88 AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE. 



tubers, and also from seed, not unlike small rough potatoes 

 that grow freely on the vines above ground. All the 

 varieties are climbers ; some have beautifully coloured and 

 spiral vines. Plant as soon as the soil heat reaches 60deg. 

 in September or October, in rows about three feet apart 

 each way. Cover the plants with soil, and place a stake 

 from four to six feet high with each. The plants are 

 hardy, shoots appear above ground in 12 to 30 days, and 

 immediately twist around the stakes. The crop is ripe 

 when the vines die back. Yams generally grow deep in 

 the soil. To dig them out two-pronged forks are used. 

 To facilitate the digging attempts have been made to grow 

 yams upon ridges, but the heavy yields are got from flab 

 planting. 



Other Root Crops. Beets and mangolds, or mangel- 

 wurzel, of various sorts, answer well for cropping in the 

 colder districts. They must have the very richest soil, or 

 manure'equal to 30 loads or more per acre. Sow in September, 

 4 to 6 Ibs. of seed per acre. Turnips and field carrots also 

 do well, swedes especially ; great crops of them are grown 

 as rotation in the Hunter River district. Sow in September. 

 February, March about 31b. of seed per acre. Other 

 turnips are grown as garden crops. Beets, for sugar, 

 answer in the colder districts. Cultivation much the same 

 as mangolds and swedes. 



IX. SEMI-TROPICAL CROPS. 



Maize. Indian corn is the leading of all semi-tropical 

 products ; but in Australia this crop is so general over the 

 the country, that here the making of maize crops is ranked 

 with grains. 



SUGAR CANE. In the wanner coastal districts the 

 extent of country suitable for sugar cane, in so far as the 

 climate is concerned, is enormous. It extends from Sydney 

 northwards, along the coast of Queensland, Gulf of 

 Carpentaria, the Northern Territory of South Australia, 

 and probably the north-western coast will also be found 



