CHAPTER XII. 



THE DISTANCE APART. 



fN the grove the distance apart at which trees 

 should be placed depends upon the character 

 of the trees to be set. The seedling should have 

 the greatest distance, the sweet seedling budded 

 less, and the sour stock budded least of all. 



In Europe, where budding on sour stock is gen- 

 erally practised, and land is much costlier than in 

 this country, trees are set much closer than is the 

 custom in Florida. In the former country, where 

 set in the open ground, they are frequently put as 

 close as ten or twelve feet apart, and where artificial 

 covering during the winter is resorted to, still nearer. 

 But in Europe orange trees never grow to the size 

 they attain in Florida. In some of the old groves 

 in this State where the trees stand forty feet apart 

 the ground is completely covered by the branches of 

 trees that have grown up since 1835. Thirty or 

 forty years, however, is too long a time to leave 

 the land uncovered. Trees planted nearer together 

 will soon protect each other. 



The rule I have observed for some time is to set 

 budded trees on sour stock 21x21 feet ; budded 



