Fruit Growing 55 



The size of oranges on over-burdened trees can be increased 

 by thinning, just as other fruits are enlarged, but it is not system- 

 atically undertaken as with peaches and apricots, because it is not 

 so necessar}^ and because it is easy to get oranges on young trees 

 too large and to be discounted for over-sized coarse fruit. Removing 

 part of the fruit from young trees is often done — for the good of 

 the tree, not for the good of the fruit. It should be done after the 

 natural drop takes place, during the summer. 



Wind-blown Orange Trees. 



What zijould you do for citrus trees fi:r years old that have been 

 badly bloivn out of shape? 



Such trees must be trued up by pruning into the wind; that is, 

 cutting to outside buds on the windward side and to inside buds 

 on the lee side; also reducing the weight by pruning away branches 

 v/hich have been blown too far to the leeward. Sometimes trees 

 can be straightened by moving part of the soil and pulling into the 

 wind and bracing there by a good prop on the leeward side, but that, 

 of course, is not practicalDle if the trees have attained too much size. 



Handling Balled Citrus Trees. 



/ have some orange and lemon trees zvhich zvere sent me with their 

 roots balled up zvith dirt and sacks. As zve are still having frosts I have 

 not zvanted to set them out. Would it not be better to let them stay as 

 they are and keep the sacks zvet (they have a sack box over them) than 

 to put them out while the frosts last? 



Your citrus trees will not be injured for a time unless mold 

 should set in from the wet sacks. Get them into the ground as soon 

 as the soil comes into good condition, and cover the top for a time 

 after they are planted to protect them against frosts. This would 

 be better than to hold them too long in the balls, but do not plant 

 in cold, wet soil; hold them longer as they are. 



The Navel Not Thornless. 



I have lately purchased some Washington navel orange trees, and 

 upon arrival I find they have thorns upon them. I thought the Wash- 

 ington navels were thornless. 



The navel orange tree is not thornless. It is described as a 

 medium thorny variety, so that the finding of thorns upon the trees 

 would not be in itself sufficient indication that they were not of the 

 right variety. 



Over-size Oranges. 



/ have some orange trees in a disintegrated granite with a good many 

 small pieces of rock still remaining in the soil. What I zvish to know 

 is whether it is probably something in the soil that makes them grozv too 

 large, or is it probably the method of treatment? What treatment should 

 be adopted to guard against this e.vccssive grozvth? 



