Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-24
LAND OF FLOWERS.
Remarkable Beauty of South Aus
raj

LAND OF FLOWERS.
Remarkable Beauty of South Aus
traiia.
The London Telegraph III a recent
issue says: South Australia Is, indeed,
metaphorically, but literally a flow
cry land. To be aware of that fact
one has but to pay visit 10 the AIDE
laide Botanic Gardens, OF which the
interchangeable curator is DIR. Schon1-
burek. a savant of European reputa-
ton. who is decorated with dozen
orders of European knighthood. OF
course, the preponderant features OF
the vegetation of the colony are In
the two genera of the Australian flora
the eucalypt and acacia. Natural
lists have noted as remarkable fact
in the vegetation Of South Austral-
Ia the absence of native eatable fruits,
of which there are none worthy Of the
name, except few berry bearing
shrubs, the species of which are the
so-called native cufrant and native
peach of the colonists. But a glance
at the green-groers' and fruiters'
shops in the streets OF Adelaide will
at once prove the demonstration that,
if South Australia has few indigen
Gus fruits or edible plants, she has
wonderful capacity for growing the
escuIents of other regions.
In addition to the colossal cauli-
flowers, admire the immense cab
bages, the splendid carrots, turnips,
spinach and Jerusalem artichokes;
the abundant salads or green meat"
and in this particular the seemingly
inexhaustable wealth of rainbow-hued
and deliciously fragrant flowers. The
whole of the Australian colonies are,
indeed a flower, and fern paradise;
but I am told that if | wish to see the
floral beauties of South Australia in
their most enchatlng aspect | must
come hither IN Spring time. This is
only the first week in August, and we
are still In Winter. But in Spring
time my South Australian friends en-
Enthusiastically declare l should see
trees, shrubs, perennials, ANIMALS,
rivaling each other in their flow ers
which are of such size, rich@ess and
color and general perfection as
to be almost Unreliable by the
tagination of a Northern gardener.
As regards fruit, apples, pears and the
strange looking and more strangely
tasting passion" fruit are the most
prominent of the gifts of Pomona that
[ have noticed in the Adelaide mar
kets. There are pineapples, too, but |
am told they are grown under glass;
bat at the proper season l should en-
JOY plums, cherries, figs, apricots,
ounces, mulberries, straw berries. cur
rants, raspberries, walnuts, flberts,
and chestnuts in perfection. The
quick, luxuriant growth and early ex-
cesslve bearing of the stone-fruit pro-
dHcing trees, makes them short lived.
Those that the sun-gCd loves best die
young. Tie grandest of the vege-
tables are grown in toe gUllies of the
hills behind Adelaide. Thence are
obtained the caulfiowers, the dimen-
sions of which so excited my astonish-
ment, and which are not uncommon
ly two feet In diameter. The cucum-
bers, The sweet watermelons and the
pumpkins also grow to az extraordi-
nary size.
The South Australian wheat is, [
am informed, simply the finest that is
grown N the world, beating even the
renowned cereal, the trio OF Custile In
Old Spain. And all the woDdrous
vegetation flourshes ia a most tickle
climate, rendered more trying by hot
wind and drOuth. One statement
which | have met with concerning the
vegetation of South Australia has
slightly puzzled me. It is to the effect
that very peculiar phenomenon is
that in South Australia most kinds of
trees and shrubs, when dying die from
the top downward. But is this pbeE-
omenon peculiar to South Australia?
Surely, there is on record grim an
ecdote of one of Jonathan Swift, Dean
of ST. Patrick's, recountlng how, pass
ing tree which was whitening down
ward, he pointed TO 1t, and said to a
friend: 81 shall be like that tree: I
shall die at the top" On the other
hand, [ scarcely think that I have
ever travelled IN a country where |
have seen so many tall trees dying
from the bottom upward as have seen
in Australia. That may be 10 a great
extent due 10 the universally of the
practice of ring barking" trees. a
practice which, according to some
authorities ia forestry, the Australians
will have cause ere long bitterly TO
repent.