6 



BULLETIN 49, HAWAII AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 

 Table 1. — Fertilizer mixture for lime trees. 1 



Constituent. 



Acid phosphate 



High-grade sulphate of potash. 



Nitrate of soda 



Sulphate of ammonia 



Makeweight (filler) 



Total. 



For 



For 



young 



bearing 



trees . 



trees. 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 



800 



1,066 



314 



470 



250 





190 



333 



446 



131 



2,000 



2,000 



i Hawaii Sta. Bui. 9, p. 16. 



During 1913-1917 the Department of Agriculture of the island 

 of Dominica, West Indies, conducted fertilizer experiments on lime 

 trees in an orchard that had been abandoned, so far as fertilizers 

 were concerned, for 18 years previous to 1913. The effect of the 

 fertilizers, including cultivation, pruning, and the like, on yield of 



fruit, is shown in Table 2. 



Table 2.--Effects of different fertilizers on yield of lime trees in Dominica. 



Plat 

 No. 



Treatment. 



Yields per acre in barrels of U 

 cubic feet. 1 



I 



1914 I 1915 1916 I 1917 



No fertilizer 



5 tons of grass mulch 



Dried blood, 400 pounds 



Sulphate of potash, 150 pounds 



Sulphate of ammonia, 250 pounds 



Basic slag, 400 pounds 



Dried blood, 400 pounds, with basic slag, 400 pounds 



Dried blood, 400 pounds; sulphate of potash, 150 pounds: basic 

 slag, 400 pounds 



23 



w ! 



17 I 



6 

 32 

 18 

 28 



24 



94 



62 

 96 

 98 

 40 

 99 

 76 

 126 



172 



88 

 110 

 141 



70 

 156 

 127 

 167 



165 



l A barrel of 4J cubic feet holds about 1,500 limes, which weigh about 150 pounds. 



The soils of Hawaii are not necessarily of the same type as those 

 of Dominica, but the results obtained from the above-mentioned 

 experiment show that it is possible to increase the yield of lime trees, 

 although unfertilized for some time, by the application of fertilizers, 

 and that certain fertilizers are more effective than others in bringing 

 about greater yields. 



PROPAGATION. 



Lime trees may be propagated by seeds, root sprouts, cuttings, 

 layerings, and by grafting and budding. The most general method 

 of propagation is by seed, but results obtained from experiments 

 show that the most practical method for good production is that of 

 grafting and budding. 



Seed. — The seed should be well matured, fresh, and well filled. It 

 should be selected from the most vigorous trees and be thoroughly 

 cleaned to reduce the possibility of its being destroyed by insects 

 or by fermentation. After the juice and pulp have been washed 

 from it and superfluous moisture has been removed from the outer 

 coatings, the seed should be planted in shallow seed-sprouting boxes 



