98 Oranges and Lemons of India. 



Then the leading root-shoot is left, which grows more 

 vigorously and forms the future orange tree. In an 

 orange garden, on an average, about 300 trees go to 

 an acre. 



" Fruit Bearing. In good soil the trees will bear 

 fruit about the sixth year from the date of germina- 

 tion, and about the third year after planting in the 

 garden. In exceptional cases they have been known 

 to bear fruit by the fifth year. In average soil, how- 

 ever, the age of fruiting is calculated about the eighth 

 year. The first year of fruit bearing the number of 

 oranges is from five to ten per tree ; the second year 

 about 50 ; the third about 150; the fourth about 500 ; 

 and the fifth year of bearing about 800 oranges per 

 tree are given. After this they continue to yield about 

 this average (800) per tree every year. In the eighth or 

 ninth year of bearing, however, the yield reaches not 

 infrequently 1,500 oranges per tree, and in rare cases 

 even 2,000. My informant showed me one tree which 

 last year had borne 2,250 oranges. This was, how- 

 ever, a very exceptional instance, and I could not dis- 

 cover another tree in any part of the garden which had 

 been so fruitful. 



" In good soil, an orange garden retains its fruit- 

 bearing condition unimpaired for about 50 years, 

 and in average soil between 30 and 40 years. 



" Rent, &c. The Khasias have no rent to pay for 

 their lands, which appear to be the ijmali property 

 of the Pungi. Each takes as much land as he can 

 conveniently manage. Whole Pungis sometimes 

 make joint orange gardens, which are the ijmali 

 property of all. The Khasias neither know nor un- 

 derstand any measurements, and they have no idea 

 whatever of the extent of their gardens." 



Mr Brownlow stated that the Khasias sow the 



