THE LITCHI AND ITS RELATIVES 319 



lands are too dry, or whether the litchi dislikes the large amounts 

 of lime which they contain, cannot be stated definitely. In 

 undertaking to grow this tree, four desiderata should be kept 

 in mind : first, freedom from injurious frosts ; second, a humid 

 atmosphere ; third, a deep loamy soil ; and fourth, an abundance 

 of soil-moisture. When one or more of these is naturally lack- 

 ing, efforts must be made to correct the deficiency in so far as 

 possible. Frost-injury can be lessened by protecting the 

 trees; low atmospheric humidity is not badly prejudicial if 

 the soil is abundantly moist; sandy soils may be made more 

 suitable by adding humus-forming material; and a soil 

 naturally dry may be irrigated regularly and frequently. 



In regions where the litchi tree grows to large size, it is not 

 advisable to space the plants closer than 30 feet apart, and 40 

 feet is considered better. In Florida they can be set more 

 closely without harm ; 25 feet will probably be a suitable dis- 

 tance. In localities where frost protection must be given, it 

 may be desirable to plant the trees under sheds, and in this case 

 economy will demand that they be crowded as much as possible. 

 At Oneco, near Bradentown, Florida, E. N. Reasoner has fruited 

 the litchi very successfully in a region usually considered too 

 cold for it, by growing it in a shed covered during the winter 

 with thin muslin to keep off frost, and opened in the summer. 

 If it is commercially profitable to erect sheds over pineapple- 

 fields, and it has proved so in certain parts of Florida, 

 there seems to be no reason why it should not be much more 

 profitable to grow the litchi in this way, in regions where pro- 

 tection from frost is necessary. 



The trees should be planted in holes previously prepared by 

 excavating to a depth of several feet, and incorporating with the 

 soil a liberal amount of leaf-mold, well-rotted manure, rich loam, 

 or other material which will increase the amount of humus. 

 This is, of course, more important where the soil is light and 

 sandy, as it is in many parts of Florida, than where the humus- 



