12 



Mr. Sharp said no. He could not get all of one variety at the time 

 of planting ; but they were mostly of the pineapple variety. 



Mr. Cradwick asked if it would not be better to pay attention to 

 getting varieties that were known to give early fruit. 



Mr. Sharp said he had tried both t : i • Pineapple an I B tone's Early 

 and the Pineapple gave 4 or 5 per cent, more fruit besides coming in 

 earlier. 



Mr. James Francis said seasons have won lerful effects on the 

 time of the reaping of fruit, a d it was his opinion that with, close 

 application it would b« possible to get fruit in the early months. 



Mr. Cradwick said it would be regretable to discard all the previous 

 experience of growers abroad and turn on a new line here. 



Mr. Sharp said the subject should be attacked from all s des. 



Mr. Fawcett said it was well known that by checking the vegeta- 

 tive partsofthe tree you induce it to develop and increase its reproduc- 

 tive parts. He did not, however, agree with Mr Sharp's method of 

 checking the growth of the tree by driving in n dls and girdling. He 

 thought it would better to try pruning the roots. 



Mr. Cradwick sends the following no* eg: — 



Nursery Treatment. 



With regard to nursery treatment, methods of propagation, and 

 various stocks, I have s^en no plants which have grown so well, as 

 a lot supplied to Mr. Laurence Tate, Shafston, Bluefields, Westmore- 

 land. Ihese plants were especially propagated for him, and were 

 budded on six months old rough lemons ; as soon as the buds were well 

 taken, from three to five w eks after budding, they were lifted and 

 potted in clay flower-pots sev n inches in diameter, and as soon as they 

 were thoroughly rooted in them, sent to Mr. Tate. They were planted 

 in an old vegetable garden, on a poor soil with a subsoil of clay and 

 flat rock, not by any means an ideal place for citrus trees, and yet 

 they are the cleanest, healthiest, and best grown lot of trees for their 

 age that I have seen in Jamaica. 



Treatment in Grove. 



Distance for planting. With regard to distance of planting, the 

 following measurements are instructive : — Grape fruits (Ayton) at Hope 

 Gardens budded August 1896, planted out in April, 1899, have now a 

 spread of branches of 12 feet 6 inches. The Grape fruits at Hartlands 

 (Walter's Royal) planted same time, have the same spread of branches. 

 Bahia Navels have a spread of eleven feet. St. Michael's Tangierine 

 li ave a spread of twelve feet, all budded and planted out at the same 

 time. The Pine-apple orange at Salt Ponds planted the same time 

 has a spread of fifteen to eighteen feet, one very fine tree being 

 twenty-one feet from tip to tip of the branches. These measurements 

 lead me to believe that the usually accepted twenty-four feet is none 

 too much. Budded trees of all kinds are always inclined to spread 

 rather than go upwards, exactly opposite to seedlings, so the seedlings 

 are no help in forming an opinion, however old they maybe. 



Method of planting. — If large areas of ploughable land are to be 

 planted, the land should be ploughed, and subs jiled as many times as 

 its physical condition renders necessary, finally ploughing it so that 

 the land on which the plants are to be set, is at least a foot higher 



