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nurseryman has had a training in his work, and it is his business to 

 know how to produce a tree properly — he is in fact as much of u 

 specialist in his line as the analytical chemist or the diamond cutter, 

 and has in many eases served a long apprenticeship to the business. 



It is therefore a matter of common sense that a nurseryman should 

 be able to supply a first-class article in the matter of trees, and it is 

 accordingly presumed that our nurserymen,, know their business and 

 that growers will approach them for their requirements. At the same 

 time when scores of individuals are rushing into citru-s.- growing, it 

 may be well to indicate what they should require at the hands of the 

 nurseryman. 



What is Wanted. 



1st. " Pedigree Stock." — One hears of pedigree bulls, rams, 

 horses, and wheat. It is of equal, if not greater, importance that 

 pedigree trees be planted. Trees of good lineage, with good healthy 

 ancestors which bore annually good crops of fine, well-formed fruit. 



During the present rush for trees there is a possibility that this 

 point may be overlooked, and mention is specially made of it on that 

 account. Consider for a moment the position of the planter of 1000 

 orange trees, who after waiting for five or six years finds out that 

 his trees are of a non-bearing strain — even that 20 per cent, of them 

 are not properly productive ; the time, labour, and money wasted on 

 them for the whole of that period is lost. The remedy is to work 

 them over to a better strain, but that does not make up for the 

 disappointment and, worse still, loss of income. 



It will be seen, therefore, that the future of the citrus industry 

 of South Africa is bound up largely in the integrity of our nursery- 

 men. It is a pleasant fact to record that as far as the writer is aware, 

 and he knows most of the leading nurserymen in South Africa, the 

 trust of the public in these will rarely be misplaced. One point, and 

 a very important one, to keep in mind is that for a good article a fair 

 price must be paid. The usual figures quoted for citrus stock of the 

 best type is £15 per 100 throughout South Africa. That is a lower 

 figure than demanded in California and higher than in Australia. 

 It appears to be based upon the supply of a good article at a fair 

 profit to the grower, and planters are warned that any beating down 

 in price can only result in the supply of an article which will not 

 be quite as good in some one or other particular as the goods usually 

 supplied at the price mentioned. 



2nd. Size and Height. — No hard and fast rule can be laid down 

 as to the exact size of tree to plant, excepting that those listed as 

 second size should be avoided and very large ones rejected. It is 

 not likely, in view of the present demand, that many very large trees 

 will be offered. A medium size, therefore, would appear to be the most 

 desirable form of tree to secure. Orange trees of from 2 feet 6 inches 

 to 3 feet 6 inches in height, with a clean, straight stem branched out 

 to a head of three or more limbs, represent the most acceptable types 

 for planting. The trunks should be correspondingly strong, not less 

 than I of an inch in diameter 6 inches above the bud. Trees with a 

 multiplicity of branches covering the trunk from a few inches above 

 the bud should not receive a moment's consideration. 



3rd. Guarantees should be procured that all trees purchased are 

 "true to name." This is a safeguard against substitution of one 

 variety for another. As a rule, when a grower orders Washington 



