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"I suppose he did, a little," said the lad, colouring. "You came out to Sydney?" "No. To Brisbane. That didn't cost anything." "You hadn't any friends?" "No. I got into a billet near Stanthorpe, but when I wanted a raise they sacked me and got another boy. Then I came across to New South Wales. It wasn't any use staying in Queensland. I wish I'd stayed in England," he added. "How's that?"
The Stanthorpe show, which is held annually during the month of February, is always noted for the excellence of its fruit exhibits, which would be hard to beat, both for size, quality, and appearance.
The nectarine, which is simply a smooth-skinned peach, does equally well, many varieties bear heavily, and some produce fruit of exceptional merit. I have seen as fine nectarines grown in the Stanthorpe district as I have met with in any part of Australia or America, fruit of large size and the highest flavour, that compared favourably with the finest hothouse-grown fruit of the Old World.
The Downs country, particularly its southern or Stanthorpe end, is the most suitable; the soil is mainly of granitic origin, and is very suitable for the growth of apples, stone fruit, and grapes, but the latter I will deal with by themselves later on.
They also bear heavily on our coastal downs and more western country, but some kinds of Japanese plums blossom too early for the Stanthorpe district. European plums, however, do well, and are heavy bearers. All kinds do not bear heavily, the freest bearers being those of the damson family White Magnum Bonum and Diamond type. Prunes also do well.
It's twenty years ago now since we settled on the Creek. Twenty years! I remember well the day we came from Stanthorpe, on Jerome's dray eight of us, and all the things beds, tubs, a bucket, the two cedar chairs with the pine bottoms and backs that Dad put in them, some pint-pots and old Crib. It was a scorching hot day, too talk about thirst!
Grapes here, as in other parts of the world, like moderately rich, free, loamy soils of good depth, free sandy loams, and free alluvial loams. In such soils they make a vigorous growth, and are heavy bearers. The granitic soils of the Stanthorpe district, that produce such good peaches, plums, and apples, grow excellent grapes, which ripen late.
In those districts that do not possess such an extreme climate, such as the coastal downs and the Stanthorpe districts, good wines of a lighter character can be produced, and, as already stated, good wines are now being made on the coast.
The tree is hardy, a rapid grower, comes into bearing early, and is, if anything, inclined to overbear. It can be grown over a considerable part of our coastal and inland downs, as well as the Stanthorpe district, and thrives in many kinds of soil, from light sandy loams of poor quality to rich loams of medium texture or even heavier.
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