THE ORANGE NURSERY 



437 



by sun heat by day. The seedlings usually appear in about six 

 weeks, and with good care in weeding and keeping sufficiently, but 

 not excessively, moist, they will make a growth of about a foot 

 the first season. Some growers collect the boxes in a sheltered 

 place, and build over them a lath house, tacking on old sacks or 

 other cloth, to shield from sun and frost. The lath house keeps 

 animals from running over the boxes, etc. 



Growing seedlings in an open bed involves about the same oper- 

 ations. To guard against intrusion, it is advisable to make board 

 sides to the bed about a foot high, and to make lath frames which 

 will reach across, resting on the edge boards. A cloth sun-and-frost 

 shade is also desirable, to be laid over the lath frames when it 

 seems needed. Beds should be made narrow enough so that one 

 can easily reach half way across from each of the long sides for 

 weeding, etc. In open seed beds it is usual to sow the seed broad- 

 cast. 



The Orange Nursery. Planting out in nursery is usually done 

 after the ground is thoroughly warmed in the spring, and the seed- 

 lings are then about a year old. The preparation of nursery ground 

 and the planting out of the seedlings can be done as described in 



Root systems of seedlings, 

 a Florida sour. b Pomelo. c Sweet seedling. 



