68 FLORIDA FRUITS ORANGES. 



It must, however, be borne in mind that these two, the 

 lemon and lime, are more easily affected by cold than 

 orange or grape fruit, and hence are not safe stock in lo- 

 calities exposed to frequent frosts. 



The grape fruit germinates as readily from the seed as 

 the sour orange, and grows off as vigorously from the very 

 first. It is as hardy as the sweet orange, is less subject to 

 disease, and makes an excellent stock for the latter. Per- 

 sonally, we prefer it to any other. 



In budding one's own nursery-raised seedlings, no matter 

 what the stock may be, it is best to bud them in the nurs- 

 ery when the stock is one year old ; then, as soon as the 

 bud shows it has taken, take up the trees carefully and set 

 them out in the grove, where they are to remain, for when 

 you have your trees at hand it is better to set them out as 

 young as possible while the roots are so small that it is 

 easy to take them up without losing any, and thereby giv- 

 ing the tree a set-back. 



Do not cut back entirely until the transplanted tree has 

 had time to grow. If all the trees in the nursery are not 

 needed for budding at the same time, it is a good plan to 

 bud alternate trees. Those that remain will have a space 

 of two feet in which to grow another year, or the space 

 thus left vacant may be filled in again with fresh stock 

 from the seed-bed. 



In buying from the nurseries, and this we would 

 advise all to do who have not their own nursery, it is 

 best to purchase stock three years old and one year 

 bud. These trees are of a size that renders them easy 

 to handle and set out, and they grow off finely, being 

 neither old enough to lose many rootlets in the process 

 of transfer, nor too young to bear a temporary cessation 

 of growth. 



Trees such as these, of the best varieties grown, are to 



