now be so cultivated and arranged as to 
throw off moisture and to attract the 
sun’s rays. No weeds, fallen leaves, or 
mulch should be allowed to: lie about the 
surface, 
In addition. to planting young trees | 
many established subjects can be trans- 
planted or removed always provided it is 
effected with the utmost care. Pears 
plums, peaches, and apricots will all bear 
remoyal if their roots are not hacked 
about or otherwise injured. Of course 
this treatment does nos apply to old 
established trees, but to those in the first 
years of their existence. Apples and 
cherries cannot be transferred, they 
resent such a disturbance of their 
roots. 
An Enormous Grape Vine. 
The Year-Book of the United States 
Department of Agriculture for 1894 states 
that there is now standing in California a 
vine which is considered the largest in the 
world. It was planted in 1842 by a 
Spanish woman. Beneath its spreading 
branches, which cover nearly half a acre, 
800 persons could find protection from 
the sun’s heat. The first election in 
Santa Barbara County, under American 
rule, was held beneath its ripening fruit. 
The vine is of the Mission variety. In 
1893 it bore 8 tons of grapes, and in 1895 
over 10 tons, The trunk of this vine is 
7 ft. 8 in. in circumference. The cele” 
brated vine in the conservatory at Hamp- 
ton Court, England, planted in 1769, had, 
in 1830, a stem 13‘in, in girth, and a 
principal branch 114 ft.- in length, the 
whole vine occupying more than 160 sq. 
yds. In one year it produced 2,200 
bunches of fruit, weighing, on an average, 
1 lb.—in all, about 1 ton of fruit. 
It is difficult to accurately estimate the 
age of vines by the usual method of 
counting the rings, because the yearly 
growth is not distinctly marked. Some 
maintain that the vine equals, and even 
Surpasses, the oak in point of longevity. 
Eyon in America it has been impossible 
to ascertain the age that planted vines 
will attain, and the time that has elapsed 
since its diseovery would not be sufficient 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
had the experiment been begun when 
Columbus landed in 1492. 
Pliny mentions a vine 600 years old. 
Miller tells us that some of the vineyards 
of Italy held good for 300 years, and that 
vines 100 years old were accounted as 
young. It was recently stated that there 
are still vines growing which were planted 
by the poet Horace on his farm. 
of the vines of Burgundy, Professor Bose 
says, are more than 400 years old, and 
doubtless there are native American vin 8 
of much greater age. 
Some 
The writer of the 
article on the grape vine and its fruit in 
the Year-Book mentioned says that he 
never saw a viiie amongst the endless 
numbers of natives that abound in the 
American forests that died from the effects 
of age. 
Sulphur -Fumes for Preser- 
ving Fruit. 
Peel peaches, cut in halves and remove 
seeds; arrange in a wooden tub, leaving a 
hole in centre for vessel that is to contain 
the sulphur. If 4 gallons of fruit is 
desired, pare enough fruit for 6 gallons, 
as this allows for shrinkage. When fruit 
is in tub, place sulphur at the rate of 1 
teaspoonful to each gallon of fruit used 
in vessel in centre of tub, ignite it and 
cover whole tub closely for 4 hours, Re- 
move fruit, and place in stone jars; cover 
with a cloth, Fruit preserved in this way 
keeps fine all winter, and tastes like fresh 
fruit. Apples, pears, or tomatoes are 
delicious prepared this way. 
‘Queensland Agricultural Journal? 
Plantains. 
_—_— — 
Plantains are a peculiarly luscious 
fruit, grown in Western Australia in con- 
siderable abundance, and they are much 
favoured for dessert purposes, also as a 
first food for invalids after emerging from 
typhoid and | other illnesses, They 
resemble: bananas in appearance, being 
similar in shape, but shorter and thicker; 
they also resemble that fruit in sub- 
stance, but there is a more distinctive 
glavor about them, suggesting the richness 
May 1, 1909 
of the passion fruit with a suggestion of 
the apricot character, They will carry 
on a voyage as soundly as bananas, and 
it seems rather strange that a consider- 
able trade in this luxury has not sprung. 
into exist-nce between Melbourne and 
Perth. Such fruit should selt-well here. 
Plantains grow well: near Perth, in 
sheltered spots on the banks of running 
s reams, and althoug4 one stem or plant. 
ouly carries a single bunch of fruit the: 
producing capacity per acre is large, as 
the plants grow very closely together, and 
thrive luxuriantly in the warm districts,. 
where the soil and water conditions are 
suitable. 
Some visitors from Western Australia: 
brought a parcel of the fruit to Mel- 
bourne durin, the Easter holidays, and 
they arrised in a perfectly sound state,. 
although not specially cared for on the 
voyage, 
pronounced them excellent in every way, 
Friends who sampled them 
having a character superior to the rather 
dull insipidity of the bayana, and a food 
value that makes it easy to understand 
why it is so warmly favoured by the: 
medical profession for the use of con- 
Maybe if a start were made 
in the importation 
valescents. 
of plantains they 
would soon become popular, 
—* Australasian ’ 
Interesting Orchard Notes. 
An exporter of apples remarks that 
among the countries that would buy our 
fruit if they could are Russia, Spain, 
Norway, Denmark, France, and Italy, 4 
few cases of apples went to to Genoa this 
season. Germany is already a large and 
growing buyer; and Britain’s demands 
would increase with our power to 
provide, 
* * %* * * * 
The fruit from the great vine at 
Hampton Court Palace is used by the 
Kirg’s household. last season it pro- 
duced 250 bunches of grapes, They 
averaged 2lb each. During the ‘ thinning 
out’ process every year it is the practice 
to cut away about a thousand bunches. 
The vine is 140 years old, and meaeures 
54 in. round the girth a foot above the 
ground. 
