8 



enable the trees to grow fairly quickly and a sufficiency of water be 

 provided for irrigation purposes. Judicious irrigation and cultivation 

 methods should be depended upon to assist the growth of the trees 

 rather than heavy fertilization. The surface of the soil should be 

 kept loose and porous by means of a one-horse cultivator or harrow 

 and no weeds permitted to appear. 



JJuddino. — When the trees have attained the diameter of a lead 

 pencil at a few inches above the ground they are big' enough to be 

 worked over. Methods of doing this were formerly l)y means of either 

 budding or grafting. In actual practice to-day the number of worked 

 trees produced by grafting is so infinitesimal that it is not considered 

 wortli while to discuss that practice. Budding may be done in some 

 parts of South Africa during any month in the year; there are so many 

 localities which are practically frostless tliat it is only necessary to 



Fii;. 1. — Budwood. 



select a period when the bark "slips" readily, i.e. when there is a 

 good flow (jf sap. In other parts, where the winters are colder, it is 

 customary to bud just as the sap goes down at the commencement of 

 the cold weather; in tliis case the bud remains dormant until the 

 spring growth commences, hence this is called " dormant budding," 

 or else to bud in tlie Spring or earlj- Summer months. Budding in 

 January or February results in the production of tender young grow ths 

 which are liable to suffer from the cold of the following winter. 



Buds are taken from well-matured round wood of the previous 

 season's growth, the small, angular, somewhat sappy, growths are to 

 be avoided — tliey are not as nice to handle neither are the results 

 usually as successful as those obtained from older wood. 



The budwood should be taken from trees of healthy growth with 

 good bearing qualities and of known pedigree. This is especially 

 necessary in the case of the navel orange, of which there are a good 



