THE ORANGE 179 



is any one season when drouth is more likely to occur 

 than another, care must be taken that the cover crop 

 is not making its greatest growth at this time, as 

 with the great loss of plant food and moisture in this 

 way at such a time the trees are likely to be seriously 

 injured. 



Protection from Frost — To secure fruit and trees 

 from injury by frost, provisions must be made for their 

 protection, which should be ready at all times for use 

 at shortest notice. When the trees are grown close to 

 the ground coarse hay, reeds, brush or other similar 

 material can be quickly piled up around the trunks 

 and in among the branches at but little expense. Such 

 material could no doubt be obtained near at hand or 

 be grown especially for this purpose. After danger 

 is past it could be used for bedding or for mulch. 

 Folding covers, lined with paper, could be employed 

 over small trees, which, if kept stored in a dry, airy 

 place, would last a lifetime, and often in a single night 

 save the results of years of labor and much invested 

 capital. Other methods of protection may also be sug- 

 gested, all of which should be investigated before 

 adopting any of them. Figure 91 shows a sweet Florida 

 orange tree grown in a tub, by Mr. E. H. Wrenn, Mt. 

 Air}^, N. C. It is eight and one-half feet high and its 

 top ten feet in diameter. In winter it is kept in a 

 brick store, heated with a stove, and in summer out of 

 doors. It bore over 200 oranges the past season. 



VARIETIES 



As with all other kinds of fruit, the varieties 

 of oranges are very numerous, and new and im- 

 proved kinds are constantly coming to notice. The 

 work being done by the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington in searching every orange growing section 



