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CALIFORNIA CITRUS CULTURE. 



tion is in a very protected district. But most of our nurserymen 

 protect the young plants by use of a lath cover. The seeds should 

 never be planted until the earth is warm or they may decay. In 

 any case, the soil should be rich, loamy, and with a surface of sand at 

 least for two or three inches. If this is slightly ridged, and the seeds 

 planted on the ridges, the drainage will be more perfect and the damp- 

 ing-off fungus will not be so likely to put in its deadly work. 



From March to May, depending upon season and soil, is the time to 

 plant the seed bed. The seeds are best planted in rows one foot apart. 

 The seeds are covered about one inch with soil that has been screened. 



FIG. 7. Young seed bed orange stock. (After Lelong. ) 



It is easy to irrigate between the rows and to cultivate with a hand 

 cultivator. The seeds will come up in about three weeks if the weather 

 is favorable. The young seedlings should be well watered and culti- 

 vated and left in the seed bed for one year. As already stated, many 

 prefer to protect the young seedlings. The earth must be kept moist, 

 but not too wet or the plants will die of fungus attack. The early 

 spring is the best time to plant not only the seeds but to transplant 

 the seedlings. 



The young plants from the seed beds (Pig. 7) should be transplanted 

 to the nursery in rows at least three or four feet apart, or so as to 



