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mend the planting of seedlings exclusively, contending that 

 they will make healthier, larger trees and come into bear-- 

 ing as early as the grafted. We believe the theory is not 

 tenable, and we know there is no certainty of their early 

 fruiting. We have seedling trees from twelve to twenty 

 years old, healthy and thrifty, which have never borne an 

 orange, and we have also trees nine years old, budded, 

 which are now in their third year of bearing. 



In regard to the seedling tree being healthier, or grow- 

 ing more rapidly, or making a larger tree when thirty 

 years old, or bearing more fruit than the budded or grafted 

 tree, seems very unreasonable. Many seedling trees are 

 barren, or nearly so, and even if they do bear early, there 

 is no certainty of obtaining superior fruit, while the budded 

 tree is usually propagated from prolific and known varie- 

 ties, consequently, is never barren. 



Those trees which bear early and continually, do not 

 grow so rapidly as those that do not bear, because fruiting 

 is at the expense of wood, but as the years roll round, if 

 they are properly cared for, they will grow to be as large 

 and in every way equal to seedlings in size. 



Captain Burnham, of Indian river, says his trees are 

 nearly all budded, but that an occasional seedling is stand- 

 ing throughout the grove, and his budded trees are now 

 much larger (they are old) more thrifty and prolific than 

 the seedlings Plant budded trees by all means. 



The sooner the trees are planted after being lifted 

 from the nursery the better. The roots should never be 

 exposed to the sun and drying winds, and the best time to 

 plant is immediately after a heavy shower of rain. The 

 holes should be opened sufficiently large and deep to allow 

 of the spreading out nicely all the roots, and then the dirt 

 should be carefully worked in, under and around the little 



