FRUIT-GROWING lo5 



perhaps covered with the first stage of moss 

 growth. His verdict is that the soil has gone 

 * sour ' through inconsiderate over-watering, and 

 says the plant must be repotted. His practice 

 is unimpeachable — it must be done — but his 

 theory is all abroad. What is sourness ? The 

 fact is this gardening phrase is just a manner 

 of speaking. One must not let people think we 

 don't know. Think a minute, however. The 

 constant water-pouring has closely compacted the 

 earth till at the surface it is like wet mortar and 

 is quite impervious to air. Trickling through the 

 moss, it has long ago dissolved out and carried 

 down to the saucer all the soluble mineral salts 

 rcijuired by the plant. Here are the two causes 

 that bring about for the roots asphyxia or 

 stilling and starvation," 



Budding the shields on to Seville or bitter 

 orange stock instead of on to lemon has been 

 suggested as rendering trees less liable to collar 

 rot. It would also probably improve the delicacy 

 of the fruit. Lemon stock gives a course rind 

 and a characteristic oval shape to the early crops 

 of fruit. The Pumelo and Seville orange are 

 preferred as stocks in Ceylon. 



The small Tangerine orange, known locally as 

 nartje, flourishes at Umbeluzi, but the fruit of 

 Tangerine is inferior in lusciousness to that of 



