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CHAPTER VI. 



PLANTING. 



After the laud has been grubbed, ploughed, graded, 

 harrowed, chauuelled, aud it has been decided what 

 to plant, the ground is next set out for planting. 



The length and grade of the rows of trees and 

 vines necessary for their satisfactory irrigation has 

 already been dealt with in Chapter IV. Where the 

 land is hilly or undulating it is often impossible to 

 water all the land of a holding with the same grade, 

 therefore the orchard has often to be laid out in two 

 or more sections, each section having a different 

 grade along which to water. This somewhat spoils 

 the appearance of uniformity of the plantation, but 

 with our furrow system of watering this is often 

 unavoidable, as the success of the orchard depends 

 upon its efficient irrigation, so all other considera- 

 tions must give place to this. 



Citrus trees aro usually set out in orchard form 

 varying from 20 feet to 24 feet apart. As many 

 varieties of citrus and especially the Washington 

 Navel are of spreading habits, they should on no 

 consideration be planted closer than 20 feet. The 

 standard distance for planting deciduous trees has 

 for many years been 20 feet apart on the square, 

 and many citrus plantations have been laid out 

 according to this standard. However, in very rich, 

 loamy soil, wherein the trees make heavy growth, 

 their branches are apt to get too close to each other 

 when the trees reach maturity, thus interfering with 

 the cultivation of the plantation, and, therefore, in 

 this class of soil it is better to plant the trees from 

 22 feet to 24 feet apart. 



