CULTIVATION OF THE ORANGE TREE IN SPAIN. 



of lesser duration) by grafting on analogous parent trees of a distinct 

 species to the grafts, on account of such gratis requiring a greaior 

 quantity of sap than can be given them by the respective parent plants, 

 for which reason they remain small, have but few branches and roots, 

 and the buds are of but brief duration. 



As a general rule two cuttings are grafted on the same trunk, some 

 times with the object of greater certainty, and sometimes for the purpose 

 of the trees sooner forming their top. With reference to the numerous 

 buds that appear when the graft commences moving, all are suppressed 

 except those nearest to where the grafting was made in order to draw the 

 sap towards said point. Should they develop too much, the points are 

 (Hit oft', which is done when the graft attains a length of O m .15. 



The universal system employed in this province for grafting of orange 

 trees is the following: If the nursery has been well cared for, at the 

 end of a year the small free orange trees are grafted, whilst those 

 which from some special circumstances have not sufficiently developed 

 are kit lor the following year, and it is recommended that the grafting 

 should be done in that part of the nursery where the plants are thickest, 

 as being very close together impedes the moisture from disappearing 

 from the soil, the sun not being able to penetrate through the plants 

 to evaporate the dampness, as it can when the plants are scattered or 

 isolated. This should be greatly studied in those parts where water is 

 scarce in summer, and it is the plan followed by the majority of culti- 

 vators who have nurseries. 



Nearly all systems of grafting may be eif ployed with orange trees, 

 but. in this province the only one now universally adopted is that of the 

 grafting of a bud, which gives excellent results, giving preference either 

 to the method ufjouette (d ojo vclando) or to that ofvidry (de ojo dormitlo), 

 according to the season when the grafting is effected, viz, the first from 

 April till end of June and the second from August to October. One of 

 the most intelligent cultivators of orange trees in this province grafts 

 when the sap is moving, doing so from the time it commences to move 

 until St. Peter's day (end of June), and also when the sap is dormant, 

 which is from August till October, cutting the shoot in February. The 

 buds for grafting are taken from the center of the tree, as it has been 

 found that if taken from the lower part the branches of the tree pro- 

 duced always incline towards the earth, and young twigs are not liked, 

 as they produce large trees bearing but little fruit. The buds for 

 grafting are selected from those of the previous year and of the June 

 shooting, and, according to the size of the parent stem, one, two, four, 

 etc., are placed, for should the parent stem be thick and* have only 

 one bud grafted on it the excess of sap would suffocate it. On plac- 

 ing the buds, the parent stein is probed and they are applied to the 

 most salient parts which this may present, because it is considered that 

 it is here where tin-re is the greatest quantity of sap, an<J it should be 

 done when possible in the part facing the north, so as to suffer less from 



