THE ORANGE. 49 



TAKING THE SEED OUT OF THE FRUIT. 



The fruit is piled into heaps or put into barrels to rot. 

 When the fruit has decayed so that it will break into many 

 pieces when handled, it is then crushed in a tub or barrel and 

 the seed is washed out. A coarse sieve is used ; the soft sub- 

 stance of the fruit will pass through the wires, leaving nothing 

 but the seed in the sieve. The seed is washed in a place where 

 water can be used freely, as considerable is required to do the 

 work properly. 



KEEPING SEED IN SAND. 



The seed of the orange should not be allowed to get dry 

 after being taken from the fruit. If you are not ready to plant 

 them, take and put them in moist sand. In this way they can 

 be kept until everything is prepared. 



How TO PUT THEM IN SAND. 



Take a shallow box, say five inches deep and not more than 

 thirty inches square, fill it half full of moist sand, then put the 

 seed on top, about two inches deep, and throw on the top of 

 the seed considerable sand and mix it together with the hands. 

 This is done so that the sand will stick to the seeds, and not 

 allow the seeds to adhere to each other. Then fill up the box 

 with sand and let them remain until they are to be planted. 

 The boxes can be stacked one upon the other. 



TAKING THEM OUT OF THE SAND. 



The seed bed having been prepared, have a coarse sieve, and 

 take the top box and dump its contents into the sieve. This 

 must be done with care so as not to bruise the seed ; then shake 

 the sieve, the sand will pass through, leaving nothing but the 

 seed in the sieve; then empty the seed into a tub of water, all 

 the imperfect ones will rise to the top. They should be thrown 

 away, as they will not germinate. Those that sink to the bot- 

 tom are the ones to plant, for they will be found to be large 

 and healthy. 



