GARDEN AND ORCHABD. 271 



grows in all parts of Australia, even in the colder districts 

 where frost holds the land in its firm embrace during 

 several months of each year ; and in the drier interior, 

 where the rainfall is uncertain, and too limited for the 

 production of other fruit, if we except the fig and 

 the almond, which both delight in dry country, when they 

 get an occasional soaking. The grape, some of its many 

 varieties at any rate, does better than other fruits in dry 

 country, without the soaking. It is a deep-rooting plant in 

 every case, and is at its best when the roots have oppor- 

 tunity to get away down into the fissures of rocks or 

 amongst boulders where they gather in the mineral food 

 of plants from which the richest flavoring of the grape is 

 evolved. That is the character and the habits of the grape- 

 vine in other lands, and the family show much the same 

 charac teristics here. All of them require five months of 

 real hot weather to develop their fruit to its rich maturity, 

 and three or four months of milder spring or autumn. 

 Where freezing frosts occur, vines require winter shelter. 

 It is under such conditions that the great vine at Hampton 

 Court grows so vigorously. 



Soil for Grapes. Possibly the greatest mistakes have 

 arisen from planting in soil that is too poor in plant food. 

 Volcanic and carboniferous country answers best. Not 

 one of the family like rich, rank, or flat land ; but all 

 require lime, potash, and the material for making 

 flavourings. 



Varieties. Next to soil and climate, come the sorts of 

 grapes suitable for different locations. Immense expe- 

 rience has been gained on this point. In almost every part 

 of the country sorts have been proven, which answer better 

 than any others, so far as known. Thus, in the districts 

 where the rainfall averages between 15 and 25 inches, the 

 finer flavoured grapes, the muscatels and muscats, do 

 excellently well. In coastal and warmer country the 

 more robust growers find what they require. In the 

 tropical parts, American sorts of the Isabella type, come 

 to absolute maturity. In some locations the acid secretions, 

 so prominent in this family of grapes in less favourable 

 quarters, are checked at the sugar stage, and the fruit 



