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knowledge of the requirements of the tree to ensure its success, 

 so that at the outset when men who knew nothing of the cultiva- 

 tion or principles to be followed, launched out by planting 30 or 

 40 acres of oranges and grape fruit, were simply tempting Provi- 

 dence. 



Now it is not my intention or desire that any of you should go 

 away from this Lecture Hall believing that by taking up citrus 

 culture you are going to make your immediate fortunes, or that even 

 if you follow my instructions implicitly there will be no failure ; 

 these things I cannot promise, but this I will say, that it is my firm 

 belief that all those who embark in citrus culture on a small scale 

 at first, and follow out my instructions will in the years to come 

 find they have in their small groves quite as profitable an invest- 

 ment as any other product they may grow, and one that is espe- 

 cially suited to the man of small means. 



For all practical purposes, in dealing with citrus plants this 

 afternoon, although there are endless varieties, we need only take 

 into consideration for commercial purpose, two of the species, 

 the " Sweet Orange" and the Pomelo, or as we call it in Jamaica, 

 " Grape Fruit," and as the cultivation and treatment of both are 

 similar, I will treat them under one head, which will both save 

 time and prevent any undue confusion in your minds. 



In the first place I would particularly warn you against the 

 great mistake most people have made in starting on too large a 

 scale, a quarter of an acre you will find will be quite large enough 

 an area for a start, extending your cultivation as you gain expe- 

 rience and your means allow. A universal mistake that nine- 

 tenths of the men in Jamaica make, whether in Commerce or Agri- 

 culture, is, taking on more than they can manage. Always bear 

 this in mind, that whereas the right amount of money spent on 

 just sufficient cultivation, may bring you in a handsome profit, the 

 same amount spent on twice the acreage or undertaking, is sure to 

 land you in serious losses and make you disgusted with that special 

 industry. 



In starting a citrus grove the first thing to be considered is suit- 

 able land, and this is a great point if you desire to meet with suc- 

 cess. In every case a gentle slope will be found to give much 

 better results than very level land, heavy clays should be avoided, 

 a soil of limestone formation such as the red soils of St. Ann and 

 Manchester, do admirably for oranges and grape fruit, and you 

 might say constitute the natural home of the orange in Jamaica. 

 The ideal location for a grove will be found on soils that are inter- 

 spersed whh limestone rock, but yet having plenty of deep soil 

 around them ; it will not be so easy to cultivate but will be found 

 in the long run to give better results. A rich sandy loam is also 

 good, but you will find that this description of soil, being found 

 nearer the sea coast, is accompanied by a very dry and hot at- 

 mosphere, the fruit takes longer to mature and the colour will 

 not be so good when it ripens. 



Having chosen the spot for your grove you must set about pro- 

 pagating plants to stock it. For this purpose I would advise your 



