June i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
102'/ 
ORANGE CULTIVATION. 
The length of time that an orange treo takes to 
come into bearing is not so groat as many people im- 
agine. Judging from experience, wo believe that in 
this climate an orange tree, growing in moderately good 
soil and kept free from weeds, would not as a gen- 
eral rule tako longer than seven years to come into 
bearing from the timo of planting the seed ; but an 
orauge plant of considerable sizo can be transplanted 
without so much risk as most other trees, and if 
there were nurseries where wellgrown orauge plants 
could be bought, an orange orchard might bo planted 
with a reasonable prospect of getting a crop in four 
years. The lime of bearing could also be shortened 
by grafting bearing wood from an old tree upon a 
young one, but grafted trees do not grow so large 
nor live so long as trees that have not been so 
treated. 
As there is likely to be a demand for orange plants 
before very long, it might bo profitable eveu for 
those who have not laud for an orchard, or who, 
having land or the moans of procuring it, have not 
patience to wait for a crop of oranges, were they 
to make nurseries in the meantime for the purpose of 
selling tho plants. We, however, warn any who may 
intend so doing that they must make up their minds 
to having very many of their young plants bitten oft 
and destroyed by crickets. There is nothing for it 
but planting more seed, but we have learned by ex- 
perience that by porseverance the difficulty of establish- 
ing an orange nursery can, in spite of the crickets, 
be overcome. Orange nurseries are not singular in 
requiring perseverance in spite of repeated failures. 
After tho orange plant is too hard for the crickets to 
destroy it, it seems to have fewer enemies than most 
other cultivated plants. Tho leaves are liable to be 
devoured by the caterpillars of two or three species of 
butterflies, but not, apparently, by the caterpillar of 
any kind of moth or hawkmoth, nor is the wood of 
the tree, so far as we know, liable to be attacked 
by any kind of borer. 
The orange tree never grows very large, as it does 
not increase much in size after it begins to bear, but it 
lives to several hundred years old, and the fruit is .said 
to improve instead of deteriorating with the ago of the 
tree, there being fewer seeds aud fewer divisions in 
the fruit of old trees than in the fruit of young ones. 
An oraugo plantation, once established, will there- 
fore last for generations. Liberian coffe'', cocoa, tea, 
aud other new products arc all very good in their 
way, but for a small piece of land situated at no 
great distance from Colombo, oranges would probably 
bo found to be much more profitable. Tho orange 
is not the only fruit that might be grown with pro- 
fit in such a situation, but tlio orange tree is more 
prolific in fruit than auy other, and the fruit keeps 
fresh for a longer time after being gathered from tho 
tre» than any other, aud it is these advantages that 
mako tho orange, as a fruit used in a raw aud uu- 
prepared state, of moro commercial importance than 
any other kind. — 0. Messi ger. 
CAWNPORK EXPERIMENTAL FARM . 
The experiments recently tried on the Cawnporo 
Experimental Farm have been of a more than ordinarily 
practical character. Two sets of experiments in deep 
ploughing and inversion of soil were tried, and though 
they were perhaps not quite conclusive on all those 
points on which information was desired, they were 
at least perfectly conclusive as to the general advant- 
age BOOnriDO from deeper cultivation than at present 
obtains in lndin. Over eight experimental plots of 
900 fquaro yardi, portions of which were carefully 
irrigated, and other portions left unirrigated, the 
following were tho average results per acre, the crop 
being sorgo grown as a green crop : — 
Outturn of green crop .. 114'13 maunds. 
Cost of cultivation R 14 4 0 
Value of produce ,,38 0 8 
Profit per acre ,,23 18 
With cotton similarly treated, the results were — 
Outturn of cleared cotton ... 291 pounds. 
Cost of cultivation R13 4 0 
Value of produce , 59 15 9 
Profit per acre ,,46 11 9 
The benefits of irrigation with deep ploughing were 
clearly shown during the course of these experiments; 
and the conclusions arrived at by Mr. J. B. Fuller, 
with regard to the sorgo experiments, were — 
" Inversion of the noil for a depth of six inches, two 1 
months before sowing, increased the outturn by 72 per 
cent, when once irrigated, aud by 100 per cent 
when twice irrigated. Grubbinj to a depth of six inches 
without inversion, increased the outturn by 68 percent 
when once irrigated, and by 107 per cent wheutwio 
irrigated, while inversion of the soil to a depth of six 
inches immediately before sowing diminished the outturn 
by 16 per cent when once irrigated, and by 16 per 
cent, when twice irrigated." 
And with regard to Cotton : — 
Increase per cent. 
On unirrigated On irrigated 
plots. plots. 
Inversion of the soil to 6-in. 
two months before sowing 135 75 
Inversion but immediately 
before sowing ... ... 119 75 
Grubbing to 6-in. without 
inverting the soil 27 16 
These figures require but little comment. Taking 
first of all the unirrigated plots, we find that dee p 
cultivation gives, in a season in which the rainfall 
was only &th of the normal, an outturn worth some 
R70 an acre, while tho ordinary cultivation of the 
country could only yield R30. The condition of half 
plots 1 and 2 was a matter of surprise to all who 
saw them; unirrigated as they wen, the cotton plant 
stood thickly on them at an average height of 2J feet, 
while in plot 4 (which closely resembled the cutivators' 
unirrigated cotton fields in the neighbourhood) no plant 
stood much higher than 9 inches." 
This is the sort of experiments we require. In these 
instances the results, whether good or bad, are patent ; 
there is no doubt as to the effect of deep ploughing 
under certain conditions, and if we are to benefit by 
tho lessons of these experiments, we must first of all 
aim at improving our draught cattle, as good plough- 
ing cannot be done by the present breed of Indian 
cattle. — Friend of India. 
THE STUDY OF AGRICULTURE. 
The late and present students of the Madras Agri- 
cultural College (graduates and uudergrn luates of the 
Universities of Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta) have 
forwarded the following potition to the .Senate of the 
University of Madras : — 
"That, in tho year 1874, llis K.vcullcncy tho Go- 
vernor in Council, recognising the importance of the 
application of western scieuco to agriculture in this 
country, founded an Agricultural College in Madras, 
and thus conferred on the people a 1> u for which 
they are and will ever lie grateful. That tho said 
College has now been in oxistoncc for about 6 years, 
an) that tho institution imparted therein em hi aeon a 
study of tho art and science of Agriculture, Chemist- 
ry -inorganic. Organic, and Agricnltu nl v. 
Veterinary Medicine ami .Surg. ry. I'. lan> u ' i.ois 
departments, Meteorology, Physical Geography, Mr- 
