io8 Oranges and Lemons of India. 



The following is the mode of cultivating and 

 propagating the Delhi smtra, there called also 

 rungtra. This information has been kindly favoured 

 me by Mr. George Smyth, Deputy Commissioner of 

 Delhi. The memorandum was drawn up by the 

 Tehsildar of Delhi. 



" The rungtra orange can be raised from seed, but 

 the fruit of seedling rungtra is very sour,* and the 

 tree knarled. In consequence of this notion, in Delhi 

 orange trees are not raised from seed, but by budding 

 the rungtra on the young khatta stock, when the 

 latter are three years old from sowing time. Three 

 years after budding, the rungtra will bear fruit, and 

 later on will be in full bearing. The fruit the trees bear 

 is large and sweet. It is not raised by layers and 

 cuttings, because in Delhi they have a notion that 

 these do not bear fruit. Provided the rungtra orange 

 tree is manured and watered regularly, it will continue 

 to fruit annually for a hundred years. f 



" The budding is usually done in January, on khatta 

 stock, raised from seed, as has been stated. The 

 plants that have done well are then transplanted into 

 permanent orchards, in carefully prepared and manured 

 holes, and watered regularly. Weeds should be kept 

 down, and the soil stirred frequently. If due care be 

 given to the trees, each orange tree will bear from 

 twenty seers to two maunds of oranges annually. "J 



Mr. Ridley, the Superintendent of the Horticultural 

 Garden of Lucknow, has for several years been 

 conducting some interesting experiments on orange 

 cultivation. He has very kindly given me the result 



* It should be noted that natives believe that if any sweet orange 

 seed is sown, the result is a sour orange tree ; this is not true. 



t From my own observations, given in another place, this is 

 very doubtful. 



I A seer is 2 Ibs. ; a maund is 80 Ibs. 



