SAND-DRIFT PROBLEM IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 89 
vegetation; the Australian seems to prefer to plant any- 
thing rather than his native vegetation. 
I do not of course object to the acclimatisation of useful 
plants, and the Maritime Pine has proved useful here, but 
I would place native plants first for this particular service. 
In lieu of the Maritime Pine, I recommend the Norfolk 
Island Pine (Arauwearia excelsa), as the main timber tree 
for the New South Wales coast for the following reasons. 
It revels in the sea air. Its narrow leaves and conical 
shape present comparatively little resistance to strong 
winds. It is ornamental in appearance and it furnishes a 
useful soft-wood. For a list of other plants recommended 
see p. 94. 
Hitherto plantings of trees, etc., in sand reclamation 
works in this State have always been made from plants 
and not from seed; I desire to emphasise the desirability of 
sowing seed. If, however, seeding cannot take place, I 
would advocate the establishment of a small nursery within 
the sand-driit area. It need not be expensive, but the 
enormous advantage would accrue of plants being raised 
from the beginning in situations as nearly as possible similar 
to those they would ultimately occupy, while, as arrange- 
ments would not have to be made for their conveyance from 
distant parts, they could be planted out at the most favour- 
able opportunity. We will now return to the French 
method of establishing a vegetable growth on the dunes. 
In establishing trees on the dunes it is necessary to raise 
quick growing shelter bushes (technically known as ‘nurses’) 
at the same time. The ‘nurse’ I would recommend for 
Norfolk Island Pines is Tea-tree scrub, and particularly 
Leptospermum lcevigatum. The dune is divided into strips 
D0 or 60 feet wide, and protected by means of a fascine 
fence, against the prevailing wind. The strip is then 
planted, quincunx fashion, with Marram grass, the centres 
G—July 1, 1903. 
