FRUITS OF QUEEXSLAXD. 53 



It is grown in considerable quantities in the Southern part of the State, and 

 is one of our commonest fruits. It has usually two crops a year a summer 

 and a winter crop but can be got to produce its fruit at any particular time 

 that is desired by systematic pruning at different times of the year. It is 

 often grown over sheds, dead trees, fallen logs, &c., which it covers with a 

 mass of dense green foliage, and converts what would otherwise be an unsightly 

 object into an ornament. The illustration herewith shows this well, and gives 

 a, good idea of the growth of a single vine. Commercially it is grown on 

 trellis, so that the land between the rows can be kept well cultivated, and 

 also to permit of ease in the gathering of the fruit. When ripe, the fruit drops, 

 and the gathering is usually from the ground. The fruit carries well, but 

 will not keep for any length of time, as it shrivels up. It is principally used 

 as a fresh fruit, though it is also made into jam or jelly, and it often forms 

 part of a fruit salad, taking the place of the granadilla. It has few pests, and 

 is one of the easiest fruits to grow. 



CUSTARD APPLES. 



Under this heading I will include all the Anonas, such as the sour sop, 

 sweet sop, bullock's heart, and cherimoya. The sour sop is purely tropical, 

 and is very sensitive to frost, but the other species are by no means so tender, 

 and can be grown anywhere along the coast where the soil is suitable, as well 

 as at many inland places. All the species produce very fine fruits, that vary 

 somewhat in shape, in the roughness of the skin, and in size. The sour sop is 

 the largest, and attains a size of 6 to 8 Ib. The fruit is covered with soft 

 spines, and is of an irregular oval, or even pyriform, shape. It ripens very 

 soon after it is gathered, consequently cannot be sent any distance. It is a 

 pleasant fruit of an aromatic sub-acid flavour. The pulp surrounding the seeds 

 is of a woolly consistency, and this is surrounded by a custard-like mass which 

 is -much appreciated by those who have acquired a liking for it. It is a 

 comparatively uncommon fruit, and is confined to the tropics. 



The sweet sop is the commonest of the Anonas, and is grown throughout a 

 considerable part of coastal Queensland. It is usually of an irregular roundish 

 shape, very full of seeds, which are surrounded by a custard-like pulp of very 

 pleasant flavour. It is usually a heavy bearer, and is the variety most 

 commonly met with in our fruit stores. The tree is hardy and is easily grown. 



The bullock's heart is a stronger-growing variety than the previous one, 

 the fruit is larger, and, as its name implies, heart-shaped. It is also fairly 

 seedy, the pulp of a light-brown colour, and more gritty, and not, in my 

 opinion, of first-rate quality. It is most commonly grown in the North, where 

 it is a very hardy and prolific tree. 



The cherimoya is the best of the custard apples. The tree is a strong 

 grower, with large handsome leaves, but, as a rule, it is not a very heavy 

 Nearer. There are many varieties, the fruit of which varies considerably in 

 ize and shape, and the skin is sometimes smooth and sometimes warted, or 



