30 



Although during these five years Section B re- 

 ceived 98 acre inches of irrigation water as against 

 76.5 acre inches received by Section A, yet the growth 

 and general health of the trees on both sections, 

 which are situated on similar soil, was, as far as all 

 appearances went, identical. However, during the 

 1917-18 season, as shown by the occasional wilting 

 of some of the trees, it was evident that Section A, 

 with 13 inches of irrigation water, had received the 

 minimum amount, lower than which it was not safe 

 to go if the crop was not to be lost. Nevertheless, 

 on Section C, during the 1917-18 season, the appli- 

 cation of 14 inches of irrigation water proved suf- 

 ficient to mature an average crop of four cases of 

 fruit per tree from a section of mandarins situated 

 on land of a similar nature to Sections A and B. 



PERIODS OF WATERING. 



In normal seasons citrus trees are watered at 

 intervals from August or September to the following 

 April, in five or six irrigations, on an average of 

 about six weeks apart from each other. If the 

 Spring is wet or cool, the first two irrigations need 

 not be heavy, but gaod waterings should be given 

 during the late Spring and Summer months, i.e., 

 from November to March. On no account should 

 the trees be allowed to get dry at the roots during 

 this period, or the crop will be lost. For the filling 

 out of the fruit, unless there have been heavy Autumn 

 rains, an April irrigation is necessary. 



