Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/30

 It is evident from this comparison that it is by the greater range of the thermometer, and by the suddenness and violence of the transitions, that the climate of Australia is to be distinguished from that of the most favoured parts of Europe. That this is not a distinction by any means in its favour every one must admit. That it does not act injuriously on the health of people in general, may now be taken to be a fact established by experience. I have thrown out some suggestions as to the probable or possible causes of its not having that effect, but leave it to scientific medical men to analyse the matter more thoroughly.

Favoured with such a soil and climate, Port Phillip raises in abundance almost every product of central and southern Europe. The vine, the fig-tree, the peach, the plum, the apple, and the melon, all grow most luxuriantly, while the common vegetables, onions in particular, attain a great size and perfection. The potato, too, which is worth all the poetry of vines and fig-trees put together, flourishes in prosaic simplicity. Wheat and barley do remarkably well, oats not so well. Indian corn thrives. In fact there are few countries more prolific. One district alone, that reaching from Geelong to Port Fairy, would, if cultivated, yield wheat enough to supply millions of people; and most of the land is ready for the plough, without cutting down a single tree. This district is also plentifully watered. The relative prices of wages and flour have hitherto prevented much being done in this way. In January, 1844, we were paying £20 a year to each farm servant, together with rations of ten pounds of flour, twelve pounds of meat, a quarter of a pound of tea, and two