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LXXVI. On the Management of Orange, Lemon, and Citron 

 Trees, at Wormleybury, Herts. By Mr. James Mean, 

 Gardener to Sir Abraham Hume, Bart. 



Read January 7, 1817. 



To have fine and healthy Orange, Lemon, or Citron trees, 

 the soil in which they are planted is the first and most im- 

 portant consideration. The following mixture is the best I 

 have tried, and T have every reason to be satisfied with it. 

 Well prepared rotten leaves, two to three years old, one 

 half ; rotten cow dung, two, three, and four years old, one 

 fourth ; mellow loam, one fourth ; with a small quantity of 

 sand or road grit added to the compost, which ought not to 

 be sifted too fine. 



The next thing required is a well prepared drain for the 

 bottom of the tubs or boxes, which I thus form : I first 

 place pieces of plain tiles over the holes, then some chips 

 of oak two inches thick ; on these, three or four inches of 

 rotten leaves, and some dry sheep's dung, which makes a 

 rich bottom for the roots to feed on when they get into it ; 

 in our large boxes I add, over the oak chips, some pieces of 

 turf from loam, which help to keep the drain in a free and 

 open state for many years. 



The watering of the trees should be done with great 

 caution, as too much or too little is equally injurious. 

 When I think, from the appearance of a plant, that the 

 water does not freely enter by the middle or sides of the 



