1 May, 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 443: 
Horticultural Notes for May. 
By PHILIP MAC MAHON, 
Curator, Botanic Gardens, Brisbane. 
Tim mean shade temperature of May in Brisbane is 61 degrees, which is a 
op of 9 degrees from the mean shade temperature of last month. May is 
the of our driest months, the mean rainfall over a period of thirty-eight years 
ars 2:94 inches, with a mean of ten days during the month upon which rain 
ell, 
Flower Garden.—The general work for the month consists in digging up 
‘ll places which may be intended for planting. All new beds, borders, &c., 
‘ould be now laid out as soon as possible. In breaking up new ground and 
N digging borders which have lain for some time uncultivated, it is well to 
ow the earth up as roughly as possible with the spade. A piece of ground 
er a good digger should show a number of prism-shaped projections where 
le “spits” have been laid from the spade. ‘This exposes to the influence of the 
‘rand sun the greatest possible quantity of soil. ‘oo much cannot be said of 
© advantages of subsoiling. My attention was directed to a piece of land on 
“e Government Experimental Orchard, at Redland Bay, which had been sub- 
‘dled, and the complete change so effected, in the productiveness of the land as 
‘town by the crops (bananas) growing upon the subsoiled ground and an 
| Yoining ground not so treated, was evident to anyone. I think I have before, 
|" the pages of this Journal, mentioned the good work done by a small plough 
filled Avery’s Hardpan Subsoil Plough. Land here, upon which nothing 
Yould grow, has been reclaimed by the use of this really wonderfully cheap and 
handy tool. 
Shrubs.—Many shrubs may now be planted, but there is often a mistake 
Made in penne tropical shrubs and trees at this time of the year. A glance 
tthe ta 
; le of temperatures and rainfalls will show that the growth conditions 
dily decline from now till the middle of July, when the turn towards a 
1h, Mper and moister atmosphere takes place. For plants of the type which may 
planted in England in Octoberand November, thismonth will suit. It is well for 
se who have had old-country experience to bearinmind that May corresponds 
fe Yovember in northern latitudes. Last year the shade temperature varied 
9m 83°7 degrees on the Ist at 3 p.m. to 41°2 degrees on the 24th at 7 a.m., 
petisbane : certainly not much in this to remind us of November in England, 
it with the vast majority of tropical plants the action of root and leaf are 
| “nultaneous, and these temperatures are not conducive to leaf-action in such 
‘nts, especially with a rainfall of only about 13 inches for the month. All 
-“ciduous trees can now be planted. The pot-hole system of planting trees. 
much to be condemned. ‘The trees resent it themselves, and I am 
uainted with trees so planted from ten to twenty years ago which have: 
tdly moved in that time. The system alluded to is that of digging 
tt Miniature well and planting in that. Of course, the first shower 
Sit, and thenceforth your tree has all its work to keep alive at all, not to 
‘Peak of fulfilling the purpose for which you planted it. Nature having: 
€nded plants to occupy different situations and soils—or, rather, having 
J avlved them under the stress of different conditions—each has a root system 
ti 
with roots descending straight down for the most part, have no chance whatever: 
'ted to its special needs, and the want of a little study of this leads to much 
‘appointment in planting. Trees, for instance, of the Camphor Laurel type,. 
‘a soil in itself good, but overlying a dense clay subsoil. This, however, will 
