ethod of culture (1)
and part of a vine in fruit (2).]

CUSTARD APPLES.

Under this heading I will include all the Anonas, such as the sour sop,
sweet sop, bullock's heart, and cherimoya. The sour sop is purely
tropical, and is very sensitive to frost, but the other species are by
no means so tender, and can be grown anywhere along the coast where the
soil is suitable, as well as at many inland places. All the species
produce very fine fruits, that vary somewhat in shape, in the roughness
of the skin, and in size. The sour sop is the largest, and attains a
size of 6 to 8 lb. The fruit is covered with soft spines, and is of an
irregular oval, or even pyriform, shape. It ripens very soon after it is
gathered, consequently cannot be sent any distance. It is a pleasant
fruit of an aromatic sub-acid flavour. The pulp surrounding the seeds is
of a woolly consistency, and this is surrounded by a custard-like mass
which is much appreciated by those who have acquired a liking for it. It
is a comparatively uncommon fruit, and is confined to the tropics.

The sweet sop is the commonest of the Anonas, and is grown throughout a
considerable part of coastal Queensland. It is usually of an irregular
roundish shape, very full of seeds, which are surrounded by a
custard-like pulp of very pleasant flavour. It is usually a heavy
bearer, and is the variety most commonly met with in our fruit stores.
The tree is hardy and is easily grown.

The bullock's heart is a stronger-growing variety than the previous one,
the fruit is larger, and, as its name implies, heart-shaped. It is also
fairly seedy, the pulp of a light-brown colour, and more gritty, and
not, in my opinion, of first-rate quality. It is most commonly grown in
the North, where it is a very hardy and prolific tree.

The cherimoya is the best of the custard apples. The tree is a strong
grower, with large handsome leaves, but, as a rule, it is not a very
heavy bearer. There are many varieties, the fruit of which varies
considerably in size and shape, and the skin is sometimes smooth and
sometimes warted, or even covered with short soft spines. It has
usually comparatively few seeds, and these are surrounded by a rich
custard-like pulp, which in the better kinds is of very fine flavour,
and is generally much liked. The fruit is not a good keeper, still,
given careful handling and packing, it can be kept for nearly a week.
All custard apples are easily raised from seed, bu