CITRUS FRUITS ] 25 



have about 15 c. m. of soil above the first layer of roots, 

 when the circular trough is made for watering. 



Adult trees with a stem up to 15 c. m. in diameter 

 can be transplanted in the same way, but in their case 

 the operation is laborious and not always successful. 

 Their ball of earth should be very large, and they 

 must be severely pruned back, and carefully attended 

 to as regards watering for one or two years afterwards. 

 If possible, the operation should be commenced a year 

 before, by digging a trench 15 c. m. closer to the trunk 

 than otherwise advisable, cutting asunder as cleanly 

 as possible all the roots met with. The trench is then 

 refilled with a mixture of soil and manure and watered 

 frequently, in order to induce a free formation of rootlets 

 from the stumps of the larger roots cut during the 

 operation. When the final operation for removal is 

 performed the trench is dug on the outer side of the 

 former one, so as to spare the new rootlets which are 

 meant to assist the tree in. overcoming the severe ordeal 

 to which it has been subjected. 



SOIL. Citrus trees will grow in any soil except 

 when too stiff or too poor in quality. They seem to 

 delight in our calcareous red soils overlying the Globige- 

 rina or the Coralline formations. When they are regularly 

 watered, a moist subsoil is not necessary, but where it is 

 not always possible to irrigate at regular intervals 

 throughout the summer, a moist subsoil on a porous and 

 humid rock is essential. Stagnant moisture is injurious, 

 and in deep clayey soils liable to become water-logged, 

 it is necessary to drain the land thoroughly at least to a 

 depth of one metre. On a good porous subsoil, whether 

 consisting of broken rock, or properly levelled material, 

 a surfacing of good red soil 60 c. m. in thickness is 

 generally considered sufficient, but a greater thickness of 

 about i metre will afford better protection against the 

 drought of summer, besides providing more space for the 

 roots. 



