CHAPTER II. 



LOCATING THE CITRUS GROVE. 

 SUITABLE SOIL. 



Owing to the fact that citrus, as other varieties of 

 fruits, do not do equally well in every kind of soil 

 or situation, it is first of all necessary to select a 

 piece of land having characteristics best suited to 

 their requirements. 



Regarding the class of soil best suited for citrus 

 trees, experience has shown that loose, rich soils 

 which have perfect drainage have given the best 

 results. This does not mean that citrus trees will 

 not grow on rather heavy land. On the Adelaido 

 plains, as well as on the river flats at Renmark and 

 Berri, oranges and lemons do remarkably well on 

 rather heavy clay soil ; but young trees are some- 

 what difficult to start in such soil, and their growth 

 for the first three or four years is slow. 



The deeper class of soils of the Murray uplands 

 may be said to be practically ideal citrus land. 

 Land of this nature is, in its native state, usually 

 covered with pine, needlebush, or big mallee, and 

 consists of a red sandy loam, from 3 to 5 feet in 

 depth, underlaid by a loose, greyish-brown cal- 

 careous marl. 



Local experience has shown that citrus trees do 

 not thrive on land having limestone, either in the 

 form of rock or rubble, within a few feet of the 

 surface, as such land is often full of salt, or on land 

 underlaid with a whitish, putty-like clay. 



The alkali problem is probably the most serious 

 danger that the citrus grower has to face upon the 

 Murray uplands, as such salts as sodium chloride 



