ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 15 



passage of a team and wagon, and for convenience in turning 

 when cultivating. Provide a strong rope, cord or wire, a few 

 feet longer than you wish the rows to be ; a four-foot measure 

 at each end of the section, with which to mark off the distances 

 between the rows ; two good hard-wood stakes, or iron pins, 

 which are better, and tools with which to drive them firmly into 

 the ground. Fasten one end of the rope (cord or wire) to a 

 stake driven at one end of a proposed row, and having drawn it 

 tightly, fasten- firmly to a stake driven at the opposite end of 

 the proposed row. Straighten it if necessary. For marking the 

 spaces in the row use a tool made similar to a hand-roller, with 

 triangular pieces a few inches long fastened lengthwise to the 

 roller and a foot apart. Four feet in circumference, or a small 

 fraction more than fifteen and one-fourth inches in diameter, is 

 a convenient size for the roller. To use this tool, take hold of 

 the handles, place the roller on the tightly-stretched line and 

 push it forward or draw it after you along the line ; the pieces 

 on the roller will mark crosswise of the line at regular distances 

 of a foot. If any other distance be desired, it can be regulated 

 by the diameter of the roller and the distance between the 

 strips. Remove the line to the next proposed row. This leaves 

 a mark lengthwise crossed at regular distances, ready to receive 

 the plants. A roller of a greater diameter would require less 

 power to use it. 



I have been particular in describing this method of planting 

 a method on which I believe there is no patent as it will save 

 the nurseryman much time and trouble, besides enabling him to 

 make the rows of trees as nearly accurate as possible. It will 

 soon be appreciated in the ease with which the trees can be 

 cultivated. A straight row of trees can be cultivated more 

 easily than a crooked row. The distance of four feet between 

 the rows admits of cultivating with a horse-hoe or a cultivator, 

 and the distance of a foot between the plants admits of thorough 

 hoeing with a hoe of good size. 



Now, having the ground ready for the plants, remove from 

 the sqed-bed not more at one time than can be handled and 

 planted before the tender plants will suffer from unavoidable 

 exposure. The seed-bed should be soaked by irrigation to the 



