76 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



well-rotted manures should be used. It should never be mixed 

 with the soil when filling up the excavation at the time of set- 

 ting the trees. I have tried this method to my regret. It in- 

 creases the heat to an unnatural degree, which requires an 

 unusual quantity of water to modify, and damages the trees 

 very much. Spreading the manure evenly on the surface of the 

 ground around the tree, to a distance equal to the diameter of 

 the top, is the proper method of applying it. It is as well to 

 put none nearer than a foot or so from the trunk of the tree. It 

 is a good plan to cultivate well soon after manuring, to mix the 

 manure thoroughly with the soil. 



The best time at which to apply the manure is in the fall, 

 just before the commencement of the rainy season; then sub- 

 sequent irrigation and the rains carry the liquid manure down 

 to and among the roots of the trees, where it is appropriated for 

 the growth of the trees. 



Good judgment and common sense are as necessary for the 

 proper application of manures as in all the other divisions of the 

 subject under consideration. 



