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Cultivators must bear in mind that each one of these conditions is 

 essential to the most perfect success in the cultivation of the Citrus 

 family, and it is not sufficient if some are provided for and others 

 neglected. 



SOIL AND CLIMATE. 



The Citrus family will do very well in any ordinary good soil of fair, 

 depth, and on any site which is not too wet or exposed. Low-lying land, 

 where the temperature is often very low in the winter and spring; where 

 fogs are heavy and frequent, and the sides of bleak hills should be equally 

 avoided by Orange cultivators as a rule, The most favourable soil is a 

 strong sandy loam with a gravelly or open subsoil. Limestone soils are 

 also specially well adapted for the growth of the Orange family. The 

 cultivation of Citrus fruits will prove a very profitable industry in the 

 warmer regions of Austalasia. The conditions of soil and climate in 

 many of these wide regions are as perfect as can be desired by the 

 cultivator, and the only other requirement is a supply of water to 

 contend with dry seasons. 



Though the Orange family is specially suitable for warm districts, yet 

 they may also be cultivated successfully in other localities, provided the 

 winters are not too severe. The trees will stand three or four degrees of 

 frost with impunity, but not more. When planted in the cooler districts 

 the most favourable site for an orangery is a gentle slope, with an aspect 

 between north and east, so that the trees may get the full benefit of the 

 early morning sun. Planters, however, are not always in a position to 

 make the most perfect choice of soil and situation, and must make the 

 best of existing conditions. In the warmer districts the aspect of an 

 orangery is not of so much importance. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



In preparing for Orange trees it is advisable to break up the ground to 

 the depth of from eighteen inches to twenty-four inches when circum- 

 stances will permit. The soil should also be thoroughly broken and well 

 mixed, as a fine tilth is grateful to the roots of the Orange family. 

 Trenching with the spade is by fr the most effective way of preparing 

 the ground ; but the work can be done more quickly and economically 

 by the use of the plough and subsoiler. A good depth of well-worked 

 soil gives the trees a wide field to obtain nourishment from, and places 

 them in the best position to withstand the effects of dry weather. It is 

 not advisable, however, in preparing the ground to turn up much of a 

 bad subsoil, and when this exists cultivators should simply stir and break 

 it to the depth of a few inches, leaving it in the same position as before. 

 Perfect drainage is essential in the cultivation of the Orange family, as 

 the trees cannot thrive when water is stagnating at their roots. Due 

 provision for effective drainage should always be made when the ground 

 is prepared. In light soils, on sloping ground, or when the subsoil is 

 open, there will often be sufficient drainage naturally. When, however, 



