250 THE CHIEF SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL CROPS 



hardened. In Florida orange trees are usually 

 planted in winter, when in the most nearly dormant 

 condition. They can then be handled much the same 

 as deciduous fruit trees. They can, however, be 

 successfully planted in summer by selecting a time 

 w^hen the growth is not active, but more care is re- 

 quired than in the dormant winter season. In mov- 

 ing orange trees they should always be heavily 

 pruned, and if the weather is dry it is wise to clip 

 off half of each remaining leaf with the shears in 

 order to still further check transpiration. If the 

 trees are entirely defoliated, the tendency is for 

 new shoots to start too quickly before there is suf- 

 ficient root development to support them. In the 

 tropics it is often necessary to cut the roots about 

 the young trees a week or ten days before moving 

 them in order to check growth and render them 

 sufficiently dormant, so that they can be handled 

 with safety. 



The proper handling, grading, and packing of 

 oranges for market are matters of the greatest 

 importance since the price received is largely de- 

 pendent on the care and skill used. This fact seems 

 to be more generally and fully appreciated by the 

 California growers than by those in the South. 

 Much of the reputation of California fruits has come 

 from the fact that they are uniformly so well packed. 

 Oranges for shipment should alwaj'S be cut from the 

 tree with the small clippers used for this purpose. 

 If they are pulled, the skin will be broken at the 

 point of attachment to the stem and decay is likely 

 to follow. When first picked, the rind of the orange 



