ORANGES AND LEMONS IN AUSTRALASIA. 



467 



Mr. McKay says of this soil : 



It is richer in organic matter than No. 1. The formation is the same. It needs 

 liine, or marked falling off in crops must follow as the land is worked. 



Mr. S. W. Pyc, to whom I sent a series of interrogatories in regard 

 to the soil in the orange districts is of opinion, that a rather poor, loamy, 

 sandy soil is best suited to the citrus fruits, but fully 3 inches of the 

 seed-bed should be very tich in compounds of light nature to prevent 

 the surface becoming compressed by constant watering. The sub- 

 stances most suitable for this purpose are thoroughly decayed bush 

 leaves, especially those of the forests, rotten grass, roots, the surface of 

 virgin soils, and well-rotted manure. Fresh manure is objectionable. 

 If the soil is of virgin nature it should have a dressing of lime, to en- 

 courage the decomposition of organic matter in the soil and to destroy 

 all insect life. 



The largest orange and lemon grove in Australia is located at Seven 

 Hills, in the county of Cumberland, it being a little over 200 acres in 

 extent. The soil there is of a rich black and brown color, from 12 to 

 24 inches deep. The subsoil is principally clay. The water in the creeks 

 is slightly brackish. This district produces the finest Navel oranges in 

 Australia. 



CLIMATIC INFLUENCES. 



The climatic influences are exceedingly favorable to the growth of 

 fruit. The highest range of the thermometer in the Cumberland dis- 

 trict is 106 and the lowest is 42. 



The editor of The Year-Book of Australia a most valuable publica- 

 tion Mr. Edward Greville, has favored me with the following tables 

 relating to the temperature and rain-fall of the six chief cities in these 

 colonies. It is around these cities that the chief fruit-growing districts 

 are- to be found: 



SYDNEF, NEW SOUTH WALES. 

 [146 feet abore sea-lereL] 



