THE CULTIVATION OF ORANGES. 347 
TT 
Horse manure . 
Kilos. 
(zb,448 
lb.) 
oiupiiciLe ui ciiiiiiiuiiici 
• Ort\J 
J) 
( 74Q 
OUpeipilObpiItlLc Ui illllc 
( 1 4Rft 
" ) 
I^djinil) . • • • 
300 
" 
\J\JX 
) 
Grreen manure oi Liupm - . 
. 10,000 
(22,040 
) 
Sulphate of ammonia 
340 
)5 
( 749 
) 
Sulphate of potash . 
60 
( 132 
) 
Superphosphate of lime 
670 
5» 
( 1,477 
>, ) 
* One obtains approximately this amount by sowing a hectolitre 
(22 gallons) of seed and ploughing the crop in at the time of flowering. 
At the time of turning the green manure under, one spreads about 
400 kilos. (882 lb.) of slaked lime per hectare. 
Old Orange Trees. 
In old trees one frequently notices only a small amount of fresh growth 
and of fruit-buds, and this is due to the vegetable organism experiencing 
a kind of an?emia. Greedy, as the Orange is, for potash and lime, and 
being generally able to absorb immense quantities of these elements from 
having such an enormous root- spread, it accumulates an excess of these 
elements in its tissues, depositing them principally in the leaves and 
young branches, and there forming a kind of mineral network, at times so 
thick as to impede the circulation of the sap. The tissues become 
mineralised to excess, almost petrified, and this is an obstacle to the 
proper life of the plant. It is well in such cases to apply a fertiliser in 
which nitrogen and phosphates predominate ; the first to accelerate the 
movement of the sap, and the second to promote the formation of new 
cells, and consequently that of new tissues, at the same time facilitating 
flowering and fructification. When the new tissues have gained a pre- 
dominance over the petrified ones, the vital activity is strong, and the 
tree grows again under normal conditions. 
Manganese applied as fertiliser, in the same way as sulphate of iron, 
on finding itself in the sap exercises its oxidising action, and thus 
accelerates and increases still more the physiological work of the plant. 
With regard to potash fertilisers it is necessary to be very sparing. 
On account of all these considerations I consider that the fertiliser for 
old trees should be made up as follows :— 
Sulphate of ammonia . . 300 kilos. ( 661 lb.) 
Nitrate of soda . . . . 400 „ ( 882 „ ) 
Superphosphate of lime man- 
ganese (say calcium of 
manganese) . . . 800 „ ( 1,763 „ ) 
Sulphate of iron . . . . 300 „ ( 661 „ ) 
Chloride of potassium . . 25 ,, ( 55 „ ) 
In the medium clayey soils the potash fertiliser should be omitted. 
Pigeon dung .... 3,000 kilos. ( 6,612 lb.) 
Sulphate of ammonia . . . 200 ,, ( 441 ,, ) 
Nitrate of soda . . . . 400 „ ( 882 „ ) 
Superphosphate of lime manganese 700 ,, ( 1,543 ,, ) 
Sulphate of iron . . . 200 „ ( 441 „ ) 
