agticulture, Victoria. [10 Nov., 191 1. 



protected during the hottest portion of the day. At the same time, the 

 shading is not sufficient to unduly " draw " them. 



The seeds should not be deeply sown, and all waterings should be 

 light. A little water and often should be the rule for seedlings. 

 Annuals should be given plenty of room when planted out in the garden. 

 Being quick growers, they are generally gross feeders, and they must 

 have room to develop a good root system. Feeding, too, with liquid 

 manure is helpful when they are reaching the flowering stage. 



Dahlias should now be planted out, either from tubers or from young- 

 rooted cuttings. These will give good summer blooms. For autumn 

 and show blooms, the planting should be deferred until the middle of 

 December. 



Herbaceous and succulent plants should be staked for their protec- 

 tion ; included in this section are delphinium, gladioli, perennial phlox, 

 rudbeckia, &c. These plants will all benefit from liberal mulchings and 

 watering with liquid manure when approaching the blooming period. 



Spring flowering bulbs, corms, and tubers should now be all lifted and 

 stored. 



The soil surfaces will now benefit from frequent hoeings and stirrings. 

 Constant waterings will be required if the weather be hot or windy ; the 

 cultivation should quickly follow the waterings in order that the moisture 

 may be thoroughly conserved. Mulching with stable manure is also bene- 

 ficial at this season. 



GREEK CURRANTS. 



F. de Castella, Government Viticidturist. 



The vineyards planted with the Zante currant in the Commonwealth, 

 especially in the States of Victoria and South Australia, are steadily in- 

 creasing in extent, with the result that the annual yield of currants is 

 gradually overtaking the demand ; in fact, but for the heavy rains of last 

 autumn, which were responsible for much loss, our last currant crop would 

 have sufficed for Australian requirements. Large areas, already planted, 

 are not yet in bearing, and nothing seems more certain than production in 

 excess of Commonwealth requirements within a very near future. 



The problem of how best to deal with the surplus is one which will 

 shortly have to be faced. Exportation naturally suggests kself, but in 

 this direction the outlook is far from satisfactory. There is no hope of 

 obtaining, on the markets of the world, more than a fraction of the prices 

 now ruling locally. Greece, the country which has so far supplied the 

 world, has not only found it necessary to prohibit further plantation, but 

 has adopted the even more drastic expedient of compensated eradication 

 in order to curtail production. All this is in striking contrast to our in- 

 creasing areas, and it is well that intending planters should be in a position 

 to know what they can reasonably expect from exportation. 



The Public Ledger (London) of 25th August, 1911, reproduces an 

 article from Messrs. Burlumi's Annual Report, in which the actual state 

 of the currant market is dealt with at considerable length. Greek currants 

 are, naturally, the only ones dealt with, the entire currant supply coming 

 from that country ; no other part of the world appears as yet to produce 

 currants, except Australia, which still consumes rather more than she pro- 

 duces. From the article the following notes are extracted. 



