58 



CITRUS CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



The land should be thoroughly worked through the winter, 

 and prepared to be planted in the spring, when it becomes 

 warm ; also all weeds and stubble plowed under will be decom- 

 posed and serve as a fertilizer to the orchard. The thorough 

 working of the soil liberates crude gases and changes the nutri- 

 tive principles to a form more readily assimilated by the tree. 



SOIL FOR ORANGE TREES. 



An orange tree should never be planted on heavy low ground, 

 or on low damp ground, where water can be reached within a 

 few inches from the surface, and never should an orange tree 

 be planted on adobe soil; they will always be troubled with 

 gum disease, and will also be nipped by frosts every year. A 

 deep, rich, porous soil is not only necessary to insure a good 

 yield of fruit, but absolutely necessary to give the trees a vig- 

 orous growth. Trees on heavy adobe or poor soil become 

 stunted, and will not produce fine fruit. This is a fact that 

 has been proven generations back, and I need not comment 

 upon it. What the orange tree wants, and must have to yield 

 a profitable return, is a deep, rich soil, gravelly or otherwise. 

 Orange trees planted in a poor soil never become profitable 



bearers. 



DISTANCES TO PLANT. 



Dwarfs, such as Tangerine, Satsuma, etc 10 feet. 



Semi-dwarfs, such as Washington Navel 



Mediterranean Sweet, Maltese Blood 



St. Michael 18 to 24 feet. 



Standards, such as Wolfskin's Best, etc 24 to 30 feet. 



Seedlings 30 to 40 feet. 



NUMBER OF TREES ON AN ACRE WHEN PLANTED. 



