36 BUSH DAYS 



As the South Australian border drew nearer the flowers 

 changed in shape and growth, though yellow still prevailed. 

 In the paddocks where the white-backed magpies of the south 

 were busy all the day, the great clumps of gorse and broom 

 glowed in marvellous beauty, and filled the air with their scent. 

 These plants have taken possession of South Australia, and 

 very lovely they are though, no doubt, the farmer sees them 

 with a somewhat different eye. From Murray Bridge to 

 Adelaide one is struck by the variety of introduced plants 

 which thrive all too well. In places there is still a good 

 deal of the original bush left, and a beautiful tetratheca covered 

 whole hillsides with its purple blossoms. Adelaide people 

 call it " purple heather," and prize it highly as indeed it 

 deserves. It is of a freer growth than the one we know round 

 Sydney, and can be plucked in long sprays, while its scent is 

 very sweet. It was the wild flower most in evidence, for the 

 time of blossom was quickly passing, and only stray flowers 

 remained of many species. In sheltered spots were clusters 

 of deep red, the last flicker of the blaze of epacris, which, I was 

 told, glorified the bush a few months ago. Another red flower 

 which was to be seen in the cuttings was a pea-flower called 

 a " scarlet-runner," which from the distance looked like a 

 small, vivid kennedya. At a wayside station a small boy 

 earned a penny by running across the road and plucking a 

 bunch of gorgeous blue blossom, for which I could learn 

 no name, though its beauty certainly should have placed it on 



