TREE CULTUEE IN SOUTH AUSTJBALIA. 67 



In all cases, the ground on the line where a hedge is planted should be 

 clean and thoroughly free from stagnant water in the subsoil. It should 

 be also trenched at least 1 Sin. in depth, and from 2ft. to 3ft. in breadth, 

 if practicable. In this trenching, all stones and other rubbish should be 

 carefully removed. If the soil be somewhat poor in places, this should 

 be made good by an intermixture of some other kind of a richer character,, 

 so as to make the whole of it in the . line of fence as equable in quality 

 as possible, and thus uniformity of growth in the plants composing the 

 hedge will be secured. 



TT^is done, the surface of the ground should then be carefully levelled 

 and well-pressed down along the immediate line where the plants are to 

 be inserted, so that a good straight line may be cut for the laying-in of 

 them. 



The plants used in the laying down of a hedge should be of a 

 strong, well-grown kind, with plenty of fibrous roots ; and they should, 

 be carefully planted with all their roots spread well out to their full 

 length, and the soil nicely moulded down and put regularly about them. 

 Tramp the soil down only after the hole has been all filled up. The 

 plants may be put in at distances rangiug from 6in. to lOin. apart, in 

 accordance with the nature of the plant and the character of the soU in. 

 which it is to be planted. These particulars I give in Chapter XXXIV. 

 of this work. 



The sowing of the seed in the . line of fence is recommended in some 

 cases instead of putting in the plants. Such plants as are suitable for this- 

 system of treatment are mentioned in the chapter just referred to. In 

 .this case the ground should be prepared in the manner above described,, 

 and after the surface of the ground has been thoroughly raked fine, 

 the seed should be put in to a regular depth, and with about one 

 or two seeds to every Sin. In sowing seeds in this way, great care- 

 should be exercised to see that the very best of articles only is used, 

 as much disappointment will be the result if seed of an inferior quality 

 be sown. Should the seed have been good and the plants come up 

 pretty thickly, they should be thinned out after they have reached a 

 height of from Sin. to 6in. In performing this operation, the plants left 

 on the ground ought to stand as regularly as possible apart, although 

 a weakly plant should not be left instead of a strong one in order simply 

 to keep up imiformity of distance apart — that is, it will be much better 

 to pull up a weakly plant which stands at the required distance apart, 

 and leave a strong one 2in; or 3in. further on. This thinning should be- 

 carefully performed by one accustomed to such work, and all care taken 

 to avoid disturbiug the roots of the plants which are left to form the 

 hedge. 



If stock be kept in the fields adjoining, it will be necessary to protect 

 the hedge with a fence on each side of it for a few years, until it has 

 arrived at that stage when it will be beyond risk of destruction by stock. 

 These fences should not be closer to the plants than about 4ft. In 

 Fig. 42 I give an end view of a hedge so treated. 



The young plants should be carefully attended to in. the way of 'keeping- 

 them free of weeds, and stirring the soil round their stems for a- 



