THE FARM HOLDING. L^l 



neck of the plant.; then till up the hollow with water. After the water has 

 thoroughly soaked in, fill up the depression with dry soil, leaving it as 

 loose as possible. It acts as a mulch and retards evaporation. A tree so 

 treated will have a certain amount of moisture near the roots for a consider- 

 able time afterwards. It is a goodplan to dip open-rooted plants — i.e., 

 plants received from the nursery with no soil attached — in a stiff clay puddle 

 before planting. Young trees taken from pots should have the ball of earth 

 attached loosened at the bottom, and some of the roots spread out. 



Pack the soil thoroughly up to plants taken from pots when planting. 

 Young trees are often lost through neglecting this necessary packing of the 

 soil to the plant. Young trees which are struggling to get a hold of the 

 soil begin to grow after a simple trampling of the soil firmly round them. 

 Inexperienced planters are liable to fall into this error often from a mistaken 

 fear of causing injury. 



Best Time to Plant. 



The months of June, July, and August are the usual months of 

 the year for planting, but no hard-and-fast rule can be laid down. For trees 

 that shed their leaves during the winter, the months mentioned are the only 

 ones. Evergreen sorts, usually sent out by nurserymen in pots, can be planted 

 either much earlier or later. 



Getting the planting done as early as possible is sound practice. The 

 young trees thus get the benefit of the winter rains, and stand a much better 

 chance of becoming established before the heat of summer is due. In districts 

 subject to severe frosts, planting operations may extend up to early in 

 October. One advantage, however, of early planting is that should a tree 

 fail, the failure may be noticed in time to replant again with a fair chance of 

 success. 



Care of Young Trees. 



The young trees must be protected from stock, either by a system of 

 tree-guards or, if planted in shelter belts, by running a line of fence round 

 them. This protection should be afforded till the trees are sufficiently grown 

 to be out of the reach of large animals. Kabbit-infested country will require 

 closer protection by wire-netting the plantations. Any attention given, such 

 as keeping the surface loose and free from weeds, will repay the trouble 

 taken; it will serve a double purpose, assisting the growth of the trees and 

 reducing the risk of injury by fire. 



Some Useful Kinds for Various Districts.* 



Not the least important consideration in planting trees for shade and effect 

 in parks and reserves, or for shade and shelter of stock, is the choice of the 

 right kinds. Planting close to the sea, but with shelter on the ocean side, is 

 quite a different matter from planting on the ocean front. The lowdying 

 areas, or those under 300 feet above sea-level, must be content with a smaller 

 assortment than is available for higher altitudes. Residents of coastal areas 

 cannot expect to grow the beautiful native trees of the western plains ; nor 

 will the plains raise the rich vegetation of the coast, however kind the 

 cultivation may be. Districts with long frost periods must have special 

 consideration, and all these several considerations are varied by exceptions, 

 some districts having a large range of possibilities. 



* E. N. Ward, Superintendent, Botanic Gardens, Sydney. 



