522 



irrigation induces an excessive flow of sap, wliicb is sure to be arrested 

 by tlie low temperature of the cold nigbts. Tbis produces an abnormal 

 condition favorable for the growtb of the spider, for which uo remedy 

 has been discovered. The only way of resisting the spread of this pest 

 is to destroy the infested plants. 



Irrigation must be commenced before the natural moisture of the soil 

 is exhausted; it is equally important to cut off the water at the right 

 time, though occasionally, when pickers are scarce, it is let on again to 

 keep the unripe plants green a little longer. Early irrigation is the 

 most favorable to plant-growth. Poling is still in common use. 

 Abundant manuring has been found necessary even on the richest soils. 

 The picking season lasts five or six weeks. Pickers receive l^d. per 

 bushel, good hands averaging about 15 bushels per day. The poor 

 people from the towns thus find good emijloyment, enabling them to 

 tide over the winter in tolerable comfort. The sparseness of popula- 

 tion, however, will probably prevent any great enlargement of hop- 

 growing by necessitating a short supply of labor. Hops must be picked 

 immediately after ripening, and any considerable delay is attended by 

 deterioration of the crop. Hops are kiln-dried with either charcoal or 

 anthracite, and require about twenty-four hours for this operation. 

 Careful arrangements are made to keep the picking, drying, and press- 

 ing going forward without interruption. 



Late Australian statistics. — The returns tor the year lS74-'75, 

 show that South Australia still maintains its pre-eminence as a cereal- 

 producing colony. In Victoria, wheat-culture has fallen off, which 

 seems strange, in view of the fact that the country has been filling up 

 more rapidly than ever before with population. The actually occupied 

 area has reached 12,264,566 acres, or about half the area of Ohio. 

 During 1874, 771,021 acres passed into private lands, nearly all of which 

 is inclosed. The land under tillage increased 46,803 acres, making a 

 total of 1,011,799 acres. The wheat-acreage declined 17,041; oats in- 

 creased 3,930 acres, and barley 4,172 acres, yet the total grain-surface 

 was but 496,141 acres, against 503,210 in 1873. Green and root crops, 

 on a smaller acreage, yielded larger crops, especially potatoes, which, 

 from an area 3,170 acres less than in 1873, produced 124,299 tons, or 

 14,477 tons more than the i^revious crop. The hay-crop of 157,336 tons 

 covered 113,120 acres, or 3,448 acres more than the previous year. The 

 average crop — 1.03 tons per acre — was the same as in 1872 and 1873. 

 The fallow land increased from 66,989 to 77,912 acres. Artificial grasses 

 are increasing; rye-grass, lucerne, clover, and vetches, for fodder, de- 

 clined 5,339 acres, but the loss is more than compensated by the 

 increased culture of other perennial grasses, of which 46,374 acres were 

 sown last year, making the total acreage in Victoria 254,278 acres. The 

 acreage in tobacco has been enlarged to 733, and the crop, 6,839 hun- 

 dredweight, is 3,145 hundredweight greater than last year. The vine- 

 yards report 8,545,364 vines, a decrease of 1,039,984, but it is believed 

 that this decrease is mostly in worthless vines, adding but little to the 

 productive value of the vine-area. The grape-yield has increased, 

 90,980 hundredweight beingmade into wine and brandy, or 5,709 hun- 

 dredweight more than the previous year. The total vintage amounted 

 to 599,093 gallons, an increase of 36,380. 



Australian journals complain that Victoria does not produce enough 

 breadstufls for her own consumption. From the amount of land annu- 

 ally taken up, ostensibly for cultivation, it is argued that not only should 

 . the home demand be met, but also that a surplus for export should be 



