79 



Wherever convenient, it is desirable to use water in planting. The 

 soil must always be moist when seedlings are transplanted, and there- 

 fore transplanting should be done soon after a heavy rain, or else the 

 ground should be artificially watered. This is verv desirable, not only 

 for the benefit to the plants, but if the soil is dry it is difficult to keep 

 the holes open properly and prevent the dry, hot sand from falling 

 in around the roots. Cuttings are transplanted in the same way as 

 seedlings. 



In the nursery, as in the seed bed, thorough cultivation and heavy 

 fertilisation insure success. In fertilising, chemical manures espe- 

 cially prepared for vegetabloi should be used. About 2,0 00 pounds 

 per acre of such fertiliser should be given annually in two or three 

 applications. If two applications are to be made, one in February and 

 one in July will probably give the be^t results. In case of three appli- 

 cations, February, June and August will prove satisfactory periods. 



The trees are allowed to remain in the nursery about two years 

 before transplanting into the grove. The second spring after planting 

 in the nursery they have usually attained sufficient size for budding. 

 If it is intended to bud them, they should all be budded at this time, 

 as it is desirable to insert the buds as soon as the trees have attained 

 sufficient size, in order to throw all growth into the bud. If they are 

 budded in the spring, the buds will have reached sufficient size, by fall 

 for the trees to be transplanted into the grove or put on the market 

 as may be preferred. 



Stocks. 



The kind of stock used for budding has considerable influence on the- 

 health, vigour, and productiveness of the tree. As some stocks will 

 not do well on certain soils and some varieties grow well only on cer- 

 tain stocks, it is desirable that the stock used for planting any given 

 tract be carefully considered. The orange and pomelo, or grape fruit 

 are commonly budded on sweet orange, sour orang'-, lemon or pomelo 

 stock. If planting is to be done on rich, moist lowlands (low ham- 

 mocks and flat woods) which are subject to foot rot, or mal-di-gomma, 

 stock which is immune from this disease should be used. Sour orange 

 stock is the most resistant variety that has been found and usually gives 

 the best results. Pomelo, or grape fruit, stock is also quite resistant 

 and is probably the best stock in foot-rot regions where the soil is 

 droughty at certain seasons of tbe year. It is a more vigorous grower 

 than the sour-orange and resists drought better. Foot rot is common 

 also on some flat woods and high pine land soils which are dry and well 

 drained, and in such localities the pomelo [grape fruit or shaddock] is 

 probably the best st( ck for general use. 



In the case of high and dry lands not much subject to foot rot, sweet 

 orange, lemon, and pomelo [grape fruit or shaddock] are probably the 

 best stocks. On dry lands sour stock, although much used, does not always 

 give satisfaction. Lemon stock, particularly the Florida rough lemon, is 

 a very excellent stock for dry sterile lands, as it is a very vigorous grower, 

 doing fairly well in soil where the sweet-orange would perish, Itis so easily 

 injured by cold, however, that it is safe only in southern localities. 

 Pomelo is also a more vigorous grower than sweet orange and is proba- 

 bly a better stock for dry lands, but it is more tender and should be 

 budded near the ground or its use limited to southern regions. In 



