45 
or along a public road. Should a hedge 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 von Miieller’s “Extra 
Tropical Plants,” will prove of use to those who require wind-breaks 
for their orchards or gardens :— 
ALMOND TREE (Amygdalus communis, Linné).—From Caucasus. 
Resists drought well, and yields a valuable crop. The cost of 
gathering the crop in South Europe is about 20 per cent. of its 
market value. The flower affords to bees, early in the season, nectar 
and pollen. There exists hard and soft-shelled varieties of both the 
sweet and bitter almonds. Can even be grown on seashores. Fur- 
ther information is given concerning the almond in a subsequent 
chapter. 
BAMBOO-REED (Arundo Donax, Linné).—The tall, evergreen, 
lasting bamboo-reed of,Northern Europe, South-Western Asia, and 
Northern Africa, is fairly hardy, and attains a height of 20: feet and 
more. One of the most important plants of its class for quickly 
producing scenic effect in picturesque plantations, also for inter- 
cepting almost at once, the view of unsighly objects, and for giving 
early shelter. The canes are used for fishing-rods, for light props 
and various utensils. Easily transplanted at any season. Rows or 
belts of it intercept sewage or exsiceate stagnant drainage. Pasture 
animals like to browse on the young foliage. Dr. Baneroft, in 
Queensland, proved this plant a splendid “stayby” in seasons of 
drought, and recommends reserve fields of it regularly to be kept. 
‘THE Carop TREE, synonym Locust Bean (Ceratonia Siliqua, 
Linné.—One of the best, if not the best, shelter tree for this State. 
Indigenous of the Eastern Mediterranean regions; attains a height 
of 40ft. to 50ft., and resists drought, hot winds; succeeds well in 
all kinds of soils—rocky, gravelly, hilly, but thrives more particu- 
larly on calcareous subsoil, and on deep fertile loams. Would grow 
in this country at all altitudes. Splendid specimens of it grow 
near Geraldton and at New Norcia and also at Pinjarra, yielding 
annually two to three hundredweights and more of saccharine pods; 
of great value as stock food, and worth for that purpose, 
when crushed, 5s. to 6s. a ecwt. The exportation of the 
pods from Cyprus, Crete, and Syria is very large. In most of 
the Mediterranean countries horses, cattle, and pigs are almost ex- 
clusively fed, during the dry months of the year, upon the pods, 
which contain 50 per cent. of sugar and gum. The meat of sheep 
and pigs is greatly improved in flavour by this food. At Gibraltar, 
Malta, and in Egypt the fine commissariat mules are fed with a 
mixture of Carob beans and pulse; to horses and cattle 6lbs. a day 
are given of the crushed pods, raw or boiled, with or without chaff. 
