ORANGE CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



119 



air should be given, and the house damped down occasionally. After the 

 flowers have fallen and the fruit is swelling, the syringe may again be 

 used, except in dull or wet weather, in addition to damping down. 

 Syringing should be done early, and then air put on to evaporate the water 

 on the leaves before the sun gets on the house, thus preventing scorch. 

 As the fruit colours, syringing must again be stopped and the earth kept 

 drier by watering less freely. In summer plenty of ventilation during 

 the day, and some at night, may be given. 



Water so as to keep the earth moist ; it must not be allowed to become 

 overdry at any time, or the leaves will lose their healthy glossy green, 

 turn yellow, and fall. Overwatering and a sodden soil will have the same 

 effect. 



To grow and thrive, the Orange requires a firm sweet soil, made up of 

 some good light turfy loam, one half, and leaf-mould one half, to which it 

 is a good plan to add a little twig-charcoal as a purifier. The planted 

 trees may be top-dressed with this mixture every other year, removing 

 some of the old surface soil and replacing with fresh ; the pot trees 

 repotted either bi- or triennially, top-dressed in the intermediate years 

 if necessary. When the tree has been taken out of its old pot, the bail 

 of earth must be reduced somewhat, but not too severely. In repotting 

 the tree must not be moved into too large a pot or tub, under the mis- 

 taken idea that it will thrive the better the more soil it has to grow in. 

 A pot allowing about an inch space for fresh soil between the ball of 

 earth and its sides is quite large enough. The tree should have its collar 

 well above the surface of the soil after it has been repotted ; if the roots 

 are buried too deep they will not grow freely. An Orange tree growing 

 naturally has the bases of the larger roots, where they join the stem, un- 

 covered by the soil. Water two or three days after repotting, and syringe 

 with tepid water. With fruiting trees the best time for repotting or top- 

 dressing is just before the flowers appear. 



Manures must be avoided ; the Orange dislikes them. When the fruit 

 is beginning to colour, in order to help it to swell and attain its greatest 

 development, soot water or soapy water should be given the trees about 

 twice a week. 



I had an interesting confirmation of the efficacy of soapy water in this 

 respect a few days ago. A lady was telling me of the splendid Lemons 

 she saw in a garden at Grahamstown, Cape Colony. Lemons are common 

 in the district, but these were so particularly fine that they were frequently 

 sent round as presents to friends in the neighbourhood. She added that 

 the trees seemed to enjoy plenty of water, as they grew along the banks 

 of a "sloet " at the bottom of the garden. On enquiry, I found that all 

 the soapy water from the house went into this ditch. 



Soot water is made by putting a bag of soot into a tank and leaving it 

 there to soak. It is useful to syringe with soot water occasionally, and 

 used thus it seems to maintain a healthy colour in the leaves. 



If at any time the leaves look pale and unhealthy, watering with either 

 soot or soapy water will restore their deep green. Fallen leaves may 

 conveniently be picked up by means of a stick with a nail in the end ; 

 they must not be allowed to lie about in the house and harbour insects. 



The pruning is simple, all that is necessary being to pinch out the tip 



