15S 
THE TROPICAL 
ACtRICULTUMST. 
symmetrical head. Should these few shoots, which 
are destined to serve as main limbs, grow too rankly, 
they may be pinched or cut back during the sum- 
mer and laterals will grow on the tree, which will 
be shortened at the time of winter pruning. Should, 
however, these shoots show only a moderate growth, 
they are better left alone nntil the pruning season, 
when they are cut back and treated as directed under 
the heading "First and Second Pruming. " 
Except in the case of plum trees referred to 
already, it is inadvisable to cut back trees in the 
process of renovation to blind stumps, but this 
should always be done just above a young branch 
or a small shoot, so situated that it can be used 
for giving start to the fresh growth. Old apple 
trees, apricots, and especially peaches are at times 
killed through overlooking this detail. The sap 
becomes stagnant, a dying-back process sets in, 
and carries oif the limb. Peach trees more particularly 
must be out back with judiciousness when it is in- 
tended to renovate them, the reason being that 
fewer buds are found on the old bark of peaches 
and nectarines than on the old bark of pippins, 
and what few tuds there may be left are less easily 
thrown into active life again than buds of apple 
and pear treees. In the case of peach trees, indeed, 
the basal buds are frequently bloom-buds which 
blossom and then die off, leaving no wood buds to 
spring into life at a later period and send up fresh 
growing shoots. 
When renovating trees of the citrus tribe, it is 
also advisable to cut large limbs above on young, 
fresh growth, although in their case this is not so 
essential as in the case of peaches. These trees are 
fairly well stocked with miniature, dormant buds, 
which are thrown into life whenever the emergency 
arises. — Journal of tlie Department of Agriculture. 
A FEW NOTES ON CITRUS TREES 
AND ALSO WORKING OVER 
WORTHLESS OLD ORANGE 
AND PEACH TREES, 
W. J. ALLEN. 
In many of our citrus orchards are frequently 
found a few or perhaps a good number of trees which 
do not bear as well as they should, or it may be that 
the fruit is of such inferior quality as to be of com- 
paratively little value. In such cases it would pay 
the grower, it the trees are vigorous, to cut them 
back and graft or bud the new shoots to varieties 
which have been found thriving and bearing well in 
the particular district. In California_ many good 
old seedling and other orange orchards have been 
treated in this way and worked largely to the 
Washington Navel, which is the most popular 
orange grown there. 
While many growers in the Cumberland district 
might deem it advisable to rework some of 
their trees, there are but few who would care to bud 
to the navel, as, up to the present, most of those 
who have done so have found to their sorrow that 
the navel orange has proved a shy bearer with 
them, and consequently these feel disposed to re- 
work such trees with other varieties which bear 
regular crops of f cuit. The tjrower should be most 
careful that the buds or scions intended for use are 
taken from good trees, and not from young imma- 
ture trees which have aotjyet justified their existence 
in the orchard. 
In the orchard at the Hawkesbury Agricultural 
College I have been, and am even now, getting 
some of our worthless trees worked over to better 
varietie'i, and from time to time the Department is 
importing some of the best Oalifornian varieties. In 
the accompanying illustrations I have had the artist 
photograph one specimen of each ;of the following 
Mandarins, viz. ; — The Emperor, Scarlet, and 
Thorny— these three being largely grown throughout 
our citrus-growing districts. At some future time I 
hope to have the Beauty of Glen Retreat illustrated. 
Other illustrations show the progress made from 
year to year by worthless trees which have been cut 
back and reworked at the same orchard. 
Fig. Ko. 1 (o) is atypical Emperor Mandarin tree, 
which is carrying a heavy crop of fruit. Up to the 
present time it has been found that this is one of 
the most profiti>ble varieties to grow, and is a good 
mid-season variety. If held on the trees too long 
the fruit is likely to become very puffy in many 
districts. Should the Beauty of Glen Retreat prove 
to be a constant, heavy bearer it will no doubt 
supersede this and other varieties. 
Fig. No. 1 (b) shows another style of Emperor 
Mandarin tree, started out nearer the ground end 
trained to spread wider, and not allowed to grow 
as high as fig No. 1. The tree is carrying a very 
heavy crop of fruit. The fruit is more easily 
picked from this tree, and the process of fumigating 
for the destruction of scale is carried out more 
easily in the case of this tree than in that fig. No. 1. 
Fig. No. 2, a Scarlet Mandarin tree, heavily'laden 
with fruit. The tree grows more upright than the 
Thorny and not so tall as the Emperor. A good 
cropper, fruit rather large and flat, but inclined to 
go puffy when kept on the tree any length of time. 
This variety has not found the same favour with 
growers as the Thorny and Emperor. 
Fig. No. 3 shows the Thorny Mandarin tree. A 
very heavy cropper. Fruit small and rather flat. 
One of the best flavoured of all the Mandarins, and 
very much liked by the public. Ripens about the 
same time as the other varieties The tree shown 
is a typical one, but at the time of photographing 
it was bending in all directions with the weight of 
its fruit, which, however, being green, does not 
show. 
Fig. No. 4 shows an orange-tree cut down to 
force out new shoots preparatory to budding, which 
method I prefer to grafting. The tree will throw 
out numerous shoots, but as these grow the surplus 
ones should be removed, and only a few should be 
left, and these in positions where the new main 
limbs are required. If this work is carried on early 
in the spring there will be some good strong limbs 
by the fall, ready to receive the buds, which should 
be inserted about the first week in Mareh, or just 
sufficiently late that they will not start into growth 
that autumn, but lie dormant until the following 
spring, when they will push out and form a very 
good tree by the next autumn, and in all probabi- 
lity some of them would carry a little fruit the 
second year. 
Fig. No. 5 shows the tree at the time of budding, 
the buds being inserted at the base of the new 
growth. 
Fig. No. 6 shows a tree after the new buds have 
made their first year's growth. 
Pig. No. 7 is a Washington Navel tree two years 
after budding. Five fine oranges were picked from 
it this season, but owing to the visitation of^night 
birds of prey it was thought advisable to pick them 
before they were coloured, and in consequence they 
do not show to advantage, as the rind would have 
been m.uch thinner and the cells finer if the fruit 
could have been allowed to hang nntil properly 
ripe. It will, however, be seen that the size is all 
that could be desired. Fig. No. 8 shows the fruit 
before being out, and fig. No. 9 shows the same 
orange cut in halves. 
Fig. No. 10 shows an assorted row of best varieties 
of imported orange trees, two years from the dor- 
mant bud, and consisting of the following varieties, 
viz. :— Washington Navel Paper Rind, St. Michael, 
Mediterranean Sweet, Valencia Late, Egg-shaped 
St. Michael, and a few other varieties. 
Fig. No. 11 shows part of a consignment of orange 
trees procured from California twelve months ago. 
All arrived in good condition ?vnd are doing welj 
