ORANGE, CITEON, AND LEMON TKKES. 31 



warmth in the winter months ; I therefore never suffer my house to be 

 heated above 50^ by fire heat until the end of February or the 

 beginning of March, when the trees, if in good health, will begin to 

 show blossom ; the fire-heat should then be increased to 55^ ; but 

 the houses ought not to be warmed above 65 ' at this time by sun- 

 heat, the excess of which must be checked by the admission of air ; 

 and indeed the more air the trees have during the time of blossoming, 

 the more certain will be the crop of fruit. My trees are washed with 

 a hand syringe about twice a-week in the winter months, advantage 

 being taken of the middle of the day for that work in cold weather ; 

 in summer they are M'ashed in the morning, and it is tiien done every 

 day. During the time the trees are in blossom they require more care 

 in respect to watering. I do it less frequent, and then use a syringe 

 with a top, the holes of which are so small that they will not admit a 

 fine needle to pass through them. Clean soft water from the cistern 

 in the conservatory is used for all these purposes. As soon as the 

 fruit is set I begin to water the trees at their roots with the com- 

 position-water above described, giving more or less, according to 

 discretion ; the trees having no other sort of water during the summer 

 months, except what little falls from their leaves when they are 

 syringed each morning. 



In the early part of June the greenhouse plants are taken out for 

 the summer, and I then begin to force the trees, by keeping the heat 

 in the house up as near as possible to 75°, for I do not consider that 

 either Citrons, Oranges, Lemons, or Limes, can be grown fine and 

 good with less heat. "Whilst the forcing is going on, particular 

 attention is paid to the waterings above described. In June I also 

 give the trees a top dressing of the rich compost before mentioned ; 

 this is of tlie greatest advantage in swelling the fruit, and it is done in 

 the following manner. The earth above the roots is moved with a 

 small hand fork, taking care not to disturb any part of the roots ; all 

 the loose earth is then removed clear to the roots, and replaced with 

 the compost. This operation I have performed for four years on the 

 trees, and to it I principally attribute my success in producing such 

 fine and abundant crops. With respect to pruning the trees, I do not 

 know that regular directions can be given for the work, but I will 

 state in what manner my trees are treated. Early in February they 

 are looked over ; at that time it is apparent what wood is likely to be 

 fruitful, and as a certain quantity of old branches are yearly cut away, 

 I take out those which seem least promising, and so make room for the 

 younger and more productive wood. If the trees afterwards grow very 

 strong, the shoots are shortened according to their strength, in the 

 same way as Peach-trees are shortened. Thus the branches pruned 

 are not only fruitful, but they are restrained to any shape desired ; for 

 no sort of fruit-trees bear the knife more patiently than those I am 

 treating of. There is some nicety required in thinning and arranging 

 the crop. When the fruits are about the size of small wallnuts it is 

 proper to thin them. Two fruits are never left together, or they would 

 neither be fine nor well formed ; the quantity left to ripen also depends 

 on the age and strength of the tree. The thinnings have no pulp 



