April i, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



699 



less thau 20 to 30 iuches deep; but potatoes, peas, turnips, 

 cabbages, onions, beans, sorrel, spiuacb, thyme, tomatoes, 

 and many others may be grown upon shaUower soil, although 

 all do better when they have plenty of room beneath 

 iu which their roots can run riot. 



If the beds are made j^uch wider than four feed it is 

 ditiicult to get at them for weeding and watering, and 

 as it never improves the state of the beds to be treading 

 on them whilst the plants are growing, it is much better 

 to multiply the paths upon which we may tread thau to 

 put our feet where they have no business to be. The 

 perennial herbs — of which there are a very large number 

 that ought to be found in our gardens, but which are not 

 so to be found — would best be placed near to the bound- 

 aries outside, nest the wall, and in digging the beds they 

 will be out of the way of damage through too much disturbance. 



If it is thought necessary to utilize the kitchen garden 

 as a nursery for bulbs and flowers for the decoration of 

 the flower garden, it is best to devote one or two of the 

 beds nearest the latter place, but as far as possible the 

 two dcpai'tments should be kept separate. Some gardeners 

 recommend a spot right iu the centre of the garden for 

 the tooihouse and dungheap, but there are many obvious 

 objections to that plan, not the least of which is the bad 

 smells close to the house, where perhaps it will be necessary 

 for the gardener to l.io worldng for hours occasionally; 

 and the break iu the direct line of the path is not advisable. 



The enclosure all round should, if possible, be 6 to 9 

 feet high, and consist of a stone or concrete wall by 

 preference; next to this a good, close, broad paling fence 

 would bo desirable, and the gate should close with a 

 spring, so that it should never bo open except when 

 designedly kept oj^eu by means of a catch placed expressly 

 for that pvirpose. — Adelaide Observe}: 



PRACTICAL HINTy FOK PREPARING LAl^D FOR 



OiCCHARDS. 



As with the .orange tree, so with other descriiitions of 

 fruit trees. The ground must be fir.st well drained and 

 trenched ere the grower can in any way hope to succeed, 

 and the present clroiij;ht will give satisfactory proofs of 

 the appearance of vegetation iu trenched and untrcnched 

 land. It is of the utmost importance where choice varieties 

 of trees are grown that not only should the land be trenched 

 and drained, but also all tree-roots should be carefully picked 

 out and carted away to the wood-heap. It is almost im- 

 possible to drain land too much; and after heavy rains, 

 if any one will take tlie trouble to examine and fairly 

 estimate the quantity that issues forth at the exits, it wiU 

 be seen that if the water i ; retained about the roots of the 

 trees how very injurious it must be, causing without doubt 

 root-rot and consequently the decaying away of the top 

 branches. The more hybrid the tree, the more delicate 

 will be its constitution, and therefore the more perfect the 

 under tillage to prevent diseases, the more likely the chance 

 of the tree producing fruit. The better kinds of plum 

 trees, cherry trees, apricot trees, aud other varieties of 

 stone Iruits specially come under this doctrine, and as up 

 to the present time our growers have not succeeded in 

 producing crops, we must naturally conclude that the ground 

 has not been properly prepared. The system of trenching 

 land by means of the plough, esj)eciaUy when done by 

 contract, is very reprehensible. The same also may be said 

 of the undermining system of trenching whereby large 

 masses of .soil are removed at one time in each trench, 

 with the consequence that the mass simply remains intact, 

 and therefore might as well have been left alone. Trenching, 

 to be effective, should be done only by the spade, shovel, 

 and pick, and so turned over that every particle may be 

 fairly broken up. Those who have bonedust at command 

 should give a good dressing on the top of the first spit 

 of soil turned over. This would serve as a feeding-gx-ound 

 for the roots after they had passed theii fiist stage of 

 gi'owth, and thereby throw vigour into the tree at its second 

 season. In choosing a site for choice kinds of plum and 

 apricot trees, select a portion tliat is warm and free from 

 winds, as many crops of valuable varieties are lost from 

 the simple fact of the flowers or just-set fruit being nipped 

 by late frosts or blown off by cold, harsh winds. — As large 

 acreages of vines are annually planted, we piupose to give 

 ft few ideas on the subject of planting. For eoue years 



we have cautioned the vignerou against planting vines re- 

 quired for wine purposes on rich laud. "Where this caution 

 has not been attended to, the result is well known. Prob- 

 ably, however, the produce of the vineyards, owing to the 

 excessive drought, will give fair wine, as the grajjes will 

 have not been able to make themselves into quantity but 

 quality. The Duke of Manchester, who evidently was a 

 keen observer of Australian resources, said in plain terms 

 that our vine-growers were on the wrong path if they 

 wished to produce wines that would command respect and 

 a high price, as the vines, instead of being planted in poor 

 stony soils, were planted in the richest land possible. 

 Vignerons will no doubt say we plant on hillsides; but it 

 is a peculiar feature of the country that it is on the high 

 hills that the richest soil is to be fouud — at least it is so 

 up to the present time where the vine is cultivated for 

 wine-making. But the time will come perhaps when vignerons 

 will be more alive to their own interest, and select land 

 for vine cultivation in accordance whether the crop is re- 

 quired for wine or for table grape purposes. To protluce 

 good grapes suitable for the table, djaining and trenching 

 are as necessary as for other trees ; and, probably, had the 

 vineyards from which the supphes are obtained been trenched, 

 the markets, even although the season has been bad, would 

 have been supplied with better sampltis .if grapes. I.)raiu- 

 ing and trenching simply mean letting oif surplus supplies 

 of ,moisture during very wet weather, and the storage of 

 moisDure during very dry weather. Referring to the sub- 

 ject of preparing land for general gardening, there cannot 

 be the slightest doubt that, if those about to make a garden 

 were to moderately drain and trench even that part set 

 out for the lawn, much benefit would accrue. It is scarcely 

 possible under present conditions that hard land having the 

 surface merely broken up can be expected to produce green 

 grass, unless iu very favourable weather. As an instance, 

 we quote the material difference noticed in the ai^pearance 

 of the grass on made land, and that where the surface 

 has been merely broken up. A little expense first incurred 

 will amply repay itself. In fact, as most persons who lay 

 out a gardeu of any extent are gentlemen of means, the 

 best plan would be either to wholly or semi-trench the 

 whole of the gi'omid intended to be devoted to the lawu 

 and the flower garden. This done, much futme trouble 

 would be avoided, and the present foolish system of trench- 

 ing holes for the flower-beds entirely dispensed with. Flower- 

 beds for general purposes or for carpt^t-bedding could be 

 made, with the assurance that the ground was properly 

 prepared, and that in wet weather the plants woukl not 

 suffer from too much moisture, and that in drj' weuther 

 the plants would be healthy aud green, even although no 

 water was available for supply. — Si/daey Mail. 



WATTLE CULTURE. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE " ADELAIDE OBSEKVER." 



Sin — "That which is well worth doing is worth doing well.'' 

 Permit me a little space in your valuable paper for the 

 simple treatment of a subject, which, in my opinion, the 

 sooner it is drawn into full light the better. It being ob- 

 vious that the mode of farming hitherto carried on in 

 South Australia will not much longer stand competition 

 with other wheat-producing countries more favourably situ- 

 ated iu regard to soil, climate, labour, distance from the 

 market, &c., than ourselves, we have to turn our eyes to 

 such culture of plants that will stand the inclemency of 

 our dry weathef as well as they will regularly yield under 

 proper management remunerative retnrn>;, and be less sub- 

 jected to dist^ases and to havoc through pernicious quad- 

 rupeds — insects. No other plant I presume answers to these 

 requirements better than the broad-leaved or golden wattle 

 (Acacia pygnantha Eeuth.), from which the best mimosa 

 bark of commerce for tanning purposes is obtained. Being 

 a native of quick growth it is content with almost any 

 kind of soil — even the beach sands not excepted — while 

 its culture js no cumbersome task. From upwards of three 

 or four years old it produces easily and p ontifully germin- 

 ating seeds for its propagation, and rcvards the com- 

 paratively small trouble with a handsome and earlier return — 

 more so than most of the tan-bearing trees and shrubs. 

 Besides its ability to resist the eft'ects of any severe weather, 

 we have to appreciate in the wattle a plant the culture 

 of which probably affects the soil iu only small degrees* 



