ioo Oranges and Lemons of India. 



& j 



So he plants out a fresh lot of young trees between 

 the older ones as soon as the latter come into bearing. 

 By this method his plantation is periodically renewed. 

 He says the extra expense is trifling, and the gain is 

 great. 



It would appear that the suntara race of orange 

 trees do not live so long as the Malta orange race, or 

 the Sevilles. 



There appears, however, something decidedly wrong 

 in the " Old Malice's " orange garden. It is not im- 

 possible that after a certain age the roots of his orange 

 trees get into bad soil, or that in Bengal his garden is 

 imperfectly drained, or that it may be a mistake to bud 

 the suntara, instead of raising it from seed. Growing 

 it on its own roots from seed or layers might prolong 

 its existence. When an orange tree has come into full 

 bearing, it would appear bad economy not to prolong 

 its life as much as possible. Decayed night soil, cow- 

 dung, and black tank-soil are all good in their way ; but 

 the orange tree should not want the mineral ingredients 

 which have been shown to enter into the composition 

 of the orange wood. Even when all the ingredients 

 required are given without stint, a bad subsoil, and, in 

 damp climates, bad drainage, and over-cropping, which 

 is the vice of all Indian cultivators of fruit, may defeat 

 all other efforts. A dog may nurse only a limited 

 number of pups comfortably, but an orange tree, they 

 think, can nurse an infinite number of oranges year 

 .after year without harm. 



With regard to the cultivation of the suntara orange 

 .about Delhi, the " Old Mallee" makes the following 

 -statement : " In the Goorgaon district, Delhi division, 

 are to be seen miles of orange plantations, and 

 nowhere have I seen this delicious fruit grown to 

 greater perfection, although apparently little or no care 



