195 



delving in the month of November, followed by a second a month later, 

 crosswise to the former ; subsequently, and as soon as the rains have 

 sufficiently softened the soil, the surface is laid out into separate beds or 

 divisions, isolated from each other by small enclosing mounds. Where 

 the ground is uneven, the channel through which the water is con- 

 ducted for distribution must need follow the highest level, in which 

 case, however, the sub-divisions cannot be either equal or regular, being 

 subordinate to the course traced by the conduit. 



Another very necessary precaution is the avoidance of over-crowding 

 the young seedlings, an object attained by dibbling the ground at cer- 

 tain definite and uniform distances, such as experience has taught us to 

 be necessary to the free development of the young plants. The space 

 allowed between each is from 30 to 35 centims., [12 to 14 inches,] these 

 figures, like most others given here, being founded on general data, are 

 of course only approximately correct, serving to guide the grower, with 

 reference to the average number of seedlings which it will be proper to 

 transplant on a given area, and in fairly good soil. 



The fittest season for the removal of the seedlings to the nursery 

 appears to be that period of cold weather following Christmas, and last- 

 ing all through February, during which the stagnation of the sap will 

 allow of the removal of the young plant to its new abode, without any 

 material injury accruing from those slight mutilations to the radicles or 

 stem from the spade or hoe, which are inevitable in all removals of 

 plants. In all cases, however, the greatest care should be taken to 

 minimise, as far as possible, the extent of these hurts to the underground 

 fibres, and above all to that vital chord of the plant, the taproot, which 

 ought never to be touched, unless under very special circumstances, when 

 the talta is over long, or attenuated, when the former show a decided 

 tendency to spread in one direction, or when, from the correspondence 

 observed between the underground and overground vegetation, this one 

 sided tendency of the roots, by producing a similar inclination in the 

 branches, would endanger the stability of the tree. As, however, great 

 judgment and greater experience are needed in order to distinguish 

 when and how to operate in such cases, no inexperienced grower should 

 venture to deal with doubtful ones, relying on his unassisted judgment 

 without consulting an old hand. No theoretical teaching can supply, 

 under the circumstances, those lessons of practical gardening which are 

 only learned, slowly but certainly, by a personal attendance and super- 

 vision. The young plants must be copiously watered every week during 

 the long summer droughts, which last in Sicily from May to October 

 inclusively. 



Grafting, 



The important operation of grafting is one without which no scienti- 

 fic cultivation can be carried on, without which the choicest fruit would 

 be absent from foreign markets, and very rare at home. This indis- 

 pensable agent of prosperity enables the Sicilian to reap the full advan- 

 tages offered by soil and climate, and thus to compete successfully in 

 distant lands with the home produce of the same, or with that of neigh- 

 bouring regions, and even in some cases to oust these. This valuable pro- 

 cess has been both theoretically and practically studied by the Italians, 

 who have acquired a proficiency in this respectno where excelled. There 

 are several points which must be attended to in order to achieve success, 



