126 Oranges and Lemons of India. 



bair trees, the orange bushes wonld get a sufficiency 

 of direct sunlight at the period they most wanted it, 

 that is at the period of shedding their leaves, and 

 ripening their wood for flowering. I think this system 

 if intelligently carried out, for cultivating the suntara 

 orange in the plains of India, has a great deal to 

 recommend it. The aforesaid Mohamed Shah, of 

 Anda moghul ka put, claims to have been the first 

 to have struck out this new method of combining 

 the Bla with the orange and bair trees. 



There is little to add to Mr. Ridley's memorandum 

 on the cultivation of the citrus. As he has, however, 

 proved that the whole tribe, planted in nothing- but 

 demolition mortar, thrive well, there is in my opinion 

 no need to fear using it liberally. I never hesitate to 

 use it in basketfuls, and I see no reason to fear its 

 liberal use. I think that demolition mortar, besides 

 acting as manure, tends to open the soil, especially 

 where it is of a tenacious nature. Of course, where 

 there is plenty of kunkur in the soil, that will furnish 

 enough lime for the wants of the citrus trees. The 

 other manures which I found very useful are wood or 

 charcoal ashes, manure of all sorts, and rotted leaves. 



There is a source of manure which few think of ; 

 I mean brick-kiln ashes. As a mineral manure, I 

 should say few equal it. If we consider what fuels 

 natives use to burn their bricks with, we shall soon 

 learn to look upon brick-kiln ashes with favour. They 

 use wood, kanda (dried cow dung), night-soil, and 

 town refuse of all sorts. The latter, especially in 

 Mahomedan cities, contains a large proportion of bones. 

 All these calcined, and mixed up with burnt and 

 powdered clay make one of the best possible mineral 

 composts. Then the addition of leaf mould, decayed 

 animal droppings, lime, and ordinary garden soil 





