Novel Industries of Australia.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1800, 19 January 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

Novel Industries of Australia.

THK ORANGE. I The cultivation of that grand fruit, the | oraugo, in Australia, can hardly be looked | upon in the light of a novel industry, inasmuch as in various parts of New South Wales it has, for many years past, been grown to perfection, notably at Ash and Mosquito Islands, near Hexhatn, Newcastle, on the Hunter, Patersob and Williams rivers, at Five Dock, Gladesville, Kissing Point, and Subiaco, on the Parramatta River, and in numerous other places that have attained moie or less celebrity for the luxuiiance with •which the fruit grows, and the excellence it reaches in respect of size, sweetness*, soundness, and other points of quality. It is somewhat remarkable to notice, in the face of this well known fact, that in hardly any other of the colonies of Austialia, even in the portions wheie the climate most closely assimilates to lhat of the orangc-gi owing districts of New South Wale?*, has the cultivation of this fruit been much more than poifunctoiily attempted, and, although -\eiy good oranges have been gi own in the neighbom hood of Melbourne, Adelaide, and Bus bane, sfili the vast consumption in all the colonies is supplied from New South Wales, and affords employment to a huge number of fruit-growers, who aie engaged solely, or in conjunction with other pursuit, in tins profitable branc 1 - of hoiticultuic. As the habitat of the genus ct'fms-, of which the orange (aur&nticunii or golden) is the noblest species extends h _m the climatic zone of the vine to beyoud lh<it of the olive and fig, and even in • the case of the lime and the shaddock, into the tropics, it is evident that, with tho exception, perhaps, of New Zealand, Tasmania, and the paits of Victoria exposed to the cold, the orange and its congener the lemon will grow hi almost any part of New South Wale") South Australia, and Victoria, and the southern parts of Queensland. It lias, in fact, been stated by gentlemen who have devoted much attention to the subject, that no region of the earth's suifaee possesses a mote suitable soil and climate for the successful production of these valuable hurts than the three fhst named colonies. But in order to pioduce the fruit to that exquisite perfection of mingled saccharine and acid juices, to which the piopeily grown fruit attains, it is necessary that the caie and skill of an accomplished horliculluiist should be employed, and ?o that ihe necensaiy tillage, and the sedulous oiro thoukl not bo misapplied, or wasted on a meic garden patch, orangeiics of not less than ten ov fifteen actes each, which, after all, would not lequire more than the ordinal y caie and good management given to orchards of Ics impoitant fruic, should be planted in , c iiitabiy sheltered spofs, so as (o lender the pxoduction of this noble fruit a national coimneioial enteiprisc. The localities whoie oranges might iLus bo grown foi piofit, as they aic in Spain, tho Azoics, itc, aie the Wimmcra, the Munay, Bendigo, Maryborough, the Joulbuin Valley, and other places in Victoiia, or in other colonies assimilating to (.he climate, and other natural featmes of those places. According to the authority aheady lefrrred to (Mr. W. J. o'lJea), oiangcs hang long on the tree, arid require nearly a twelvemonth to ripen perfectly. The produce per tree in an oraugeiy of twelve or fifteen yeais old is vexy great, vaiying from thhty to forty dozen. I Lave heard it staled on good aufchoiity that in one of the best orangeiics at ppnamr.Ua, Now South Wales, ojje hundred dozen oranges have been gathered off one tice that was foity yeais old. It is on ieco'd at the Azores that 20,000 oranges have been taken fiom one tice at Si. Michael's. The age io which an oraugetiee grows is maivcllouf. In the Versailles orangeiy thoiearetiees which \\&.e planted in 1121, or 4GO yeais ago. In planting an oraa.;ti giove tho soit-4 of ticcA which aie neaily 01 altoj'ethei. devoid of tl.oiiis 01 spines should be piefencd, so that the fiuil may not be injiued on tho tice by the action of high winds. If intended for expectation, tho solid, Laid, heavy, good-keeping kinds of oianges, ruch as the Silelta, St. Michael, Lubijin, and Blood or Maltese, should be picfened. Tho same authoiity also mtntiojis the following varieties an all flotni^iing well in New South Wales, and therefoie as suitable fur other similar climates :— The Bahia or Naval, the Sabiiia or Nice, the China, the Maltese or Llood, the Siletta, the St. Michael's, the Genoa, the Sorenta, ilie I'oor Man's, the Seville, tho Tangerine, the Canton Manrlarin, the Empeior of China Mandarin, the Emperor Mandarin, the Thoiny Maudaiiu, the Cunquat. What has been been said of the orange appHfij equtilly to the lemon, which grows, tho Lisbon lemon and sweet lemon especially, in perfection in New South Wales and Victoria, the trees being free growers, vciy productive, hardy, and easily cultivated.