GENERAL TREATMEXT OUT OF DOORS. — SOIL. 



253 



may enjoy the full force of the sun, a principal feature in their manage- 

 ment. Our view of the case is founded on a pretty extensive kno\yledge 

 of the treatment of these trees by the best continental cultivators, and 

 also by observing that pursued by some of those in England also ; and we 

 have come to the conclusion (although contrary to our own practice 

 foiTneriy), that these trees are benefited greatly by being placed out of 

 doors during summer, that is, from the end of !May till the middle of 

 October. 



GENERAL TREATMENT WHEN OUT OF DOORS. 



AVhen the orange trees are taken out as above, they should be placed 

 upon a dry, hard gravel walk, or ten-ace, upon which the sun shines for 

 the greater part of the day. While in this situation they should have an 

 abimdant supply of water once a day at least at their roots, and s^Tinged 

 over head once or t^ice a-week. Liquid manm-e should be appUed occa- 

 sionally, and the sm'face of the mould in the pots or boxes kept mulched 

 or covered with short rich manm^e, the essence of which will be washed 

 down to the roots at each watering. Any shoots that appear to be 

 growing luxmiantly should be stopped when they have reached the length 

 of six or eight inches, the object being to produce wood of about that 

 length, which will be su:Sciently ripened before autumn ; and this is the 

 rationale of placing them in such a situation. If they be placed in a 

 shaded place, the shoots would be drawn out long, slender, and immature, 

 and would, in that case, be hable to damp off dming winter, and at all 

 events it would not be sufficiently perfected to form blossom buds, which 

 is the principal object of their culture. 



SOIL. 



A strong loamy soil, enriched by manure, is the best for oranges, ^iz. 

 one half rich, strong, clayey loam, and half well-rotted, rich manure, to 

 which a small portion of ground bones may be added. The French gar- 

 deners, in preparing compost for their orange trees, endeavour to com- 

 pensate for quantity by quahty, because, as Bosc, in " Nouveau Cours 

 d' Agriculture," justly observes, the pots or boxes in which the plants are 

 placed ought always to be as small as possible, relatively to the size of 

 the tree. At Genoa and Florence a strong yellow clay is preferred, as 

 may be observed upon examining trees imported from those places. The 

 "Dutch, following this example, grow their trees in a strong, stiff clay, 

 highly manm-ed. 



English writers on this subject have recommended a variety of mixtures, 



