126 



the physical condition of the soil than to its chemical con- 

 stituents, although it is advisable to avoid soils containing salt. 

 Irrigation may at times be necessary. 



Any distance apart, from about 12 to 20 feet, may be required 

 oy the trees at maturity. 



Due regard to pruning, tillage, manuring, and thinning the fruits 

 are points of which a skilled cultivator need not be reminded 

 In pruning the well regulated head with open centre ; in tillage 

 light surface forking in order not to injure the roots ; and in 

 manuring care not to induce rank growth at the expense of fruit. 



It has been observed in Dominica that " the use of pen 

 manures for citrus trees results in increasing the size of the fruit 

 at the expense of the texture, and orange trees bear fruits of 

 enormous size with very thick skins, woody pulp and little 

 flavour " (Agric. News, Barbados, 1901, p. 100). 



According to analyses, which show much variation in the com- 

 position of the fruits investigated by V. Olivieri and F. Guerrieri 

 (Staz. Sper. Agric. Ital. 28, 1895, No. 5, pp. 287-301), the following 

 fertilizer is recommended for citrus fruits in general in the 

 province of Palermo ; muriate of potash, 900 gm. ; Thomas [basic J 

 slag, 1,000 gm. ; and sulphate of ammonia, 3,530 gm., for each tree. 

 (See Exp. St. Record, U.S. Dept. of Agric. vii. 1895-96, p. 582.) 



A fertilizer containing two parts of potash, one of phosphoric 

 acid and two of nitrogen is recommended in Louisiana for bearing 

 trees (Stubbs, The Orange and other Citrus Fruits, p. 26). 



In the Botanical Gardens, Oloke-Meji, Nagpur oranges have 

 been grown from seeds imported from India, and are reported 

 (1908) to be doing well (Col. Rep. Misc. No. 51, 1908, p. 47). The 

 Nagpur orange has a good reputation, and the strain is kept true 

 by budding. In five years from the time of planting the trees 

 are said to give a fall crop, which continues for some eight to 

 ten years, after which the yield gradually lessens, and new planta- 

 tions are recommended. The tree averages in Nagpur a height of 

 about 16 feet, and the average number of fruits borne by a tree 

 in full bearing is estimated at about 1,000 (Joshi, Agric. Journ. 

 India, January, 1907, p. 67). 



The annual production in Porto Rico from trees five years old 

 has been given at 35,000 oranges per acre (70 trees per acre) or 

 500 oranges per tree. These figures, according to Spons' Ency- 

 clopaedia, (p. 1026) are equal to the average annual yield per tree 

 in Jamaica, and the Neapolitan Provinces, increasing sometimes 

 to 1,000 and even 2,000 per tree. 



Jamaica oranges in London realize 6s. to 9s. per box, and 

 Florida oranges in New York $1.50 to $2.00 per box (Agric. News, 

 Barbados, April 3rd, 1909, p. 112). The total imports of oranges 

 into the United Kingdom from all sources during 1907 were 

 6,120,185 cwts., value £2,454,569 ; the greater proportion was 

 contributed by Spain (5,303,525 cwts., value £1,994,339), the 

 remainder coming from Turkey (Asiatic), Italy, B. W. Indies, 

 U.S. America, Egypt, Portugal, France, Germany, Azores, Australia, 

 Malta and Gozo, Canary Islands and Natal (Trade of the United 

 Kingdom, 1908, p. 179). 



