26 
AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. 
the ground with scarcely an ounce of soil left adhering to its rootsr 
Possibly a small, yet old, stunted plant, or it may be a much-branched 
or tall specimen, is selected for carrying away. In any case, though 
each specimen may possess an abundance of fibrous roots, these are cut 
off, during the process of lifting, within several inches probably of the 
main stem. The plant is perhaps prised out of the ground, with only 
a small ball of earth attached, which earth, because of the absence of 
fibrous roots to hold it together, crumbles away. The plant is then 
transported to the garden, duly watered and shaded, and expected to 
grow! Xo amount of water, or shading from the sun, will induce 
shrubs so treated to make even an attempt at revival; they commence 
to wither at once. 
The way to insure success in transplanting the wild shrubs, and 
especially the liard-wooded kinds, is to select young seedlings, say, a few 
inches high—the shorter the better—digging widely and carefully 
round them with a hand-fork or trowel, and with a sharp-pointed stick, 
or with the fingers, gradually reducing the soil to a ball of convenient 
size. Any fibrous roots met with should be left, intact, and, if possible, 
sprinkled with water. With young specimens of the hard-wooded 
shrubs, such as Baeckias, Astrolomas, Epacris, Bossiaeas, Platylobiums, 
Dillwynias, Grevilleas, Leucopogons, &c., the tap roots are usually small, 
but they should be carefully worked under, before the plants are taken 
out. When they are lifted, a piece of paper should be wrapped round 
each ball for the purpose of keeping it from breaking, and to exclude 
air. 
The best season for transplanting is during Spring and the early 
part of Summer. Plant in soil of a loose nature, without manure of 
any kind; give water at once, and shade with a few light twiggy 
branches for a day or two. When the plants appear to be sufficiently 
established remove the shading. 
Une of the greatest troubles or disappointments which can occur dur¬ 
ing the growing of a choice collection of the smaller wild shrubs arises 
when an ignorant employe, who has been set to do the usual Winter 
digging in the garden, digs deeply right up to the stem of each plant, 
severing the fibrous roots. Shrubs ill-treated in this way must suc¬ 
cumb as soon as the warm weather sets in, though they may show no 
signs ot failure till then. Hand-weeding within a radius of about 18 
inches or two feet round the plant is the best thing, before spade or 
fork is put into the ground. 
An unwise practice is that of hosing a quantity of water over the 
foliage of plants during a fierce broiling sun or a hot wind. In very 
warm weather, evening or early morning should be chosen as the time 
for supplying water, if any be required. Free drainage of the soil is 
an absolute necessity. 
The majority of tne hard-wooded shrubs delight in a loose, friable 
loam, mixed with sand; many thrive in sand alone, or even in clay and 
