Where the land has not been first properly graded, the owner finds 

 later to his sorrow that it is impossible to water properly all trees 

 in the grove. After the grading the land should be plowed at least 

 twelve inches deep. The land should then be settled by rains or 

 irrigation, and plowed again, deeper, if possible, than the first plow- 

 ing. The soil should be thoroughly pulverized by harrowing. 



The Nurseryman is It is neither wise nor expedient for a new 



Worthy of grower to try to propagate his own stock, as 



His Gain. any saving he may effect will be vastly offset 



by time wasted and interest on investment. 



He should endeavor to secure trees that are true to name, of vigor- 

 ous constitution, and so grown as to produce maximum crops when 

 they arrive at the bearing age. The veteran advice of practiced grow- 

 ers may well be sought when buying citrus stock. It does not pay 

 to economize in buying young trees. Only clean, healthy, well-grown 

 trees should be accepted. Scrubby, ill-grown, neglected trees are 

 dear even as a gift, and will never repay the care and outlay required 

 in their culture. 



The following pertinent advice with regard to the buying and 

 planting of nursery stock is contained in an essay read before the 

 Kscondido Farmers' Institute by B. F. Dixon : 



"We know that it is possible to pack trees so that they may be 

 shipped long distances, and, when planted, nearly all live, but from 

 observations of the experiences of various planters we have concluded 

 that the only safe plan is to buy your trees from the nearest nursery 

 and superintend the digging of them yourself. After your trees are 

 planted in orchard form they should be watered and thoroughly cul- 

 tivated every thirty days during the dry season. In the rainy season 

 cultivate enough to keep down the weeds." 



Time for Planting The orange being an evergreen, may be trans- 



and ^planted at any time, but from April to June 



Arrangement. "" is the best season, when the ground is warm 



and the tree is at its period of greatest strength 



and root power. The orange is supersensitive to exposure of its 

 roots, and fcr this reason the handling of young trees is different from 

 that of ordinary orchard trees. Exposure of the roots or careless 

 planting will doom the tree to slow, sickly growth, or kill it outright. 



That the trees may be placed in straight rows and the orchard 

 present a tidy appearance, as well as to give each tree its fair show, 

 the ground should be laid off carefully by the square, quincunx, or 

 hexagonal methods. (See "The Citrus in California.") 



Methods There are two principal methods by which your 



of tree may be transplanted from its nursery to its 



Transplanting. permanent home, your orchard. First, there is the 



balling system. A narrow trench is made along 



a row of nursery trees at a distance of about six inches. The tap 



root is cut about eighteen inches deep; then, with a sharp spade, the 



earth is cut out, leaving in it the tree. The leaves of trees taken up 



by this process will hardly wilt. 



8 



