PLANTING THE ORANGE SEED. 39 



tire ball of muck may be taken along with and ad- 

 hering to the roots, and the tree hardly feel the 

 shock of the removal. When the young plants in 

 the seed-beds are a few inches high and have four 

 or five leaves, they may be transplanted to the nur- 

 sery. In taking them up, cut off the ends of the 

 tap-roots so that they will not be apt to double up 

 in setting them. The setting is better done in 

 rainy weather. The ground should be thoroughly 

 wet in order to insure a good result. The rows can 

 now be opened four or five inches deep, and the 

 young plants dropped at a distance of six inches 

 apart. Let a hand follow, and before the roots have 

 time to dry set them in an upright position, care- 

 fully spreading out the roots and packing the soil 

 around them. Be careful not to set the plants 

 deeper than they grew in the seed-beds. When a 

 row or two have been set, level off the ground with 

 a rake, leaving the sandy soil on the surface and 

 not the muck, as the latter hardens under the influ- 

 ence of the sun. If a shower does not follow soon, 

 it is well to water, in order to settle the earth well 

 around the roots. If the sun is hot, a little shade 

 for a few weeks would be beneficial. Pme boughs 

 can be laid over the ground, or palmetto leaves 

 stuck along the rows. The nursery should be 

 thoroughly worked and kept clear of weeds and 

 grass, and the soil frequently stirred to the depth of 

 two inches. 



Eight or ten months before removing the plants 



