Sebastian Rennie examined.

1949. Where do you reside?—I am deputed by the Horticultural Society of Ballarat, and I reside in Ballarat.

1950. Has your experience been very largely in Ballarat?—Yes, and the nurseries at Warrenheip.

At, that time Mr. Lang had a nursery at Warrenheip, and I was in his employment.

"At that time fruits of every description were gathered into the nursery at Warrenheip and planted away, even oranges, having two objects in view—their accuracy, and if the climate and soils were suitable. Among them were a large collection of grape vines, which were the first to show that the climate was altogether too cold. We could grow vines, but we could not ripen the fruit. The same may be said of apricots and peaches, which soon gave way, and from the same cause."

Perhaps, three or four years after the country began to be opened up, they showed signs of distress, and soon afterwards they died.

"Apples and pears on the volcanic soil for a time promised well; but, after eight or ten years, they, too, showed signs of something wrong; and now, after 20 years, they are all but a complete failure. A few of the more bardy varieties struggle on. Of course, with apples and pears, some other cause than 'the cold' had to be accounted for,"

as they are natives of a cold climate, and something else than cold had to be accounted for.

"I could only reason thus. These soils are very deep—4, 6, and 8 feet. Apples and pears are inclined to root deeply, and having nothing to intercept the roots going down they got away from all influence of sun and air into a cold subsoil where the roots wasted : hence the failure. And yet these same fruits on the old quartz formation, with the clay subsoil and proper aspect, succeed well, and give off large crops of fine fruit."

Apples upon this quartz formation, with an eastern and north-eastern aspect, away from the hot afternoon sun and with a clay subsoil, do remarkably well.

1953. Now?—Now, even though they are a failure upon the chocolate and volcanic soils. And I believe, with irrigation, all the ranges here with an eastern and north-eastern aspect would bear fine pears and armies, with a little preparation at the commencement.

"Plums, also, on the volcanic soil, are not a success. Certainly they stand out longer than the apples; but like them, they succeed better on the quartz formation The following small fruits are a great success both on the volcanic and other deep soils:—Cherries, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, mulberries, fullbert-nuts, chest-nuts, walnuts, and such like fruits. The most of these fruits nature themselves early in the season before the very hot weather sets in, and, as a rule, give satisfactory returns. Water not being available, I have no experience as to the difference irrigation would make. No doubt, if it were available and applied judiciously at the proper time, better results would be assured. Still, too much water is sometimes an evil. The fruit becomes soft and carries badly to market and the flavour is_ destroyed; and when preserved it keeps badly. For these fruits we have alrady a market, both in Melbourne and up country, which is yearly increasing. Still my impression is that our supply and demand are about evenly balanced and were we to plant extensively now, in four or live years we should require to look for a page 111 market outside ourselves. Sydney is a good market. Hitherto the

Sebastian Rennie, continued, 18th June 1886.

Sebastian Rennie drawback has been the length of time in transit by boat, and the perishable nature of the fruit, that often on landing it was much damaged, and its value reduced. This might be got over if our Commissioners of Railways could see their way to run express trains for perishable goods at as low a tariff as possible. This district is also well suited for producing all sorts of garden and farm seeds. Sugar beet also grows to great perfection, had we only a sugar factory in our midst. There are some other seeds largely used in commerce, such as white mustard, carraway, and coriander seeds; these succeed well, and are as easy of cultivation as carrots or turnips, and a similar treatment suits them."

Of course, a great many forest trees of all sorts succeed admirably well.

1954. You said that 26 years ago the peach flourished very well here?—Yes.

1955. How do you account for their failure lately?—The cutting away of the timber. The nursery in Mr. Lang's time was the first cultivation out there, and we were surrounded with timber on every side, so that the climate then was very different. Peaches and apricots lived there for three or four years, but as soon as the country was opened up they failed.

1956. Did they die?—They died after a few years. The fruit gave way first, then the branches began to die, and only the points were alive.

1957. Are they not planted at all?—Not for fruit. We still grow them for sale to go up and down the country. The young trees do very well.

1958. Gooseberries do well here?—Yes, they are a great success.

1959. Do you know the weight you would get per acre?—The approximate weight would be, perhaps, for a tree, 24 pounds.

1960. How many trees to the acre?—About six feet apart—1,200 trees to the acre.

1961. One thousand two hundred trees at 24 pounds each?—Yes. I have taken more, but I have taken less. I think that would be a good average of the best sorts that can be procured and under high cultivation.

1962. That would be twelve to thirteen tons to the acre?—A fraction over twelve tons to the acre. One hundred trees give nearly a ton.

1963. What is the market Value generally?—Generally, I think, about 2d. a quart. A quart is a pound and a half We sell green gooseberries in sacks, by the quart.

1964. A pound and a half for 2d.?—Yes. We got more than that last year. We got that on Ballarat last year.

1965. Have you ever had an over supply?—Sometimes there was not a very ready sale, not often. Last year there was very ready sale.

1966. Do you find a local sale for the whole you grow?—No, we send the great bulk to Melbourne.

1967. Are they used for jam or for dessert purposes?—A great many are consumed daily, and many are used for jam.

1968. At what age would a plantation of gooseberries Come into full bearing?—You get a few in four years, and a few more in five years; page 112

Sebastian Rennie, continued, 18th June 1886.

but you cannot count much till six years to get much return. Meanwhile you could be cultivating some root vegetables between the rows.

1969. Have yon grown raspberries here too?—Yes; not to a great extent. They do extremely well. We never grow them for market but grow for sale, and what stand for stock bear extremely well.

1970. Are they generally grown in the district?—Yes, very largely, but not with us; and they do well.

1971. Do you know the weight of raspberries you get per acre:—I do not.

1072. Or the price?—They run 3d., 4d., and 5d. on Ballarat.

1973. You have tried oranges?—We did. They are living yet, alter 26 years, but the trees give only green fruit.

1974. Always green?—Always green.

1975. And lemons?—They grow as a shrub very well.

1976. Does the walnut tree grow rapidly here?—They do, and they fruit well.

1977. Is the walnut from which the fruit of commerce is obtained the same tree from which the timber is obtained?—Yes, the same; the common European walnut.

1978. Is that the same as the American walnut?—No. A lot ot those hickories from America, there is a great many varieties; also walnuts, though not so good for eating.

1979. What age are the oldest walnut trees in this district?—Abort, 20 years, I think, our oldest trees are. They are good large ones.

1980. What size would they be in the stem?—They are now 20feet high.

1981. And what circumference in the stem?—I could not positively say. I should guess it about 18 inches.

1982. More than 18 inches in circumference?—They are notso large in the bole.

1983. That would be only 6 inches through?—It must be more that that. It must be 9 inches at least.^*

1984. Is not that very slow growth for 20 years?—They are not very rapid in growth. The walnuts in the old country are hundreds of years old.

1985. What size do they attain there?—A great size, 3 feet and 4 feet in the bole through, perhaps 3 feet above ground.

1986. Would the trees here attain the same size?—Eventually they would. They are just as healthy here as in the old country.

1987. Would it not be a very great advantage if the farmers here would combine other products with their growing of grain and grazing?—Decidedly.

1988. What product do you recommend them in this districs to grow?—grow?—The walnut, for instance, would give returns in a very short time.

1989. Generally, fruits or timber trees?—Fruits and timber trees.

1991. On the ranges you have a quantity of poorish land that would be well suited for wattles?—Just so. Plenty of poor land all round Ballarat would grow wattles.

1992. Are you of opinion that limited irrigation here would be of great advantage to the growth of fruit trees?—Yes, limited irrigation. Fruit, when once it comes near maturity, the drier it is the better, till it is ripe.

1993. Still irrigation is good in the early stages?—Yes.

1994. You are also strongly of opinion that the timber industry is neglected here?—Decidedly.

1995. Is that one of the most desirable industries to encourage in this district?—Yes. Apart from timber altogether, we want to replant for shelter, and nothing is better for it than blue gums and pinus insignis.

1996. But apart from that, you think timber could be grown in this locality to very great commercial advantage?—Decidedly.

1997. And could be grown profitably?—Decidedly.

1998. Are sparrows and birds very troublesome?—Yes, they are becoming very troublesome, and, beyond the fruit, now they attack the vegetables—pease, for instance—as soon as they appear above the ground. In a month hence they begin to pick the green heads as they come through.

1999. Is not the nuisance so bad that something should be done?—Yes, something should be done immediately.

2000. Could they be easily poisoned. If all the people in the district were compelled to poison them, could they not?—They tried some poisoned wheat, but they are extremely crafty and will not take it.

2001. Can you give us any information in reference to the growth of flax, hemp, or any of the jute plants?—No, I have no experience in them.

2002. They have not been tried in Ballarat?—No.

2003. You mentioned carraway and coriander, have they been tried in the district extensively?—No, we only grow them for seed.

2004. They were not grown commercially?—No.

2005. You do not know whether the district is suitable for them?—Yes, it is suitable. I have here—[producing a sample]—some olives grown with us; of course they are out of season.

2006. Do they ripen well here?—No, they are just ripening now; but they are out of season.

2007. But they do ripen?—I could not tell you. There were only a few last year, and this is the first year they made any show. 2008. How old are the trees from which those came?—Eight or nine years old—just a nursery row standing, that were overgrown.

2009. What would you recommend as the best means of dealing with the sparrow difficulty?—I have not given it much attention. To destroy the nests would be the first thing.

2011. What steps do you take yourself to keep the orchard free?—We never take any steps with the sparrows. We let them eat as much as ever they can, and we find if they can get grain they will not disturb us. Parrots are most destructive.

2012. You spoke of mustard and coriander, and rape, and some other seeds. Have you grown them largely or merely experimentally?—Merely to supply bits of seed. We do not grow them for commercial purposes.

2013. Have you any idea what the yield of mustard seed would be per acre?—I could not say. The yield of the little bit that is occupied is very heavy.

2014. Do you think it would pay to grow on a large scale?—I think so, if they were commencing to grind mustard. Here is coriander grown here—[producing a sample]. It is an annual.

2015. How is that sown?—Just in drills.

2016. How far apart?—Two feet.

2017. And it is an annual?—It is an annual. Carraway is a biennial.

2018. Have you grown carraway here too?—Yes. It is worth about fivepence a pound.

2019. Does it seed the first year or the second?—The carraway the second year.

2020. And dies?—And dies, the same as a carrot.

2021. Has it a bulbous root?—It is very much like a carrot root.

2022. This is used very much as carraway is used, for flavouring! Yes, and used by confectioners for sweetmeats.

2023. Are there any plants specially that you think should commend themselves to the farmers as being profitable to grow other than those that are generally grown?—Filbert nuts. In this district farmers could get a lot. They grow freely here as hedges. Some plant them as hedges, and chestnuts are a valuable timber, and the fruit is always valuable in the market—that is the sweet chestnuts. They were pence a pound last year wholesale.

2024. Have you had any experience in growing scent plants, such as roses for otto, or lavender, or peppermint, for distilling?—I have no experience. They grow well enough. We grow them just to sell as plants, and they grow freely and well.

2025. Would they pay, do you think?—I have no doubt that all the scent plants would do well enough here.