GROWING THE NATIVE FLORA. 
25 
leaf mould added will be beneficial ; or if the soil be at 
all heavy, a dressing of good sand will be of great 
value. It is of great importance that the plants 
shall have a well aerated soil. The soil should sea- 
sonably be dug over, and the hoe kept well at work 
in summer and in dry weather. The digging should 
not interfere with the root system, and aU shallow 
surface roots should be kept intact. The spade 
should not be used close to the shrubs or plants. That 
soU may be lightly forked over, or stirred with a hoe. 
The subsequent management and the pruning of 
the trees and shrubs must not be neglected. It 
might be argued that in the wild these plants are not 
pruned : the reply is that no one wishes to prune them 
in the wild; but in gardens, in order to get the best 
results, they must be amenable to the ordinary garden 
operations. If judiciously carried out, and the 
work done at the right season, the plants will respond 
readily to any pruning operations. While the young 
plants are growing they should be pinched or trimmed 
into a good shape. No dominant growth should be 
allowed pre-eminence; it should be pinched or cut 
back to get an even plant. The centres of the shrubs 
must not be allowed to become too crowded or they 
will become filled with dead twigs which have died for 
lack of air and light, and which are a harbour for 
spiders and all classes of insects. 
The actual pruning is done immediately after the 
flowering season, and there should be no other time 
for this work. The shrub or plant may be pruned 
hard back as soon as the flowers have fallen, bring- 
ing it back into a good regular and even shape. After 
