lOi Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



Old trees are top-worked by being cut back severely and 

 budded in the vigorous shoots that grow from the remain- 

 ing branches. 



13<r. Soil. The orange succeeds best on deep, rich, well- 

 drained soil. In parts of Florida it is grown extensively 

 on sandy land, with abundant fertilizing. In the delta of 

 the Mississippi, it is grown on deep alluvial soil. In Cali- 

 fornia, alluvial soil formed of granite and limestone is con- 

 sidered best; hard-pan subsoil and strata of sand and gravel 

 are considered objectionable. The orange requires abun- 

 dant fertilizing to maintain productiveness. In Florida 

 commercial fertilizers are extensively used. 



138. Planting in the orchard. In California, orange trees 

 are planted in the orchard at 3 or 4 years old from the 

 seed; in Florida, at 4 or 5 years old from the seed. Stand- 

 ard trees are planted at 24 to 40 feet apart, though trifo- 

 liata stocks (136) may be set closer. In Florida, if orchards 

 are to be planted on new hand, the holes for the trees are 

 dug 2 or 3 months before planting, and the soil thrown out 

 is "sweetened" by mixing lime with it. 



Care should be taken to prevent the roots from dr3ang 

 in transplanting; the tops should be well cut back, and the 

 leaves are often removed to prevent loss of water by trans- 

 piration. Abundance of water should be used in planting. 

 In California, protection of the trunk after planting is 

 considered important. 



139. Orchard culture. The soil of the orange orchard is 

 generally kept cultivated, but in Florida, cultivation is 

 abandoned after the summer rains begin and a fertilizing 

 cover crop is planted, or crab grass is permitted to cover 

 the ground; the orchard is mown before the fruit har- 

 vest. Three applications of a fertilizer rich in potash are 

 often made in Florida during the season, the first in De- 



