Drains will drain in porous soils much greater superficies than 

 in stiff soils. For instance, in porous, free soil, a drain will lay dry 

 eight to nine feet wide for each foot it is in depth ; in soil of medium 

 consistency, six to seven feet, whereas in heavy soil it will only draw 

 four to five feet for each foot it is in depth. Whatever the case 

 may be, if draining is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well ; and 

 it is money saved and efficiency attained to drain five acres perfectly 

 than ten imperfectly, and leave the five until this work can be 

 properly attended to. 



In conjunction with systematic and extensive irrigation 

 especially, and whenever the subsoil is not sandy or gravelly, 

 but is of a somewhat retentive nature, drainage becomes essential 

 to the fruit-grower, and in consideiing its cost he should bear in 

 mind that fertile drained laud will improve the yield by 20 to 30 

 per cent, compared with undrained land of the same nature. 



SHELTEE. 



Much damage is caused to fruit trees in exposed places, by 

 high winds howling through the orchard, breaking branches, 

 withering up tender leaves, as well as blossoms, and throwing the 

 trees out of shape, stunting them, and making them set early, and 

 stop making any more progress. 



Whenever natural shelter from a range of hills, a belt of forest 

 or the natural slope of the ground can be utilised, it should be 

 taken advantage of. If natural shelter should not exist, an artificial 

 one must be provided before or at the time of planting. If the 

 live hedge can be dispensed with, however, it is preferable to renounce 

 the luxury. A quick hedge growing round a vineyard or an orchard, 

 will rob the trees of their nutriment, unless means are taken of 

 preventing them doing any harm. 



Many of the trees used for the purpose, such as the olive, the 

 black wattle, the white boxthorn, the mulberry a re at times attacked 

 with scale insects, which, unless kept down, would soon infest the 

 fruit trees. They also harbour a host of troublesome birds that 

 do a vast deal of damage about the time the fruits ripen. A quick 

 hedge is, however, sometimes necessary for the protection of vine- 

 yards and orchards situated near a town, a village, or along a public 

 road. Should a hedge, however, be found necessary, a deep trench 

 about two feet deep should be run along it so as to cut off the 

 growth of the roots towards the direction of the vines or fruit 

 trees. 



A short description of a few hardy plants which have proved 

 suitable for the purpose, taken mainly from Baron von Mueller's 

 " Extra Tropical Plants," will prove of use to those who require wind 

 breaks for their orchards or gardens : 



ACACIA, Locust A. (Robinia Pseudacacia, Linne) or North 

 American Locust Acacia. A high quick-growing tree, producing a 

 hard and durable wood eligible for axle trees and turnery, may be 



