THE CAROB T*EE*] 121 



to be budded with a good productive variety, and 

 henceforth the young tree makes rapid progress, if 

 the locality is at all suitable. When rearing carob trees 

 in pots the seed may be sown in March in small pots, 

 leaving only one plant in each pot ; afterwards the 

 plants are shifted into larger pots every year, until 

 they are strong enough to be planted out in place. 

 This is best done early in autumn, loosening the roots 

 without injuring them, and planting deeply so that 

 the root-system may not get dry during the long drought 

 of summer. A less laborious way of growing young 

 carob trees in quantity consists in sowing the seeds in 

 large shallow pots or pans, and the young seedlings 

 are then potted off singly in the following March, 

 discarding the weak seedlings which are unable to 

 produce trees of strong constitution. It is possible also 

 to sow the seed in beds in the open ground and 

 the seedlings are potted off, or planted in place, 

 when they are one or two years old. The operation 

 is best performed in March if the seedlings are 

 transplanted in pots, but may be done soon after the 

 first rains if they are to be planted in their final abode. 

 Young carobs allowed to remain in their seed-bed for 

 more than two years are liable to suffer severely when 

 transplanted, even if the operation is performed with 

 all due care to spare the roots. 



It is always advisable to graft or to bud the 

 seedlings with a variety of an approved quality, as the 

 probability of getting productive trees directly from 

 seed is small indeed, and as a seedling will require 

 from 8 to 12 years to fruit, much time is lost in 

 waiting for the chance that the tree may turn to be 

 a good sort. Grafting may be performed early in March, 

 just before the sap begins to move, but is rarely resorted 

 to, as the tree being an evergreen, it is easier and 

 safer to adopt budding instead of grafting. Budding 

 is done throughout the spring and summer, from April 



