Soils of the Coastal Tablelands, suitable for the Growth of Deciduous Fruit.

Starting from the Southern part of the State, adjoining the New South Wales border, the fruit soils are all of granitic origin. The country is much broken, but between the ridges and along the creek flats there is a considerable area possessing soils varying from a coarse, granitic, gritty soil to a fine granitic soil; that on the creeks of an alluvial nature, but still granitic. These soils vary considerably in quality, but are, as a rule, easy to work and retain moisture well. They are covered with open forest and are particularly adapted to the growth of apples, plums, peaches, and grapes, though other deciduous fruits are grown but not to the same excellence as those mentioned. Proceeding north the fruit soils are either sandy loams or loams of a brownish colour of volcanic origin. The former are suitable for almonds and wine grapes, and the latter for peaches, apricots, pears, apples, and especially olives. Further north a few of these fruits may be grown on loamy soils, together with citrus fruits, but, commercially, deciduous fruits are confined to the southern end of this district, the winter temperature being too high for their successful growth further north, as the trees get no winter rest, hence do not mature their fruit-bearing wood properly.