24 
AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. 
seeds germinate; afterwards water should not be given unless abso¬ 
lutely necessary, as very young seedlings kept too moist are likely to 
damp off. 
A novel method of raising Eucalypts, Acacias, and similar kinds 
of trees in quantity for plantations in very warm climates, is to sow 
the seeds in tubes; for example, the hollow stems of the Bamboo-reed, 
A run do Donax. The principal advantage gained by this process is, 
that the tube, with the plant growing in it, can be easily drawn out 
at any time of the year, and inserted in the hole elsewhere prepared for 
the tree. The reed, which decays rapidly, carries the tap-root straight 
down into the soil; but, of course, the prepared hole must be deeply 
and widely dug. The Bamboo reed usually grows to a height of 15 
to 18 feet, and the hollow canes when mature—averaging rather more 
than an inch in thiCKness—are sawn into lengths of eight or nine 
inches. Placed on end close together in well drained boxes, with a 
layer of soil over the drainage material—which need only be broken-up 
stone or like material—the tubes are filled with finely-prepared soil. 
The spaces between the reeds may be given some of Ihe soil, which 
will help to prevent displacement. In preparing the tubes, the joints 
or nodes should be sawn off. After the soil has been well shaken down 
into the tubes, and the surface made level and watered, the seeds can 
be thinly sowu, covered, and watered. Should more than one seed 
germinate in a tube, the extras must be pulled out, leaving one plant 
only to develop. 
