Cultivation of the Orange and Lemon. 107 



few days to dry, after being taken out. In the 

 beginning of the rains, the young seedlings are trans- 

 planted into another nursery, giving the plants one 

 foot of space every way. By September of the next 

 year, the plants make sufficient growth to allow of 

 their being budded on. The budding is continued 

 till about December. When the budded plants have 

 sufficiently grown, they are transplanted into their 

 permanent quarters in lines, 1 5 ft. apart, and with the 

 same distance between the lines. The trees begin to 

 bear about the fifth year, but it is not till the tenth 

 year that they are considered to be in full bearing. 

 They bear two crops in the year, viz., the ' Ambia- 

 bahar,' so-called from its setting at nearly the same 

 time the mango crops set, at the end of February and 

 in March. The fruit of this crop ripens in December 

 and January. The other is called ' Miragbahar,' 

 because it sets with the beginning of the rains, in 

 June and July. The fruit of this ripens in February, 

 and onwards till May.* The trees are generally 

 allowed to bear only one of these crops. In March 

 watering is gradually lessened, and is completely 

 stopped in May. Then, as soon as the soil is dry, 

 a few inches of earth round the trees is removed, to 

 expose the roots. This exposing of the roots con- 

 tinues from a week to a month, according to the 

 richness of the soil. Manure is then heavily applied, 

 and the roots covered up with fresh earth. Water is 

 then freely given, and in a few days the tree is full of 

 blossoms and new leaves." 



It is presumed that this treatment is given to those 

 trees which are set aside for the " Miragbahar " crop, 

 which in the North- West Provinces is called Dumrfa 

 crop. 



* This is the Dumrfa of other places. 



