Where to Plant 27 



Peaches and oranges, which naturally prefer a 

 loose loamy soil, will, however, also do well on the 

 best river flat land, provided that the under-drainage 

 is perfect, and that no irrigation water stagnates 

 around the roots. 



On the whole the good lands of the river flats are 

 a safe proposition for most varieties of fruits, al- 

 though their initial growth is not so rapid as it is on 

 the higher lands. 



River Flat Hardpan. Running through great 

 portions of the better class of river flat lands are 

 patches of hardpan, or claypan,, originally without 

 vegetation, and on which it is only with the greatest 

 difficulty anything is induced to grow. With much 

 cultivation and heavy dressings of gypsum, pears 

 and vines may be made to grow on this land, but 

 can hardly be said to thrive. 



Pine and Needlebush Rises. Of all the Murray 

 uplands these usually contain the deepest soil. The 

 first two feet to four feet consist of a red, sandy 

 loam, and below this is generally a loose, greyish- 

 brown, calcareous marl. Where such soil exists on 

 even, sloping ground, ensuring good drainage, it 

 may be considered as first-class orange land. The 

 orange thrives best in a fairly rich and loose soil, 

 and the conditions favourable to its growth on the 

 deeper class of soils of the Murray uplands may be 

 said to be practically ideal. 



The peach, which of all the fruits grown along 

 the Murray appears to be the most delicate, with- 

 standing less salt and moisture than any other class 

 of fruit, seems to do better on this soil than it does 

 on any other class of land of the uplands. 



Almonds, apricots, and all classes of vines grow 

 luxuriantly on this type of land, and come into bear- 

 ing earlier than when planted on the river flats. The 



