GLEN SAINT MARY NURSERIES 
Cultural Suggestions 
soils, but it must always be borne in mind that with the vast variety of soils it is impossible to 
lay down any hard and fast rules and formulas applicable to any and all sections. There are 
reliable manufacturers of high-grade commercial fertilizer who can furnish good goods, already 
manufactured, in the kind of fertilizer wanted. One should, however, be continually studying 
his particular soils and conditions and endeavoring to post himself on the elements of plant-life 
needed for the particular purpose he wishes to accomplish. 
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 com¬ 
mercial 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 suffi¬ 
cient 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 absolutely 
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 success in transplanting much more certain. 
Banking up oranges with fine earth in the fall is a great protection against cold. This also 
helps to hold newly planted trees against force of wind. Mounds should be removed in spring. 
When trees are set, or just prior to that time, it is a good idea to mix with the soil that is 
to be placed about their roots about one pound per tree of some good, high-grade commercial 
fertilizer rich in ammonia. This puts fertilizer right where the roots of the trees will get it 
immediately as needed, thus forcing them to make a good first growth, which is always desira¬ 
ble. This fertilizer should contain about 4 to 5 per cent of ammonia, 7 to 9 per cent of phos¬ 
phoric acid and 3 to 4 per cent of potash, and should be made up with chemicals derived from 
mineral, not organic, sources. 
Along in the spring, say about March or early April, a second application of fertilizer, 
about one pound per tree, should be applied, and a third application during late June or early 
July is also advisable. 
As the trees attain age and size, a larger quantity of fertilizer should be given, and after 
they come into bearing a fertilizer containing more potash and less ammonia will be better. 
For this application to bearing trees, 10 to 12 per cent of potash, 7 to 9 per cent of phosphoric 
acid and 3 to 4 per cent of ammonia is about right. 
If the trees are transplanted during the winter months, cultivation should commence about 
the time when growth ordinarily commences and should be continued until midsummer, after 
which time it is better to plant a cover-crop, like beggar-weed, in the middles between the trees. 
A small space immediately around the trees should be kept free from grass and weeds until 
later in the fall. Mulching around the trees is practised in some sections and is often advisable, 
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