546 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



depth thrive better; they give more fruit and are healthier; thus, 

 placing the young trees the same as when in the nursery, and taking 

 care that the grafts are from about 4 to 6 inches above the surface, the 

 planting is well done. After having completed everything necessary 

 for the transplantation, the nursery is well watered and the young trees 

 are dug out with a large spade, with a good quantity of earth adhering 

 to the roots, which earth is surrounded with rotten or dried leaves and 

 tied round with cords ; and it may be mentioned, the speculating deal- 

 ers take as little earth as possible from the nursery, so as not to impov- 

 erish the soil. When the orange trees are conveyed to the spot for 

 planting the first thing done is to line the bottom of the boles with the 

 earth first taken out until it is calculated that on planting the young 

 tree it will be, after irrigating the soil, at about the same depth as when 

 in the nursery, and as soon as the tree is placed in position the virgin 

 earth remaining around the sides of the hole is thrown in. There are 

 some who throw in a basketful of burnt earth and vegetables, taking 

 care that tiie same does not come in contact with the capillary roots, 

 which form what are vulgarly called cabellera 6 barbada (false hair, or 

 bearded). If the planting is done in November, there is no necessity 

 for employing more manure, that already made use of being sufiicient; 

 but in February, when the time for budding or sprouting approaches, a 

 certain quantity of manure is mixed with the soil at a little distance from 

 said capillary roots to oblige them to go in search of it, by which means 

 they enlarge and gain strength. Before closing up the hole about twenty 

 liters of water should be thrown into it if there is a probability of irri- 

 gating the orchard within a few days ; but should the contrary be the 

 case, a small quantity of earth is thrown on top of the twenty liters 

 of water, after which a similar quantity of water is added. It is a mat- 

 ter of importance that the proprietor should be present when this is 

 done, as it frequently happens that the water is thrown in so-hurriedly 

 that it does not reach the bottom of the hole, thus the roots of the orange 

 tree do not come into contact with it and are consequently either longer 

 in developing or else dry up and die. On planting it is absolutely nec- 

 essary that the earth around the roots should be like mud, so as to pre- 

 vent any contretemps, and later on, when the time for irrigation arrives, 

 the whole surface is watered and now and then is dug up, the condition 

 of the soil being improved little by little by fresh tillage, the ground 

 around the trees being kept well free from weeds. The soil should be kept 

 sufBciently damp, and the orchard should be irrigated at least twice a 

 mouth should the weather be dry. There are some who plant the 

 young trees just the same as when taken from the nursery, while there 

 are others who lop off the branches and cut off about 9 inches of the 

 tree in order that it may sooner commence budding ; bat this it is not 

 always necessary to do. If on rooting up the young trees some of the 

 roots are injured and have to be cut off, if there are many some of the 

 branches should also be done away with, there being an intimate rela- 



