OBANGES AND LEMONS IN AUSTRALASIA. 



467 



Mr. McKay says of this soil : 



It is richer in organic matter than No. 1. The formation is the same. It needs 

 lime, or marked falling off in crops must follow as the land is worked. 



Mr. S. W. Pyc, to whom I sent a series of interrogatories iu regard 

 to the soil in the orange districts is of opinion, that a rather poor, loamy, 

 sandy soil is best suited to the citrus fruits, but fully 3 inches of the 

 seed-bed should be very rich in compounds of light nature to prevent 

 the surface becoming compressed by constant watering. The sub- 

 stances most suitable for this purpose are thoroughly decayed bush 

 leaves, especially those of the forests, rotten grass, roots, the surface of 

 virgin soils, and well-rotted manure. Fresh manure is objectionable. 

 If the soil is of virgin nature it should have a dressing of lime, to en- 

 courage the decomposition of organic matter in the soil and to destroy 

 all insect life. 



The largest orange and lemon grove in Australia is located at Seven 

 Bills, in the county of Cumberland, it being a little over 200 acres in 

 extent. The soil there is of a rich black and brown color, from 12 to 

 24 inches deep. The subsoil is principally clay. The water iu the creeks 

 is slightly brackish. This district produces the finest Navel oranges in 

 Australia. 



CLIMATIC INFLUENCES. 



The climatic influences are exceedingly favorable to the growth of 

 fruit. The highest range of the thermometer in the Cumberland dis- 

 trict is 106O and the lowest is 42°. 



The editor of The Year-Book of Australia — a most valuable publica- 

 tion — Mr. Edward Greville, has favored me with the following tables 

 relating to the temperature and rain-fall of the six chief cities in these 

 colonies. It is around these cities that the chief fruit-growing districts 

 are to be found : 



SYDNEY. NEW SOtTTH WALES. 

 [146 feet above sea-level.] 



Month. 



October, 1888.-.. 

 November, 1888 . 

 December, 1888 . 

 January, 1889... 

 Febrnary, 1889.. 



March, 1889 



April, 1889 



May,)889 



Jone, 1889 



Jnly, 1889 



Aagust, 1889 



September, 1889. 



Snms or means 

 Or extremes ... 



Barometer (reduced 

 to 320 Eah.l. 



Mean. 



Inches. 

 29. 931 

 29. 831 

 29. 806 

 29. 802 

 29. 803 



29. 963 



30. 012 



29. 982 

 29. 702 



30. 070 

 29. 975 

 29. 885 



29.896 



Highest 

 readlmg. 



Incheg. 

 30. 260 

 30. 276 

 30. 130 

 30. 122 

 30. 145 

 30. 348 

 30. 345 

 30. 454 

 30. 065 

 30. 377 

 30, 488 

 30. 210 



30. 268 

 30.488 



Lowest 

 reading. 



Mean 



Tnches. 

 29. 426 

 29. 371 

 29. 270 

 29. 360 

 29. 365 

 2!>. 413 

 29. 521 

 29. 563 

 29.160 

 29. 702 

 29.401 

 29. 410 



29.4!3 

 29.160 



Temperature (in 

 shade). 



62.6 

 89.0 

 70.4 

 71.9 

 71.3 

 69.9 

 66.4 

 61.1 

 65.9 

 62.5 

 54.7 

 57.4 



63.6 



Extremes. 



Max. Min. 



85.5 

 92.9 

 85.8 

 102.8 

 96.6 

 91.5 

 77.0 

 75.8 

 68.0 

 64 4 

 69.7 

 83.7 



102.8 



49.6 

 66.8 

 57.8 

 58.3 

 57.6 

 69.2 

 63.0 

 49 4 

 44.1 

 41.6 

 42.2 

 44.1 



51.2 

 41.6 



Rain-fall. 



Total 

 fall. 



Inches. 

 1.613 

 0.529 

 7.089 

 2.098 

 2.696 

 1.128 

 3. 5ir8 



20. 868 

 1.128 

 8.914 

 4.113 



- 4.3a 



68. 081 



No. of 

 days. 



Greatest 

 fall. 



Inches. 

 0.815 

 0. l-'3 

 2.7S1 

 0.556 

 2.196 

 0.276 

 1.487 

 8. 863 

 0.380 

 2.237 

 0.905 

 0.916 



8.363 



Date. 



Oct 8 

 Kov. 29 

 Dec. 1 

 Jan. 4 

 leb. 8 

 Mar. 10 

 Apr. 1 

 May 28 

 June 25 

 July 26 

 Aug. 6 

 Sept. 19 



M.iy 28 



