702 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



seldom or never becomes covered with bark, and 

 consequently handsome trees can never be ex- 

 pected. The Maltese cut the head off the stock 

 in a sloping direction, which is a slight improve- 

 ment on the Italian manner; but even their trees 

 are never so well formed as those of the French, 

 who bud on younger stocks, which, after a year 

 or two, scarcely leave a trace of where the bud 

 has been inserted. 



Soil. — A rich, strong, loamy soil is that in 

 which the Citrus tribe naturally delights to grow. 

 These, confined to the narrow limits of a tub, 

 pot, or box, require not only a strong rich soil, 

 inclining to clay, to make up for the limited 

 range of their roots, but also that enrichment 

 should be from time to time added to it. This 

 is applied by top-dressing the surface with cow- 

 dung, sheep or deer dung, and more conve- 

 niently, and with a much better appearance, by 

 watering once or twice a-week with clear liquid- 

 manure. Those grown in planted-out borders 

 require a lighter soil, as already stated. 



General culture. — Although, as already stated, 

 the Citrus tribe will bear a considerable degree 

 of cold, the proper temperature for them, under 

 glass, is from 48° to 60°,— the former during 

 winter, or while they are in a state of compara- 

 tive rest ; the latter while they are making their 

 wood and perfecting their blossom, and that 

 principally by sun-heat. An excess of heat is 

 most injurious to the orange, when grown as 

 plants of ornament ; but when grown for fruit, 

 10° or 15° additional, during the swelling and 

 ripening process, may be accorded them, parti- 

 cularly for Citrons, Lemons, and Limes. During 

 winter, water must be rather sparingly applied, 

 and that in a pure state, while during spring and 

 summer it must be abundantly given, and occa- 

 sionally in an enriched state ; and more will be 

 required for trees growing in pots than such as 

 are in boxes or tubs. A deficiency of water, like 

 excess of heat, is very injurious to them, causing 

 them to shed their leaves, which if they do to 

 any great extent, it will take two or three years' 

 careful culture to recover them. Where slate or 

 wooden boxes with movable sides are used, 

 the state of the soil can readily be examined by 

 removing one or all of the sides, while the ball 

 remains undisturbed. Air should be abundantly 

 admitted on all fine days, particularly during 

 summer ; and where the practice is followed of 

 setting them out of doors during June, July, 

 August, and part of September, air should be 

 freely admitted to them for a week or so before 

 removing them, to accustom them to the change, 

 and also after they have been again brought in. 

 The French and Belgians set out their orange 

 trees during summer. The advantages, how- 

 ever, may be questioned ; and although it is ad- 

 missible in Italy, where the temperature is much 

 greater, the practice is extremely erroneous in 

 Britain. 



All the Citrus tribe may be grown in tubs, 

 pots, or boxes, and trained as dwarf or half 

 standards ; they may be trained also with great 

 propriety to trellises, or, as they often are, to 

 cover the opaque wall of a conservatory where 

 such monstrosities exist. Where the Citrus tribe 

 is to be cultivated for their fruit, the borders of 



the orangery should be vaulted beneath the soil, 

 and means taken by which heat can be thrown 

 in when necessary, otherwise their fruit can 

 never be expected to attain maturity. Where, 

 however, the common orange is grown for its 

 flowers only, the trees will succeed sufficiently 

 well in a portable state, set on the surface of the 

 floor. The Citron is rather impatient of intense 

 sunshine, they being for the most part natives of 

 woods ; they are, therefore, successfully grown 

 when trained to the back walls of vineries. The 

 Seville, bizarade, or bitter orange, is chiefly grown 

 for the production of cut blossoms, and its fruit 

 is imported for making marmalade, bitter tinc- 

 tures, &c. 



Watering over the foliage is an important 

 element in culture ; and this should be attended 

 to at least once a-week, excepting while they are 

 in flower, and during the dark period of winter. 

 In the latter case, once a fortnight will be suf- 

 ficient. During excessive sunshine in summer, 

 shading should be attended to; and for this pur- 

 pose thin canvass screens should be mounted 

 on rollers attached to the roof of the house, to 

 be drawn up and down according to circum- 

 stances, (vide vol. i. p. 555). Those who have not 

 a regular orangery will find advantage by re- 

 moving their plants from the greenhouse, and 

 setting them under the shade of the vines in the 

 vinery during summer. 



Shifting should be attended to once every two 

 years in the case of large established trees 

 growing in fixed tubs; but where boxes with 

 movable sides are used, they should be exa- 

 mined yearly ; and in doing so all the exhausted 

 soil should be removed on one side of the ball, 

 which can readily be done when the side of the 

 box is taken out, the roots examined, and such 

 as are dead or unhealthy cut away; the side of 

 the box is then to be replaced, and the space 

 between it and the ball filled in with rich loamy 

 soil, as already noticed. As each side is opened 

 up, the drainage under that side of the ball 

 should be looked to, and, if defective, taken out 

 and replaced with new material. Such boxes 

 are manufactured by Mr Edward Beck, of Isle- 

 worth, Middlesex, and are of Welsh slate, half 

 an inch thick, or more, according to their size : 

 they are made in five pieces, forming the four 

 sides and bottom, which latter is perforated with 

 many holes an inch in diameter : they are bolted 

 together with screws and nuts ; the nuts being on 

 the outside renders their being taken to pieces 

 very convenient : they are made in sizes varying 

 from 12 inches square to 24 inches, and in price 

 from 8s. to 40s. each. 



Any trees that may have become diseased or 

 lost their branches, should, upon the first ap- 

 pearance of decay, be turned out of the pots or 

 tubs, the soil removed from them, the roots 

 carefully examined, and the remaining branches 

 headed back to healthy buds. They should 

 then be replanted in fresh soil, and plunged in 

 a mild bottom-heat in a deep pit, kept close, 

 shaded, and moderately dry, until they begin to 

 break again, after which more light may be ad- 

 mitted to them, more water given, and a humid 

 atmosphere maintained in the pit around them. 

 A moderate bottom-heat should be continued 



