There is a present-day tendency in some citrus growing countries 

 to do away with wind-breaks after the fruit trees have arrived at 

 maturity, the argument being that they are then able to shelter one 

 another. It is to be feared that in windy South Africa resort will be 

 made to wind-breaks for protection purposes for some time to come. 

 One of the most satisfactory forms of wind-break, is that in use at the 

 Government Citrus Experimental Station, Warmbaths, Transvaal. It 

 consists of an outside row of Eucalyptus viminalis planted at a distance 

 of 15 feet apart and an inside row of peppers (Schinus molle) planted 

 the same distance apart and alternating between the gum trees. 



The planting of wind-breaks between the trees after the orchard 

 has been laid out, or even before, is not generally undertaken ; given 

 a good, sturdy shelter round the outside of the grove the trees will 

 eventually develop to such an extent as to afford mutual shelter inside. 

 It is a melancholy fact that in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred 

 wind-breaks are planted at the same time as, or even after the fruit 

 trees have been set out, instead of a year or more in advance. That is, 

 perhaps, to be explained by the fact that just now the planting of 

 orange groves is proceeding very rapidly, and many are being laid out 

 to-day by persons who had no idea of going into the business twelve 

 months ago. 



Peopagation : Budding and Grafting . 



This subject is divided into two branches, i.e. the work necessary 

 for the production of young trees in the nursery and that required 

 in the top working of older trees which for any reason it is desired 

 to change from one variety to another. 



The first branch includes the " propagation " of citrus trees, and 

 therefore some notice must be taken of general nursery practice. 



Citrus trees can be grown from seeds, inlayers, and cuttings of 

 elthe' roots or branches of most varieties of the citrus family. 



There are, however, objections to the use of any other than 

 nature's own methods of reproduction, i.e. by means of seeds. 



Branch cuttings do not produce a strong, well-developed root 

 system, and trees grown from such are as a rule short lived. 



Root cuttings produce a better tree, but propagation by their use 

 has never been resorted to even on a small commercial scale. 



Layers or — as they are termed in South Africa — inlayers, whilst 

 they afiord a means of procuring the very earliest bearing type of tree,' 

 are undesirable because the root system they produce is more liable to 

 disease than any other. The fact that the roots are the product of a 

 mutilated branch, with a pronounced tendency to spread in one direc- 

 tion, should be enough to demonstrate their unsuitability as a founda- 

 tion for a large healthy tree. Recourse must therefore be had to 

 propagation by means of seed. Trees so produced are grown in 

 accordance with nature's laws. They develop a strong, healthy growth 

 and their roots spread equally in all directions, thus enabling them to 

 resist the strongest wind pressure to which they are likely to be 

 subjected. Unfortunately the fruit borne on such trees cannot be 

 depended upon to result in uniform specimens, that is to say, in an 

 orchard of 100 orange trees grown from seed there may easily be 

 found twenty or more different types of fruit. Variations occur in 

 shape, size, quality, and colour, also in the number of seeds. The 

 fruit of some trees may have but few seeds, whilst others may contain 



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