303 



The flowers are produced upon the wood of the current year. 

 The old wood is best pruned off every few years, so as to encourage 

 fresh growth. 



The fruit of the common Passion fruit, which is egg-shaped, is 

 picked when it turns chocolate colour. It contains a watery pulp 

 of a pleasing aromatic flavour, and with a delicate acid taste ; it 

 carries well. The best and most abundant crops of fruit are 

 produced from the second to the fourth year. On poor soil the 

 vines remain productive for a few years only, while on good soils, or 

 those that have been liberally manured and are fresh and moist, 

 good crops are produced for nine to ten years. 



TEOPICAL FKUITS. 



Of the several Australian States, two Queensland and Western 

 Australia possess natural conditions which permit of the profitable 

 cultivation of tropical crops and fruit. It is true that South 

 Australia also owns a Territory in the tropics, but its distance from 

 the populous markets of the more temperate latitudes will always 

 prove a formidable obstacle in the way of providing the southern 

 markets with productions of tropical latitudes. The cultivation of 

 the sugar cane has already proved highly remunerative in 

 Queensland, and other crops as well await development at the 

 hands of settlers in the warmer latitudes of both States. 



Coffee, cocoa, cotton, and tea also grow with great luxuriance, 

 but at present would prove risky ventures, on account of the lack 

 of suitable labour to exploit them. 



Tropical fruits stand differently. To the increasing number 

 of settlers on the sea board of tropical Western Australia they would 

 prove a blessing and a luxury, whereas the population at the South 

 could absorb large quantities of such of the delicious tropical fruits 

 which are capable of being raised at the Nor'-West and the 

 North. Among such crops are: 



ALLIGATOR or AVOCADO PEAR (Persea gratissima) . 



Is a native of Mexico and Brazil, whence it was introduced 

 into the West Indies. The tree, which has somewhat the appear- 

 ance of the apple tree, is a fine spreading evergreen, with leaves 

 large, oblong, and smooth, and of a bright green colour. The tree 

 bears towards the extremity of the branches, the fruit being in 

 appearance not unlike large pears. They weigh up to 21bs. each. 

 They consist of a single large rugged seed wrapped up in a 

 membranous cover, inside a firm buttery flesh of a bright greenish 

 yellow colour, which contains about eight per cent, of greenish oil. 

 The skin, which changes from bright green to yellow green, is tough 

 and leathery, and when the fruit is ripe can be peeled clean off the 

 pulp, to which it firmly adheres until then. Very unpalatable 

 when green, it is deliciously melting, with a delicate fresh walnut 

 flavour, when ripe. In the tropics it is also sometimes eaten with 

 pepper and salt or with sugar and kirsh. 



