CHAPTER XXVIII. 

 CITRUS SOILS. 



While citrus trees possess a wide range of soil adap 

 lability, it is true that any and every kind of soil cannot 

 be used for their culture. Many soils can be planted to 

 citrus trees where certain seedlings would not succeed, 

 if the right stock be chosen on which to work them, and, 

 fortunately, there is a goodly number of stocks with a 

 fairly wide range of adaptability from which to choose. 



But even with this advantage there are certain classes 

 of soils which should be avoided and, of course, of those 

 which may be used, many are more suitable than others. 

 Sticky, heavy soils, through which water does not readily 

 percolate should be avoided and those which are extremely 

 dry, unless they can be irrigated, are unsuitable. Again, 

 soils which are damp and wet and those which are under- 

 laid with hardpan should not be chosen for the citrus 

 grove, unless the strata of rock or hard soil can be broken 

 up so as to allow the roots to penetrate deeply into the 

 soil. 



Citrus trees succeed best on well drained soils of a 

 rather open nature. If naturally well drained, so much 

 the better, but if not, drainage must be provided. No 

 stagnant water should stand in the grove, neither should 

 the soil be completely charged with water. Soils of an ex- 

 tremely open, porous nature are unsuitable, as they do not 

 hold sufficient moisture and if they are deficient in plant 

 food and recourse has to be made to commercial fertili- 

 zers to make up the lack of fertility, these leach readily 

 from the soil, and the full effects from their use cannot 

 be obtained. If the surface is good, tillable earth, with a 



