My New Zealand Garden 65 



soon bear, although those grown from pips take 

 longer than those which are grafted. 



Our sweet cookery was very successful on the 

 whole, and if I found myself in a tight corner for 

 variety, fruit salads were ready to fill the gap. 

 These are a great institution here ; every sort of 

 fruit goes into them the more sorts the better 

 and it is forthcoming all the year round, with the 

 help of Oranges, Bananas, and Pine-apples from the 

 shops. The fruit of the Japanese Persimmon has 

 little to recommend it, for it is difficult to detect 

 any flavour beyond a mealy ripeness. The tree, 

 however, is an imposing sight, for its large yellow 

 fruits hang on almost into mid-winter after the 

 leaves have gone. Water-melons are very 

 common, and most refreshing on hot days, 

 tepidly reminding one of snow melting in one's 

 mouth, with rather more flavour, which sugar 

 greatly enhances. Vegetables are plentiful and 

 easy to cook, and ripe Pumpkin in winter makes 

 an excellent stopgap, especially when baked with 

 the meat. Tomatoes make a standing dish ; they 

 ripen splendidly out of doors and last into late 

 autumn, so they have always furnished us with 

 sauce ad libitum all through the winter. With a 

 little extra work we could have Green Peas in the 

 winter, but only bon-vivants would care to go to 

 that trouble, I fancy ; for we can enjoy fresh 

 vegetables for so many months that one would 



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