372 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Max, 1900 
T have observed that late plantings in November generally prove fruit 
but, owing to the shortened period for attaining maturity, the plants will - ( 
be imperfectly grown, and produce but a proportionately limited crop. Ea 
to obtain the most satisfactory results, early propagation of the plant 1s a 
tive. Of course, in our Northern regions and in part of our Southern oe 
districts, which are comparatively immune from early frosts, the planting oa 
can. be safely put off until November or the early part of December wit ot 
undue risk to the crop. y 
TRANSPLANTING. i ae. 
In the ordinary course of garden work, the transplanting is ual I 
performed by the simple removal of the plants from the seed bed, we Thi 
unduly tearing the tender root. A small hand fork for loosening the i is | Cn 
that the plant can be liftedin good order, is all that is needful. The Dae Tom 
haying been raised, set the plants out in regular rows, and in well-firmed 1¢ only yh 
soil, giving due heed to the equal extension of the root fibres, which not dy [2 
helps to hold the plant firm as against strong winds which often seri0™ Tho: 
affect the shrub when in vigorous growth, as it acquires a head considert?? 
out of proportion to its foothold, but it also enables the roots by the reer of 
radiation to find more plant food for the sustenance and early developme™ | 
the bush—all of which, though apparently trivial precautions, nevertheless” | 
a very important bearing on the cultivation of this fruit. Perhaps my ° ay ‘ 
practice in handling this crop as a feature of field and orchard operations en a. 
now be brought in. During my early orchard efforts, while my young ald 
were being planted out, it became necessary to discover what catch crop @ of 
be cultivated with advantage between the rows of orchard trees. My choice, nlf 7 
some seasons, fell on the rosella as being a crop which would not URN; 
interfere either with the cultivation of my fruit trees or exhaust the SO) 
any serious extent. The first lesson in orchard operations, more especially Tr | 
young trees, is to have and keep your land clean from weeds at the ©, 
possible cost, which at once suggests the employment of labour-*# * 
machinery. I determined to try a system of my own deyising, which PP" | fl 
very successful. . part 15 
As my planting operations necessarily spread over several acres of one a | 
and at most two rows of plants could be set in between each row of frutt ted 
in order to facilitate transplanting over this area, I, as before stated, selon 
suitable spaces contiguous to my proposed planting areas for seed beds, 8° beds 
the seed not so thickly as ordinary for reasons hereafter given. Thes? ool’ Vn 
were well watered and kept clean, so that in the transfer of plants 00% the |" 
would be conveyed to the orchard land. ‘Most persons acquainted w1 eal |. 
routine of orchard work will appreciate the necessity for keeping the land tay | 
to the very last possible moment by the aid of horse implements. Immedi was 1 
after running the harrows or scarifier over the land and as soon as the 8? so Ih 
in a satisfactory condition, I pegged out my line of drills between the TOW), | & 
fruit trees, and with an American post-hole digger, with one drive of the aH 
ment, raised the necessary amount of soil to enable the transplanted P oat ih. 
occupy the space, and thus rapidly traversed my length of drill. My +8 | 
operation was to pick up the plant and soil with the digger from the neares 
bed, and transfer plant and soil into the hole prepared for it. oct 
The opening and closing mechanism of the digger lends itself most Pe nat te | 
to this work, and a pressure of the foot on each side of the plant is all t aot 
needed to permanently fix it in its place. Thus the plant is set with the oan | 
its root undisturbed, and it continues to grow without check. This sy§ rat a | 
have successfully adopted in transplanting melons and other plants of @¢@7 ip | 
nature that usually do not thrive under harsher treatment. For fil? 
misses in the rows I have found with many crops this instrument qu tba 
valuable as in its legitimate use as a post-hole digger. But an implement wo 
will satisfactorily perform in some soils may prove a comparative fail Jae 
others, hence I do not claim that in all soils success will necessaril folio : 
am quite aware that the waxy black soils or heavy clays are not best ae 
for my system, but on such soils as I then worked—red loam of a sandy ® 
