CULTIVATION OF THE ORANGE TREE IN SPAIN. 



553 



For the preceding reason the owners of vineyards preserve the cuttings 

 of their vines, preferring the ashes of these to those of other vegetables. 

 By these means the physical properties of the earth are greatly and 

 favorably improved, and in addition to the seeds and roots of weeds 

 being destroyed so are also various insects and their grubs, besides 

 which a quantity of vegetable ash is obtained, the use of which has 

 always been greatly recommended, as amongst other elements the 

 earth receives a quantity of potash, which is of great importance to 

 plants. Notwithstanding the preceding the system of hormigueros is 

 not suitable for all classes of soils, but it is to be preferred for those 

 which are argillaceous, and the result will be much better with those 

 which are red and humid. 



The application of hormigueros to light, sandy soils, which are nat- 

 urally acrid and poor in organic substances, always produces fatal re- 

 sults ; but, nevertheless, there is an exception to this general rule, for 

 chalky soils may be improved by the use of liormigueros when done 

 with prudence, as by the action of combustion a portion of the chalk is 

 converted into quicklime, and the same result is obtained as if the earth 

 had been calcined, but in this case it is necessary that the manure 

 should be applied previous to the liormigueros^ which is the method 

 adopted in various parts of this country. 



FERTILIZERS. 



This manure is largely employed, as by the use of it the develop- 

 ment of the orange trees is advanced, and they give a larger yield. 

 Its use gives excellent results in the young gardens where the trees 

 are weakly, but in the orangeries where the ground is in itself rich 

 it contributes towards the fruit being swollen or blown. The quantity 

 of guano employed varies according to the state of the orchard. In 

 general, a bag containing from 60 to 70 kilograms is used per faiiega, 

 but there are some cultivators who use double this quantity. The num- 

 ber of trees planted per hanegada varying so much, some growers have 

 adopted the rule of putting about 4 kilograms to each tree 5 thus the 

 manure of each costs about 5 or 6 reals. If the guano is thrown down 

 dry, small trenches are dug round about each tree, in which the guano 

 is placed and afterwards covered over, but should there be a good sup- 

 ply of water at hand the guano is strewn over the earth under and 

 round about the tree, and the garden is immediately irrigated. 



The composition of the principal guanos may be, on an average, 

 represented as follows : 



