CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



The orange, in common with other evergreen trees, is exceed- 

 ingly sensitive to exposure of its roots, and for this reason the hand- 

 ling of the young trees is very different from that of ordinary 

 orchard trees. Three ways are employed for securing this constant 

 moisture of the roots, as follows : 



Packing in Wet Straw. As fast as the trees are lifted from the 

 nursery ground by digging carefully so as to loosen' and secure all 

 the roots possible, they are packed in damp and partially rotten 

 straw, proper receptacles being at hand so that the roots are not 

 exposed by carrying them any distance. In taking up, all roots 

 bruised by the spade are cleanly cut with a sharp knife. The tap- 

 root is cut away at a depth of a foot or so from the surface. This 

 use of wet straw, if faithfully carried out, will answer well in taking 

 trees' short distances for planting, but the use of a puddle on the 

 roots before packing in damp straw gives additional assurance of 

 success. Large shipments of trees have been made by packing roots 

 in damp moss in specially made chests holding 100 to 125 trees. 

 These chests have top and one side on hinges so that the roots can 

 be thoroughly bedded in the moss as filling proceeds. The hinged 

 side and top are then brought together and closed with hasp and 

 staple. 



Puddling the Roots. This method is also used for deciduous 

 fruit trees, as mentioned in Chapter XL It consists in having a thin 

 puddling of loamy soil with preponderance of sand rather than of 

 clay, into which the roots are dipped as soon as the tree is lifted 

 from the nursery. This mixture, which should be about as thick as 

 cream, may be made in a hole in the ground, or, better still, in a box 

 or cask large enough to allow complete plunging of the roots. As 

 soon as dipped, and with all the mud which will adhere, the roots are 

 packed in wet straw. If the trees are to remain thus packed for any 

 length of time the greatest care must be observed to keep the straw 

 damp, and water must be applied gently to avoid washing the 

 puddle from the roots. 



Sacking the Roots with a Ball of Earth. This is a very satis- 

 factory way to move orange trees, and if it is well done, the tree 

 does not wilt, and may be moved long distances and handled more 

 freely than the puddled roots. To ball and sack trees, dig a trench 

 along one side of the row about six inches away from the tree, and 

 about a foot and a half deep. By careful digging under each tree 

 from this trench the tap-root is reached, and severed by a cut with 

 a sharp spade. The side roots are also cut by thrusting the spade 

 down on the three sides not opened by the trench. The top earth 

 is carefully removed nearly down to the highest lateral roots, and 

 after being sure that the roots are severed all around, the tree is 

 lifted out with the ball of earth which encloses the remaining roots. 

 This ball is rounded off carefully and then placed on a half of a 

 grain sack or other piece of burlap, the corners of which are drawn 

 up and tied around the stem of the tree with baling rope. It is also 

 an additional surety of safety to allow the baling rope to run under 

 and around the ball to aid in holding it together. The balled trees 



