Cultural Department 
\ 
T hose of our customers who are beginners in fruit-growing are often at a 
loss for information in relation to planting and care of an orchard, and, 
while we are always pleased to give information in reply to specific inquiry, 
we have thought it advisable to give herein some brief suggestions in this connec¬ 
tion, and trust that they will be found useful. In order to make the following 
as comprehensive as possible, we have thought best to treat the different depart¬ 
ments or classes of trees separately, as information that applies to one class of 
trees or plants does not necessarily apply to others. 
CITRUS TREES 
In planting a citrus orchard, the land should be selected with great care, as, 
while citrus trees do well on a great variety of land, they, like everything else, 
have their preferences. It is best, where possible, to select land that is naturally 
fertile, and particularly such soils as have a goodly supply of humus. If plant- 
food is deficient, it must be supplied in the form of commercial fertilizers, and, if 
humus is deficient, by growing some cover-crop to be turned under after it has 
died down. 
Land that is low, wet and undrainable, or which is underlaid with hard-pan, 
should be avoided. The same is true of extremely open, porous soils that do not 
hold moisture in sufficient quantities. Land for an orange grove should be moist, 
but of a character that is either naturally drained or easily drained artificially. 
Trees should never be planted on land where water stands for any length of time 
and becomes stagnant. 
If the land is inclined to be sour (and a good deal of the virgin soil in the 
South is of this character), it should be well broken and cultivated for some little 
time previous to setting the trees. If this is impracticable, it will be better to 
scatter over the surface, and harrow in, lime in sufficient quantities to sweeten the 
soil. Lime has the effect of making available the different plant-foods in the soil 
and taking out the sourness. From two to five barrels of air-slaked lime per acre 
will probably be sufficient. It is not a good idea to use lime except when abso¬ 
lutely necessary, as it has the tendency of too rapidly making available the plant- 
foods in the soil, thus quickly exhausting its natural fertility. 
Before setting citrus trees, trim back the tops well and then trim the foliage 
by cutting off two-thirds to three-fourths of each leaf. This reduces the rapid 
evaporation of sap, that is always going on through the foliage, and makes suc¬ 
cess in transplanting much more certain. 
If the weather should become dry and hot after citrus or other evergreen 
trees are planted, they should be shaded with brush or canvas drawn over stakes 
on east, south and west sides, to prevent tops drying out and dying back. This 
is particularly desirable in summer planting. 
In watering, remember that one thorough drenching is worth a dozen small 
applications. This applies to water put on the soil. Tops may be sprinkled very 
frequently, the oftener the better. 
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