480 



JOUKNAL OP HOBTICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ December 26, 1S67. 



80° in the shade, and this occasionally rises to 110" or 115° ; 

 but such are quite exceptional days, and I do not think we 

 hsYe more than a dozen in the year when the thermometer 

 rises above 100°. This heat is very dry, and not nearly so 

 trying as the Indian heat at 90°, while the nights are generally 

 very pleasaut and comparatively cool. Our rainfall is very 

 light, 22 inches being, I believe, our annual average. Last year 

 we had about 18 inches only, and the year before that very little 

 over 14 inches. In the hills (I am living on the plains), the 

 climate is more moderate, and in winter ice is often seen. 

 There, too, all the English fruits flourish, and everything that 

 can be grown in England will succeed, as well as many crops 

 besides. 



Here, on the plains, our staple fruits are the Grape, Orange, 

 Lemon, Loquat, Peach, Apricot, Fig, Plum, Pear, Apple, &c., 

 (the latter, however, suffers very severly from the American 

 blight), besides many minor productions, such as Tomatoes, 

 Cape Gooseberries, Blelons of all kinds, and Cucumbers. The 

 Vine appears as if it were a native of this country, so freely does 

 it grow and flourish with the rudest and harshest treatment ; no- 

 thing seems to hurt it, and no insects attack it, at any rate to do 

 it much harm ; and when I say that I cut Grapes this season 

 from the beginning of February to the beginning of June, its 

 utility will be understood. The yield of fruit, too, is enormous, 

 especially on trellises. The colony can boast of a large 

 number of varieties ; but as wine-making is now an important 

 industry here, more attention is of course paid to tVe wine 

 description, and large vineyards havebeen and are being planted. 

 I may add, that the flavour of not only oiu' Grapes, but other 

 fruits, is very fine and luscious. 



Vegetables in the hilly districts do very well, but on the 

 plains they are not so satisfactory. The aphis or cabbage blight 

 which made its appearance about a dozen years ago, seems to 

 be as virulent as ever ; and other crops are so uncertain, that I 

 have given up attempting to grow any in disgust — finding it 

 cheaper and more satisfactory to buy than to grow, though we 

 pay from id. to Gd. each tor Cabbages. 



All the Araucarias and Cypresses thrive here, and I am glad 

 to say are beginning to be planted pretty extensively. One 

 Cupressus Lambertiana, which I planted two years ago when 

 about 9 inches high, is now between 8 and 9 feet ; other de- 

 scriptions which I put in at the same time, though doing very 

 well, have not made nearly the same growth. I find it an ex- 

 cellent plan to plant the Eucalyptus known here as the Bed 

 Gum, freely in the background of the borders. They seem to 

 shelter and assist the other plants greatly, and then in three or 

 four years, after their work is done, they may be taken out. The 

 Blue Gum of Van Diemen's Land, Eucalyptus globulus, answers 

 equally well. Their growth is exceedingly quick, making 10 or 

 12 feet in a couple of years. A study of these various Gums 

 would, I think, be very interesting to the botanist, as the species 

 are very numerous. Many of them, such as the White Gum 

 and the Stringy Bark, appear to possess some noxious qualities 

 which make it impossible to grow anything within their shadow ; 

 but with the Bed and Van Diemen's Land Gums I do not find 

 this at all, neither with the Scarlet-flowering Gum, the flower 

 of which is exceedingly pretty, while the foliage is much more 

 scanty ; each leaf is large and thick, but invariably turns 

 its edge completely upwards instead of lying flat. I have this 

 season raised a (to me) new kind from Western Australia, 

 the flower of which is 3 inches in diameter, while the seed- 

 vessel is 3 inches long by 2 inches square, having the same 

 square character as the Van Diemen's Land Gum ; the foliage is 

 narrow and long. 



■ Flowering shrubs appear t® great advantage here, exhibiting 

 a luxuriance of growth and a capability of flowering not often 

 seen in those descriptions which are usually to be met with 

 under glass at home. Many flower three or four times in the 

 course of the season ; others remain in flower the whole of our 

 long dry ^r.mmer. Of these I would especially point to the 

 Lantanas. Abutilons, Hibiscus, BrugmansiaKnightii.Erjthrina, 

 Euphorbia splendens, and another the name of which I do not 

 know ; and Grevillea Forsteri, of which, as an ornamental flower- 

 ing shrab, I cannot speak too highly. Then we have the Habro- 

 thamnus, lochroma. Oestrum, Pittosporum, Magnolia, Ligus- 

 trum, Melaleuca, Metrosideros, and a host of others too numerous 

 to mention ; indeed our list is a very long one, and I am glad to 

 say increasing every year to no small extent. Those plants that 

 succeed so well I am only too happy to have, but still my 

 greatest interest lies in those which are supposed to be unfit for 

 our climate, such as Camellias, Azaleas, Poinsettia, and many 

 others, and I feel little doubt that if they could be induced to ' 



live for a couple of years they would succeed. Indeed, I know 

 one Camellia in as hot and trying a place as could be found, 

 which is 7 feet high, and is one mass of flowers in the flowering 

 season, and if one can be brought to succeed, I do not see 

 why others should not. 



Deciduous trees and shrubs are in little favour here, which is 

 perhaps quite natural, as they are not, as a rule, well adapted 

 to our climate, and all our indigenous plants are evergreen ; 

 besides which, we really have no winter worth calling one, as 

 may be understood when I say the Almond trees, which have 

 been planted very largely, are only out of \eil a few weeks. 



I feel that I have spun out my remarks to a rather uncon- 

 scionable length, and will therefore draw to a close. Should 

 they, however, be deemed sufficiently interesting, I shall be 

 happy at a future time to touch upon our capabilities in the 

 way of climbers, bulbs, and bedding plants. In the latter, 

 from our excess of insect life, I feel sure we shall some day 

 come out strong as hybridiaers and raisers of new varieties. — 

 South Australian. 



DEEP-PLANTING ROSES. 



Allow me to inform Mr. Badcljile of a case that came under 

 my own observation. About six years ago I was moving a 

 number of Eoses from one garden to another, in the course of 

 which I came upon several Briar Eoses, some being Hybrid 

 Perpetuals, the others Summer Eoses. They were apparently 

 about -4 feet high, and were planted against a low wall, so that 

 the heads just stood above the top of it ; but to my surprise, 

 when I came to take them up I found them buried about 2 feet 

 in the ground, they having been originally planted on a much 

 lower level, and the ground afterwards raised, as in " P.'s " 

 case, without lifting the Eoses. I can assure Mr. Eadclyffe 

 that in this case there was not the slightest attempt made at 

 forming roots up the stem, and with one exception they were 

 all in perfect health. 



The soil in which they were growing was a rather strong, 

 dark, deep loam. 



They were taken and planted in a light gravelly soil in the 

 usual way ; but as I left the place shortly afterwards, I cannot 

 say whether they were benefited or otherwise by the change. — 

 W. Bill. 



WINNIGSTADT CABBAGE. 



The above Cabbage, I think, is not grown or known among, 

 gardeners so much as it deserves to be. I never saw it any- 

 where previous to growing it this season. 



I received a packet of seed, with others, through my employer, 

 from the Eoyal Horticultural Society. I planted two rows on 

 June 23rd, along with Savoys and other Cabbageworts, and find 

 it the hardiest and most useful autumn and winter Cabbage I 

 have ever grown. It seems likely to stand frost and damp, 

 which are most destructive here on account of the low situation 

 of the gardens, and I find it diflicult to save Brussels Sprouts 

 and Savoys in severe winters. 



This Cabbage has a peculiar pointed shape towards the top, 

 grows vei-y close and heavy, and does not become reduced like 

 other kinds in boiling. Tlie flavour is everything that could 

 be desired. I should be glad to know where seed can be pur- 

 chased. — E. Welsh, Palace Gardens, Armagh. 



SHRUBS UNTOUCHED BY RABBITS. 



Not being without experience in planting for cover, I venture 

 to reply to " H. B.'s " inquiry, that I believe there is nothing 

 absolutely safe from rabbits but Ehododendron ponticum. I 

 find, however, that good bushy plants of Tew are so far safe, 

 that the rabbits seem satisfied with the terminal shoots and 

 do not touch the bark ; and if the leading shoot is out of their 

 reach, the Yew will in time obtain the mastery, and will spread 

 and cover the ground. 



Black Thorn makes excellent cover, and I have a clump of it 

 thickly tenanted by rabbits, but in it I have never noticed the 

 marks of their teeth, even at times when the Quickset hedges 

 have been nearly destroyed. It is, however, to be remarked, 

 that established shrubs are less subject to the depredations of 

 game than those newly planted. I mention the fact without 

 being able to account for it ; but " H. B." will find in the case 

 of many shrubs, that if he can only protect them the first year 

 they will scarcely require it afterwards. 



