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IMPORTANT POINT IN PLANTING A GROVE OF NAVEL 



ORANGES. 



We wish to bring to planters' notice an important fact 

 bearing on the securing of the highest quality of Navel Oranges 

 which we have never seen recognised in print. 



They are particularly >usceptihle to cross fertilisation, and 

 to secure the fruit in its highest state of perfection this variety 

 should be planted in a block by itself, or, better still, no other 

 variety on the farm. 



Many of our readers will have heard of the world-wide 

 reputation of the Riverside Washington Navel. This is in our 

 opinion mainly secured by the fact that one can drive from 10 

 to 20. miles through the Riverside Valley, and there is but one 

 variety THK NAVEL. The result is they are absolutely 

 seedless, and in their highest and best state of perfection. 



Planters who have groves of mixed varieties must not, if 

 they find their Navels containing three or four seeds, rush to 

 the conclusion that they have got the wrong Navel, or an inferior 

 class of Navel. Nothing of the sort. i ss fertilisation 



that induces the seeds and also the inferior quality of the fruit. 



If you have seedlings or other budded varieties mixed with 

 your Navels, examine such trees carefully, and you will fre- 

 quently see, say. a seedling tree carrying several Navel Oranges. 

 Tt is simply the way Nature works in plant life. 



We may say our view as here expressed re the danger 

 of deteriorating the quality of the Washington Navel by cross- 

 fertilisation with other sorts has been disclaimed as of no value 

 by some Californian authorities. The Rhodesian Government 

 who, as is well known, take a keen interest in citrus growing 

 for export communicated with leading authorities in California, 

 and were informed that no value was attached to our views, and 

 no pains were specially taken to keep varieties separate. We 

 think it only fair to planters to let them know this, although we 

 maintain our attitude nevertheless on the main question the non- 

 desirability of mixing sorts. 



PRUNING. 



The pruning of Citrus tree- is very Dimple: we consider the 

 cutting away of strong water suckers and the keeping of the 

 centre of the tree that one can get up and pick the fruit 



from there when the tree eing all that is neces- 



sary 



