458 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



of growth, from one to twenty and thirty years, owing to new trees 

 being planted in the place of old ones which have died from the bark 

 disease. This disease attacks the roots and the foot of the tree. The 

 bark at that place splits and decays, after which the branches die. 

 Trees are plowed between about 3i inches deep. The trees are not 

 pruned very much. They are merely thinned. When in full bearing 

 thefoliage nearly reaches the ground. The oranges are picked about 

 from July to September and sold to dealers from the tree, not cured. 

 The dealers cart them in teams to Maitland, about 20 miles north of 

 here, and then re-sell in smaller quantities. 



The trees are planted from 20 to 30 feet apart, from seedlings, bitter 

 orange or lemon butts grafted or budded. There are from 10 to 30 

 acres to a grove, and the crop generally increases with the age and 

 size of the trees. 



This district is free from insect pests. Nut grass, or Townshend's 

 curse, is the greatest nuisance in the flooded and alluvial soil. 



Thomas 'M. Dawson, 



Commercial Agent. 



United States Commercial Agency, 



Newcastle, N. S. W., March 24, 1890. 



AITSTEAIiASIA. 



BEPOUT ST CONSUL GRIFFIN, OF SYDNEY. 



It is perhaps not generally known that citrus fruits, and especially 

 oranges and lemons, will grow to perfection through the whole of the 

 southern part of this great island continent, on the table-lands in the 

 interior and along the sides of the mountain ranges in the far north. 

 In portions of Queensland and of south and western Australia, where 

 the climate resembles that of Spain and Italy, the trees grow luxu- 

 riously and bear most delicious fruit. In no portion of Australasia is 

 the cultivation of citrus plants looked upon as a profitable industry, 

 except in the colony of New South Wales, and there only in one or two 

 counties. 



The area of orangeries in New South Wales at the end of March, 

 1889, is given by the Government statistician as 10,857 acres, against 

 8,875 acres in 1888. The attention given to the export of oranges dur- 

 ing the last few years has led to extensive orange-planting. The de- 

 mand for young trees has been such that it has been found difficult to 

 obtain plants of good varieties, and the price has more than doubled. 



AREA OP ORANGERIES AND PRODUCTION. 



The only colonies which prepare statistics to show the area of land 

 under cultivation with oranges are New South Wales, Queensland, and 

 Victoria. 



