TKEE CULTURE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 53 



named grow so freely from the seed that no difficulty will be experienced 

 in getting a crop of them established on the ground by this pi-ocess. 

 This will, however, require to be done in such a manner that the 

 different operations of pruning, thinning, and clearing can be executed 

 in a systematic manner. My views on the subject, in order to this, are 

 as follows : — 



Preparation of the Seed. — Wattle ' seed being hard and not easily 

 germinated, it should be made soft before being sown. This can be best 

 done by placing it in almost boiling water and then leaving it to soak 

 for forty-eight hours, and afterwards sweating it in a damp bag until 

 quite soft. 



Sowing Wattle in masses by themselves. — In order to ensure regu- 

 larity of growth as much as possible, and, consequently, fitness of the 

 whole crop for thinning and clearing at regular periods, I would advise 

 that each species be sown in blocks by itsefl. 



On those portions which are. intended to be put under masses of any 

 of the aoaeias named, and which are not of too hUly and rough, a 

 character to allow of the ground being properly worked, the plough 

 should be used in opening it up for the reception of the seed. 



In order that the trees may come up in a regular manner, furrows 

 should be opened parallel to one another all over the ground to be 

 sown, at 3ft. to 4ft. apart, in as straight lines as the character of the 

 ground wUl admit of. 



This all done, men, provided with seed in bags, wiU go along the 

 opened furrows and drop a few seeds in at every 2ft. or 3ft. ; the second 

 man dropping the seed in his row one pace behind the first man, tbe 

 third man doing the same in his row one pace behind the second man, 

 and so on throughout the whole ground to be operated on. 



By this simple plan, the trees will be alternate in the rows, and be 

 from 2ft. to 3ft. apart over aU ; and by their branches meeting regularly 

 on all sides of them, they will be confined, and their vitality consequently 

 concentrated more to making stem than side shoots. ' ' 



When the ground comes to be operated on for stripping purposes, 

 which would be after the fifth year, and by thinnings extending over 

 two or three years, as the nature of the tree and its general conditions 

 would admit of, a certain number of good healthy trees should be left 

 on the ground in order to supply seed for another crop ; and thus, once 

 fairly established, the operations of seeding and clearing would go on 

 regularly year after year without intermission. 



Sowing Wattles as ^'■Nurses" to Timber Trees. — On those portions 

 of a plantation where the wattles would come in as nurses to mors 

 valuable timber trees, the operations of planting and sowing should be 

 conducted as follows : — 



Let the plough first open straight furrows all over the ground at 4f):. 

 apart, and parallel to one another, as in the case already referred to. 

 iTiis all done, the next process will be the planting of the more valuable 

 kinds of trees which are to remain in the ground as the permanent 

 crop. These should consist of such kiads as the character of the soil 

 Mid the nature of the site will indicate as are likely to succeed best 



