88 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



some distance off, especially when crossing a maize field, for the 

 hard leaves resound as the rain clatters on them. Several times 

 I ventured out with my gun, but only to be drenched and find 

 water to wade through on the way back. If overtaken by a 

 shower while in the scrub I could hear the rattle on the tree 

 tops long before the drops reached me below. To prolong the 

 agony greater drops continued to fall from the thick foliage 

 long after the rain had ceased. Sometimes, however, there is a 

 lull for a day or two, and at such times when the sun is shining 

 the moist " muggy " heat is very discomforting. Perspiration 

 rolls from one with the slightest exertion. But as soon as the 

 sun goes down it becomes cool, and the nights are very 

 pleasant. 



With the advent of the rains all vegetation grows amazingly, 

 weeds spring up in the plantations and threaten to choke any 

 tender crop, the fruit of the plantains begins to ripen, and pine- 

 apples and melons fill to bursting with moisture. The red soil 

 is very sticky ; no farm implement will keep clean when 

 working, for the earth will adhere to anything. For this reason, 

 too, the low-lying parts of unmetalled roads are very heavy; 

 the soil in the wheel-tracks works up to the consistency of 

 putty. One place is locally called the " Gluepot " during the 

 rainy season. 



Several introduced plants flourish wild in the district. In 

 abandoned clearings the Ink-weed, Phytolacca, grows quickly. 

 The Lantana, mentioned before, although chiefly along the road- 

 side, has spread in places and robbed the farmer of his ground. 

 Three other plants to be found in a wild state are of more service. 

 The blackberry, the edible passion fruit, and the Cape gooseberry 

 grow and fruit luxuriantly on the cleared ground. It is quite a 

 treat on a warm day to come across a passion fruit vine growing 

 over a log or trailing up among the second growth of scrub, and 

 to enjoy its luscious fruit. 



At Wollongbar, on the main road from Lismore to Ballina, the 

 Government have established an experimental or " model " farm. 

 Tropical and semi-tropical plants of any commercial value are 

 grown. Date, banana, and plantain palms and the tea and coffee 

 plants take their places in the collection. A pretty feature is a 

 trellis of vines of the granadilla, one of the passion fruit family. 

 Some varieties of fruit trees do well, Japanese plums and per- 

 simmons notably ; lemons and guavas, peaches and grapes also 

 thrive, but with the last-mentioned unless the fruit is gathered 

 before the rains come it is useless, for with the excess of moisture 

 the berries soon burst. The fruit of the American vine, Isabella, 

 however, remains unharmed. Japanese plums thrive splendidly, 

 but insect pests are more than a match for the grower. The 

 dreaded Queensland Fruit Fly has got too firm a hold. Mr. 



