August i, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



117 



lishe:! or the safety of the operator preserved. The dis- 

 regard of this rule was followed not long ago by what 

 might have been a severe accident. An excellent work- 

 man was about finisliing the pruning of a beech tree ; 

 two long , slender branches remained to be operated on. 

 He cut the lower of the two branches first ; the twigs 

 on the ends of the branches had become interlocked, 

 and the branch B, in falling, pulled down the branch A. 

 This broke under the weight of the fii-st, and, strildng 

 the opei'ator on the head, inflicted a severe wound, caus- 

 ing his fall to the ground, a distance of twenty or 

 thii-ty feet. 



T)ie Amputation of Large Branches. — Many of the 

 lower branches previously shortened must afterwards be 

 removed, from time to time, imtil the necessai-y height 

 of trunk has hien attained. The number of branches 

 to be removed must, of course, depend on the height 

 of the tree, the natui'e of the soU in which it grows, 

 and its age when fu'st operated on. Great caution 

 should be observed in amputating large branches ; small 

 branches can, of course, be lopped oft at any time 

 witliout danger to the tree. We agi-ee with de Courval 

 that at least thi'ee medium-sized branches may be safely 

 removed from a tree in one year, although if the branches 

 are veiy large, not more than one, or perhaps two, 

 should be cut at one tiiue. It is always desii'able, how- 

 ever not to unnocessaiily increase by the removal of 

 living branches the wounds left on the truuk by the 

 cutting off of dead branches or other excrescences. 

 ^Vhenever it is necessary to amputate a large or long 

 branch, it should be cut fii'st in such a manner as to 

 leave a stmnp two or thi'ee feet long before the final 

 operation of cuttmg it close to the trunk is undertaken. 

 In this way the danger of tearing away by the weihgt 

 of the falling branch portions of the bark of the trunk 

 may be avoided. This ivill prevent, too, the serious 

 accidents which often occm' when a large branch is cut 

 at th'st close to the trunk, when the end striking the 

 gi'ound may cause the butt to fly up and throw down 

 the workman. It is an indispensable condition of the 

 prompt healing over and perfect cu'culation of sap that 

 all wounds should be evenly cut and shaped as nearly 

 as possible to the trunk of the tree. In order to seciu'e 

 this condition, the operatioh of amputating a branch 

 should be commenced by making a notch on its lower 

 side. This notch should reach the middle of the branch ; 

 a second notch should then be made on the upper side 

 of the branch, but fm'ther from the truuk of the tree 

 than the cut. By adopting this method all danger, too, 

 of injury to the tiimk from the weight of the falling 

 branch teaiing away the bark ivill be avoided. 



The operation of amputating a branch will not be 

 complete, whatever method is employed, until the wound 

 is made perfectly smooth. The workman may do this 

 with his hatchet, used as a plane, the handle being 

 held in one hand and the point of the blade in the other. 



Use of Coal Tar in Dresxinf/ JVounds. — AH wounds 

 made ou the tree in pruning should he covered with a 

 coat of coal tar applied inth an ordinai'y painter's brush. 



The importance of ohsei-ving the directions which have 

 been given, however trivial or unimportant they may 

 seem, will be apparent when it is understood that the 

 entu-e success of the operation of pruning, and of the 

 future production of timber, depends on the proper ap- 

 plication of these niles. 



It should always be boi-ue in mind that a cut per- 

 fectly smooth, and as closely foUowing the line of the 

 trunk as circumstances Mill pennit, is soon re-covered 

 with healthy straight-gi-ained wood. In this connection 

 it is well to quote from de Coun'al, who speaks vith 

 the authority of experience, and who has shown with 

 many varieties of trees the correctness of his statements. 

 "A casual examination," he says, "will show that be- 

 tween the surface, which has been cut smooth and 

 treated with coal tar, and the new tissues which soon 

 cover it, there is only the thinnest crack or fissui-e 



analogous to the natural cracks or openings which always 

 appear in wood in seasoning, and which, as is well 

 known, do not diminish its strength, elasticity, or value 

 for all industrial puqjoses." 



In the preceding pages the general rules which should 

 be followed m pruning forest trees have been given ; 

 the special methods applicable to each of the fom- classes 

 in which treesi have been placed according to then- age 

 will now be briefly explained.— ./oiovini of Forestry. 



(?orr6$pond6nc^. 



To the Editor of the Tropical Agriculturist 

 ORANGE CULTIVATION. 



Coonoor, Madras, April 15th, 1882. 

 Deak Sir,— Information reg.irdiug the cultivation of 

 oranges would be valued by more than one planter 

 here : the sorts to grow, the way to grow them with 

 the probable prdtits if any. Trusting you may be 

 able to find space in your paper for improving our 

 education on this subject. — lam. yours faithfully 



W. RHODES JAMES. 

 [We copy the following from the Gardeners' Diction- 

 aril, edited by 6. W. Johnson : — 



Ci'teus. Orange-tree. (Derivation of douMful origin ■ 

 supposed to refer to Citron, a town in Jud;ea. Nat. ord ' 

 Citronworts [Aiu-antiace:e]. Linn., IS. Polyadelphia 2-Foli'/\ 

 auflria.) -'^ 



Greenhouse evergreen trees. 

 C. aiKjnliCta (angulnr-fniited) . White. E. Ind. 



— aura'iitium (snvet-orange) . 1^. White. Asia. 1595. 



— huxifo'lia (box-leaved). 3. 'White. June. China.. 



— decnma'm (huge. Shadrlock). 15. AVhite. June. India. 



— -i-WjWo'.s'rt (delicious). White. April. China. 



— hi/'strix (porcupine). 15. White. June. E. Ind. 



— Japo'nica (Japa.n-small-fruited). 6. "niiite. June. Japan. 



— lime'tta (\ime-herr/amot). 8. White. June. Asia. 1648. 



— limo'mim (lemon). 15. White. .June. Asia. 1648. 



— Jtadure'nsis (Madura). 10. AYhite. Jung. China. 



— martjari'ta (pearl. Sweet lemon). 15. AVhite. June. China 



— Me'd.ica (Median. Citrona). 8. 'WTiite. June. Asia. 



— no'bilis (noble. Mandarin). 15. White. June. China. 1805 

 jni'KOT' (smaller). 15. 'Wljite. .Tune. China. 1805. 



— spinosi'ssimn (spiniest). 15. White June. Cayenne. 



— vtdga'ris (common. Seville). 15. White. June. Asia. 

 mi/rtifo'lia (myrtle-leaved). 3. White. June. Asia. 



Common Orant/e (0. am-anti'acum). — The following are 

 esteemed varieties : — the China. Blood-red, Sweet-skinned 

 the Ribbed, Pear-shaped. Tiny-fruited, Fingered, St! 

 Michael'.s, and Mandarin. The Mand>irin and St. Michael's^ 

 are far superior to the rest for cultivation. The TMandarin 

 is cultivated extensively at Malta, although originally from 

 China ; it has a thin rind, and is of very superior flavour. 

 The St. Michael's is also a small orange, but the skin is of 

 a pale yellow ; the rind, also, very thin, and the pulp remark- 

 ably sweet. The fruit is generally without seed, and the 

 tree is a great bearer. 



The Lime (0. lime'tta) approaches the lemon ; but the 

 juice is flat, and somewhat bitter. 



The Shaddock (C. decuma'na) has a large and round fruit: 

 'ikui yellow, with a white, spongy rind ; the pulp sweet and 

 juicy. This has been successfully cultivated, in Devonshire, 

 on the open walls, with protection in winter, but no artificial 

 heat. 



The Lemon (0. Hmo'num). — The Continental growers are 

 content to raise these from seed ; hence the great difference 

 in quality of the imported fruit. 



Tlie Citron (C. me'dica) has a rind thick, spongy, and very 

 fragrant ; pulp, sub-acid. 



Propainition . — All the kinds will propagate freely by rtit- 

 tinr/s, either of the young shoots, or of those riper in char- 

 acter. They oreprepjired ij the usual w.ay. and inserted in 

 pots of sand. A close frame, with a bottom-beat of 75 => 

 is necessary, and they must Ic plunged. Tliey may be 

 made at any period, excepting wbi st the plants are growing. 

 Some cultivators put out long, straight pieces of the Citron 

 (which is easiest to propagate), of two or three years' 

 growth ; and, as soon as they are rooted, they graft them. 



