328 THE FRUIT PLANTATION 



it should be even more thorough, that the evaporation of 

 moisture from the soil may be reduced to a minimum. 

 California growers have found that by frequent shallow 

 cultivation they can reduce the amount of water that 

 must be applied by irrigation, and that frequent tillage 

 and a little water will give better results than little or 

 no cultivation and a large amount of water. The amount 

 of water required will also depend on the season and the 

 character of the soil. Thus on strong soils and after a 

 heavy rainfall, no irrigation will be required, while sandy 

 soils will need irrigating as often as once in three or four 

 weeks from May to October. As a general rule, two or 

 three irrigations in a season will be ample. When used 

 at all, water should be applied in sufficient quantities to 

 wet down to the roots of the trees. Frequent scanty 

 waterings may do much harm. The water is usually ap- 

 plied in furrows, and for young trees there should be one 

 on either side of each row, but as the roots extend the 

 number should be increased, until when five or six years 

 old the entire orchard should be irrigated from furrows 

 four or five feet apart. In Florida, irrigation is not neces- 

 sary. Excellent oranges are also grown in the Delta 

 country of the Mississippi, below New Orleans, where they 

 ripen early. 



VARIETIES OF THE ORANGE. Among the best varieties 

 are: Bahia, commonly known as Washington Navel, Mal- 

 tese Blood, Mediterranean Sweet, Paper Rind, St. Michael, 

 Valencia, and Beach No. 1. Homosassa, Magnum Bonum 

 and Nonpariel are favorites in Florida. The Tangerines 

 and Madarins, or the "Kidglove" oranges (Fig. 218), have 

 a thin rind that is easily detached from the rather dry 

 pulp. Orange trees are frequently injured by various 

 scale insects, but for several of the most troublesome 

 kinds, insect parasites have been found, and for others 

 the trees are sprayed, or fumigated with hydrocyanic 

 acid gas. 



