CULTIVATION OP THE ORANGE TREE IN SPAIN. 647 



tionship between the roots and branches; hence it is easy to under- 

 stand that if on transplanting a youn^^ tree the roots are i/early intact 

 there is scarcely any necessity for cutting off or reducing the brandies, 

 while, on the contrary, if a portion of the roots has to be cut off, the 

 branches should be proportionately reduced. 



OULTIVATION. 



The orange, the same as all other fruit trees, may be submitted to 

 two different systems of cultivation; extensive or large cultivation, 

 which means planting the trees at a good distance from each other, and 

 availing of the intermediate soil for other crops, and intense, which is 

 the cultivation in gardens, where the trees of short stetos are planted 

 close to each other and subjected to very careful operations. This latter 

 system of cultivation is more costly than the former, but the results 

 obtained are more certain, better, and more abundant. For extensive 

 cultivation, plants of about the height of from 1 meter 50 centimeters 

 to 2 meters, and a diameter of about 3 centimeters at a distance of a 

 meter from the surface, are selected, and if only a single row is to be 

 cultivated there is no need to trouble about how the trees are planted. 

 Should the plantation consist of various rows close together, either the 

 threefold system is adopted, each three trees formingan equilateral trian- 

 gle, or else that called warcorea?, which is when each four trees form a per- 

 fect square. Employing the first system, more trees can be planted per 

 hectare, and the soil can be tilled in three different directions, while in 

 the second case it can only be tilled in two. -When only one row is 

 planted, the trees are placed at a distance of about 6 meters from each 

 other if the soil be rich, and at only 5 meters if it be middling. Should 

 Intense cultivation be adopted, the trees are planted at a distance of 

 from 3 to 5 meters from each other. In many parts of the province of 

 Valencia tjie marco real of 6 meters is adopted, 276 trees being planted 

 per hectare. 



Cultivation during the first years. — As soon as the transplanting has 

 been effected, which generally occurs during February and March, the 

 formation of a garden should he attended to without delay, so as to 

 have the plants in a productive state. The rule observed by cultivators 

 in this country is so notably different as to confound the most practical 

 gardener, but that which has been adopted by various intelligent culti- 

 vators and which has obtained the best results, is the following : 



First year. — Eidges are formed at the sides of the rows of orange 

 trees at about the distance of 75 centimeters from the trees. In the 

 month of April the trees are each manured with one or two pounds of 

 guano, or else with stable dung, or sewage, at the distance of about 

 60 centimeters from the trunk, to which a trench is dug around it, in 

 which the manure is placed and afterwards covered over. The orange 

 tree thus receives the irrigation from the space between the ridges, the 

 rest of the earth remaining intact ; tlius the trees are prevented from 



