164 
THE FLORIST. 
November ; they are, as may be imagined, extensively grown, producing 
heavy crops of fine quality, but their keeping properties are shortened 
on account of the mild winters.—Asparagus, Rhubarb, and Seakale 
bear very abundantly; seeds ripen perfectly.—Cucumbers and Vege¬ 
table Marrow: 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.—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 heavy ; the plants have six to eight 
fruits each, weighing trom 4 to 10 lbs.—Tomatoes are sown in October, 
and ripen fruit very profusely from January onward.—The Chinese 
Yam has recently been cultivated, and promises to become an additional 
table vegetable of the colony. The long-podded Chinese Bean is found 
to be hardy in Victoria, and would unquestionably luxuriate in the 
northern districts. 
Concerning the orchard products we have the following. What 
occurs to us in the admirable account given by Mr. Smith is the 
advantage that will result from importing and exchanging seeds and 
roots with our distant friends. 
Perhaps there is no more favoured land upon earth than Victoria for 
producing in abundance and perfection a variety of the finest fruits,whether 
they are considered as a mere luxury or as constituting one of the neces¬ 
saries of life, adapted to the wants of man in this hot climate, or as likely to 
become one of the staple articles of our commercial exports at no distant 
period. Nearly all the fruits of them which can be cultivated in any 
of the temperate latitudes can be produced here in the briefest space of 
time and with the most certain success. However sterile and unpro¬ 
mising the land may appear, the simple act of breaking up the earth 
and of introducing drainage when needful appears to act as magic on 
the newly planted ground, converting the barren-looking wilderness 
into a fruitful garden. It is astonishing to observe how very rapidly 
and how vigorously the trees grow when placed in favourable situations 
under good treatment. But horticulture has to contend with the long 
parching droughts of the summer months, experienced particularly in 
low open districts, and occasionally with fierce burning winds. A hot 
wind, however, seldom continues more than two or three days at a 
time, and is almost certain to end in a good fall of rain, which soon 
rallies up the exhausted powers of vegetation. Fruit realised this 
season the following average prices : Apples, id. to Sc/, per lb.; Pears, 
2d. to Is.; Plums, 3c/. to 6c/.; Cherries, 6c/. to Is. and Is. 6c/.; Apricots, 
6d. and Is. per dozen ; Peaches, 2d. to Is. 6c/. per dozen; Walnuts, 
3d. to 6c/. per dozen. This may suffice to show that fruit is freely 
available for all classes, both for dessert and cookery purposes ; and the 
community will no doubt soon be placed in a position to provide for the 
preservation of fruits on an extensive scale. The reasons why, compara¬ 
tively speaking, but little land is as yet devoted to this lucrative and 
pleasant branch of industry may be sought in the low return for the 
capital expended, so long as the price of labour and the outlay for garden 
