Agricultural and Horticultural Ressources. 49 



and continues on till July in deep good soils ; they grow ex- 

 ceedingly large, and are very superior in quality. 



Turnip. — Spring, summer, and autumn crops can be with 

 difficulty obtained on account of the prevailing destructiveness 

 of the aphis, and the dry hot nature of the climate. 



Potatoes. — Three crops may be produced in one twelve- 

 month ; one in May, the leading one on early soils in October 

 and November, and another on late soils in January and 

 February. They are, as may be imagined, extensively grown, 

 producing heavy crops of fine quality, but their keeping pro- 

 perties are shortened on account of the mild winters. 



Asparagus, Rhubarb, and Seakale bear very abundantly in 

 their seasons. The former may be regarded as quite equal 

 to any grown in England. Rhubarb produces goods stalks in 

 spring, gets rather exhausted and dormant in midsummer, 

 and again grows freely in autumn. Seeds of the former only 

 mature well. 



Cucumbers and Vegetable Marrows. — On tolerably good 

 soils there is no more trouble or care bestowed in the sowing 

 and growing of these crops than there is with any common 

 vegetable, they being simply sown during October in patches, 

 each 5 to 7 feet apart, and if they are not destroyed in their 

 infancy through cold winds, they are allowed to grow to run 

 over the ground until they cover it. At this stage the plants 

 furnish an abundance of beautiful tender fruit, some of the 

 finest of the cucumbers measuring 20 to 24 inches, and even 

 more. Supplies are obtainable from December to the end of 

 May. 



Melons. — The rock and English green and yellow fleshed 

 varieties being more of a rich heavy nature, although not 

 quite so much appreciated as others, are grown in very large 

 quantities. These commence ripening their fruit about the 

 end of January. The crops generally are very heavy, the 

 plants having 6 to 8 fruits each, weighing from 4 to 10 lb. 



Tomatoes are sown in October, and ripen their fruits very 

 profusely from January onwards. 



The above remarks apply more particularly to the gardens 

 in the environs of Melbourne. 



The Chinese yam has recently been cultivated, and promises 

 to become an additional table vegetable of the colony. The 

 long-podded Chinese bean, Yigna Chinensis, is found to be 

 hardy in Victoria, and would unquestionably luxuriate in the 

 northern districts. 



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