148 



TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



the fields. 



Planting. — The distances at which the trees are planted 

 pistances in depend principally on the nature of the soil. In rich forest 

 land with a deep and porous soil, 25 feet each way will not 

 be too far, but in drier places and on poorer soil 20 feet is 

 the proper distance. At 25 feet there would be 70 trees to 

 the acre, and at 20 feet there would be 108. 



Except in very favourable places, where a rich, deep and 

 friable soil is found, holes must be prepared for the plants, 

 which should be put in at the commencement of the rainy 

 Pruning the scason. In removing the plants from the nurseries, if the 

 tap root be broken it should be pruned with a sharp knife, 



Holint^ the 

 land. ^ 



tap root. 



Impoi'tance 

 of good 

 cultivation. 



AN ORANGE SEED, WITH SEVERAL EMBRYOS. 



as it is a bad system to put in the young tree with a jagged 

 wound of the main root. With proper care there will be very 

 few "misses," for the orange is very hardy in the West In- 

 dies, and even moderately large trees can be successfully 

 transplanted in the wet season. 



Cultivation. — When an orange grove is formed, the 

 returns will depend greatly on the cultivation. The trees 

 will grow and give crops without anything whatever being 

 done to them, but such trees will improve wonderfully if they 

 be properly attended to. The ground should be kept weeded 

 and well stirred up. As the tree throws out many superficial 



