August 7 . 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
335 
screws let into the deck-boards on the poop in front of the | 
“ companion” stairs. 
In spite of the Captain’s predictions that one week of sea- 1 
air would “do” for my Tear-trees, they survived the voyage 
well—nay, actually grew in the tropics, and shed their leaves 
in the southern regions, as on land; and, with one exception 
(the Beurre Ranee'), which died about two months ago, are 
all thriving, as English trees know how to do in this splen¬ 
did climate. 
J The only precaution I took on board was, during windy 
j weather, and generally at night-time, to cover the tub with a 
j tarpaulin cap, tied carefully at the neck of the cap, or bag, 
| round the upper stave of the tub. The cap was prevented 
I from smothering the trees by resting on strong wire rods 
which arched over the dwarf trees. A judicious pruning, 
from time to time, kept the shoots from trespassing the 
narrow limits of their range. 
To prevent “coals” from being brought.to “Newcastle,” 
I shall here mention the names of my eleven surviving 
trees:—1. Winter Nelis. 2. Louise Bonne of Jersey. 3. Chau- 
montel. 4. Marie Louise. 5. Gracioli. 0. Van Mans' Leon 
Le Clerc. 7. Beurre D' Amanlis. 8. Beurre D' Arcmbert. 
9. Passe Colmar. 10. Passe Colmar Bore. 11. Colmar 
D'A rdenpon t. 
After I had been in the colony some months, I found that 
some of these Tears had already been introduced, as the 
Winter Nelis (a great bearer here), and I think the Marie 
Louise and Passe Colmar ; and there was no lack of other 
good Tears in the island; as, for instance, Gansel's Ber¬ 
gamot, Bon Chretien, Swan’s Eyy, &c. In some parts of the 
country Tears are said to be a precarious crop owing to the 
spring frosts; but exposed as we are to these, in the part of 
the country where I am located (forty miles inland), we 
have first-rate crops this, as last, summer. Young trees, it 
is not unlikely; may suiter; but, when well-established, and 
not too closely pruned, they form their own protection from 
the frosts. And this I believe to be the case with most 
fruits, save those which are essentially tender, like the Vine. 
These summer frosts are the gardeners’ most formidable 
enemy, especially in the Totato ground; but they are only 
known inland—along the coast, and both at Hobart Town 
and Launceston, they are almost entirely unknown—a d 
there everything grows with a tropical growth. I have heard 
it said, for instance, that a cutting of a Fuchsia, a finger's 
length, will there cover a house in one season. Indeed, 
this growth of the vegetable world is everywhere astonishing; 
the native trees, some of them, never cease growing; and 
English trees, in spite of their annual rest, here, as else¬ 
where, grow in proportion. I witnessed only the other day, 
not nine miles hence, a curious instauce of this growth in 
an Elm cutting three inches long, which, in three years 
from the date of its insertion in the ground, had grown to 
the astonishing length of twenty feet! It is true, no side 
branches had been allowed to shoot, and its growth in length 
(not height, for it would not stand erect) was, therefore, 
unnatural; but I doubt if any part of England, or of central 
Europe, could have produced' a like growth. All cuttings 
take here readily ; sticks for marking seed invariably grow, 
and mostly root; Tear and Apple cuttings included, if put into 
the ground sufficiently early in the year, i.c,, on or before 
the rainy season in J uly and August. 
It is surprising to note the progress which the colony has 
made in the march towards settlement and civilisation. In 
some places you might suppose yourself in England, from 
the signs of cultivation, and the evident opulence, as well 
as substantial comfort, which everywhere surround you. 
Good roads are in course of construction every year, and in 
all directions, besides the old-established roads of convict 
construction between Launceston and Hobart Town. On 
the outskirts of the settled districts, and to remote places, 
the so-called roads are bad enough— quagmires in some parts, 
and dangerous to vehicle and driver; but these are fast 
improving in all directions. In the summer-time travelling 
is easy enough; pleasant it can never be called on any road, j 
good or bad, owing to the dust which coats the road ankle- | 
deep. This is occasioned by the summer droughts, which, i 
throughout January and February, the latter portion of 
December, and the early part of March, prevail, more or 
less, every year. During these three months Van Diemen’s 
Land should not be visited hy strangers, nor should emi- | 
grants arrive, else a disappointment will be their portion. 
At all other times the unanimous voice would pronounce 
this a glorious country—a fine, clear sky; bracing air; and 
inspiriting breezes for the most part prevail. The autumn 
is beautiful; winter seldom colder than would be pronounced 
agreeable by the most querulous of English complainers ; 
and the spring is a charming season ;—even when rain falls, 
as it sometimes does, “ and no mistake,” for a couple or 
more weeks together, it has yet its intervals of warm, spark¬ 
ling, sunny weather; and, in a country where the sun is 
decidedly predominant at all seasons, is seldom otherwise 
than hailed at its coming, and regretted at its ceasing. Nor 
is the summer without its share of advantages ; for hot as 
the sun always is by day, the nights are invariably cool, and 
the mornings and evenings deliciously refreshing ; and the 
cool breeze, which generally arises after ten o’clock, tempers 
even the mid-day heat, so as to make it feel seldom oppres¬ 
sive. When I speak of the drought, too, let me not be 
mistaken: I use the term comparatively when writing for 
English readers. The Sydney and Tort Tliilip settler would 
smile at our so-called “ droughts ” here, with such seasons 
as the present fresh in his experience, when water sells for 
gold in Sydney, and the supplies are withheld for twenty-two 
out of the twenty-four hours! In fact, our neighbours 
think and speak of Van Diemen’s Land as Englishmen 
talk of Ireland; but verdant as it is by comparison with the 
neighbouring colonies, this island must not be spoken of in 
the same breath with the “ Emerald Isle ” for verdure. 
Not, be it observed, that Van Diemen's Land is not green 
where English trees and grasses are cultivated; but the 
native grasses, as well as the native foliage, still generally 
prevailing over the country, are olive-green at best, in the 
midst of the rainy season. 
The wealthier settlers (who drive their English carriages 
with pairs of horses) are now, for the most part, anxious to 
plant European trees around their dwellings. Twenty-five 
years’ growth of Oak and Elm, in some places, bear wit¬ 
ness to the taste and early forethought of a few; but 
such instances are rare, save where the palate was to be 
gratified — certainly, of fruit-bearing trees there is no 
lack, and their produce is enormous. While on this sub¬ 
ject, I may mention that Tasmanian fruits, as might be 
expected, in this sunny and exciting climate, far exceed iu 
size and llavour their English kindred. Flowers, too, of all 
kinds, blow here as they do nowhere in England; especially 
favourable for all bulbs, including Cape bulbs and Roses, is 
the soil and climate—not so, perhaps, for annuals, which 
require a greater continuity of summer showers to make 
them flourish ; but bulbs of all kinds grow and bloom mag¬ 
nificently with hardly any care. For show of bloom, of 
native and European shrubs and flowers (and many of the 
native plants are exceedingly beautiful), I do not hesitate to 
say Van Diemen’s Land would carry off the palm against 
any land situate within the temperate zone. Some of the 
gardens that I have been privileged to see have delighted 
me beyond measure ; but a well-kept flower-garden is an 
expensive luxury in this country, owing to the cost of labour, 
which, in consequence, simultaneously of the discovery of 
gold in Victoria, and of the drain of our convict population 
in that direction (a good riddance in every other respect), 
has risen to an enormous extent, and continues very high, 
in spite of the commencing flow of emigration to these shores. 
Rut this leads me to the subject of emigration hither, which 
requires a distinct sheet to itself; and I shall couple together 
with it a consideration of the market prices for goods and 
produce of all lands.—A (late) Country Curate. 
Hobart town retail markets. —January 9, 1855. 
Wheat 
Cape Barley . 
English ditto 
Oats 
Teas . 
Beans . 
Tares 
Flour . 
Hay, loose 
Ditto, pressed 
Straw, ditto 
s. 
per bushel 13s. to 13 
7s. to 8 
10 
7s. to 8 
20 
20 
1 
per ton £34 to 36 0 
„ £8 to 10 0 
„ £12 to 13 0 
£8 0 
V 
5> 
»> 
5J 
d. 
6 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
I 
I 
I 
