n8 



Oranges and Lemons of India. 



out. I have not tried to raise other kinds by cuttings. 

 But Mr. C. Nickels, of Jaunpore, has frequently pro- 

 pagated the Citrus by means of cuttings. The follow- 

 ing he has very kindly sent me as the result of his 

 experience in this mode of propagating. 



" Oranges and lemons, especially the latter, are very 

 easily raised from cuttings. The best time is during 

 the rains and the early part of the cold weather. I 

 strike my cuttings in a mixture of pure sand and 

 charcoal, under a glass. It is essential that the sand 

 should be pure. This is obtained by boiling the sand 

 in water in a clean vessel, and then washing it in 

 several waters, when it can be dried and kept for use. 

 The charcoal should be reduced to powder. When 

 required, a mixture of 1 1 parts of prepared sand to one 

 part of charcoal is made, and a sufficient quantity put 

 into small 4-inch pots. Then take your cuttings from 

 a healthy tree. Cut off several branches and bring 

 them to the potting shed. I select shoots about six or 

 eight inches long, with a heel of ripe wood and bark. 

 These I pull off and plant all round the pot, but never 

 in the centre. About a dozen cuttings go comfortably 

 into a 4-inch pot. The pots should then be watered 

 and each buried up to the rim in a larger pot of com- 

 mon sand, and covered over with a bell glass. In 

 the absence of regular bell glasses common wall shades 

 (fanoos) can be used, stopping the opening at the 

 top. A glass frame or glass box will do just as well. 

 The leaves of the cuttings must on no account be 

 shortened, as the more leaves are on the slips the 

 sooner they will strike. 



" Every night the pots or boxes should be placed 

 out in the open air, and taken in again in the morning. 

 Water should be given as they require it, and twice 

 a day they should get fresh air for a few seconds by 



