ROTATION, OE CHANGE OP CROPS. 123 



amount of that order of plants in these colonies, 

 fibre-bearing; they do not impoverish the soil to any 

 great extent. For a rotation on light lands, maize or 

 barley may be sown the first year, cotton the second, 

 grass the third and fourth years. The two-year old 

 grass ploughed up and sown with maize or other corn 

 crop, or planted with potatoes or other roots, would be a 

 rotation. 



OIL CROPS The Pea and Ground Nut. This valuable 

 edible and oil-yielder grows luxuriantly in Northern 

 Australia. It is a lowly soft plant, not unlike well-grown 

 clover. The fruit is found just under the surface of the 

 soil all round the stem. The pea-nut likes a free, rich 

 sandy loam, without stones, and from its nature it is 

 absolutely necessary that the soil be kept quite free from 

 weeds. The fruit is in thin-shelled vessels, each containing 

 two seeds, of greyish white color, about the size of 

 almonds, and of rich nutty flavor. This seed is planted 

 either singly or in pairs as dug, and as soon as the soil 

 is sufficiently warm for semi-tropical vegetation, say in 

 September or October in the cooler, and two months 

 earlier in warmer localities. Prepare the land as for 

 corn ; harrow very fine ; run out shallow furrows from 

 three to four feet apart. Drop in the seed about ten 

 inches apart, and cover. Harrow or rake the surface soil 

 three or four days after planting ; in eight or ten days the 

 plants commence to break through. They come in strong 

 shoots not unlike common potatoes, and rapidly develope 

 clover-like leaves which shade the ground. Cultivate as 

 clean as possible. Flowers come out at the ends of the 

 shoots, and as they fall the shoots bend down and send out 

 stout feelers, or roots, that enter the ground. The fruit is 

 borne in bunches on these feelers, and all round the stem. 

 As the nuts ripen the leaves decay. In all, the crop 

 occupies the ground from eight to ten months. The nuts 

 must be gathered during dry weather, otherwise the color 

 is injured not a matter of much moment when it is 

 grown for oil, or for feeding stock ; but this is a crop that 

 ought to find favor for domestic use, and to that end 

 should be gathered as clean as possible. 



