42 ORANGE CULTURE IN FLORIDA. 



lowing season, leaving greater space for larger 

 growth of the trees left in the nursery. Those re- 

 maining can be budded when two years old and 

 set the season following. Where trees are to be 

 bought from the nurseryman it is preferable to 

 plant trees older than one or two years, as older 

 trees come into bearing sooner. But where per- 

 sons are growing their own stock, the sooner they 

 are set, after the first year, in position, the more 

 rapidly they will grow, if the trees are properly 

 cultivated. 



In budding nursery stock, but one plan, that of 

 inserting a single bud, is practised. The graft has 

 not done well. Grafted trees will live, but they do 

 not grow so thriftily as the budded tree. Grafting 

 is sometimes resorted to when one wishes to pre- 

 serve a new variety, and he has obtained a cutting 

 of this new variety in winter when the sap is not in 

 condition for budding. Sprig budding is not re- 

 sorted to for nursery stock, as the stem is usually 

 too small to admit the sprig. Do not attempt to 

 bud except when the sap is flowing freely so freely 

 that the bud will readily lift the bark as you push 

 it downward into its position. The stock to be 

 budded should be trimmed so as to have as few as 

 possible of branches or leaves in the way of the oper- 

 ator. The trimming should be done several days 

 beforehand, so that the wounds may be in a healing 

 condition and the flow of sap not checked by too 

 much cutting at the time of budding. The bud- 



