CITRUS FRUITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20602, 28 June 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

CITRUS FRUITS.

CULTURE OF LEMONS. • There ara few frails grown t&afc arc move useful cr more in demand at practically all seasons of the year than the lemon, and but few gardens where tbe climate is temperate and not subject to severs frosts that space could not be

j found for one cr more of these plants, j Unlike most other fruiting lemons, i after once they have arrived at the froiti ing are practically furnished with I fruits in various stages of development | at ail seasons of the year, i In almost any garden soil that has been deeply and well worked, and in vrhich vegetable crops have been successfully grown, lemons should succeed welL It is when planted in cold, stiff, undrained land, when little or no provision has been mads for draining away surplus moisture that failure is often met with. -dost citrus fruits are naturally surface rooting plants, and will not succeed in unchained land cr where the roots are in contact with stagnant water. PEZPAEIHG THE SOIL. The soil for lemon find other citrus I fruits, should bo deeply and thoroughly ; worked before the time of planting. Welldecomposed manure or other decaying vegetable matter is exec-Hem material to incorporate wiih the soil before planting. Another important matter is to guard against deep planting; in fact it is always advisable to leave the plant 3 slisktly" raised above the surface, and in •no case to cover the soil over the part where the bud cr grafts have been inserted. SUITABLE VARIETIES. Tiie varieties of lemons, mostly in cultivation is the Lisbon, Eureka, and Meyer lemon. Other later introductions, are being tested. The Meyer lemon is of comparatively recent introduction, and is remarkable on account of its early and prolific cropping capabilities, especially plants worked upon tiie Japanese Stock trifoliate. Young plants upon this stock, often start to "fruit upon onc-year-cld plants, while as the plants increase in size the branches become laden with well-shaped even sized fruits. To keep such plants in a healthy, growing and fruiting condition 1 , they naturally require good cultivation and manuring after once the plants are established, they could never develop a third of the fruits* that set upon the branches. SELECTION OF MAN ÜBES. All citrus trees are benefitted by the application of good nitrogenous manures. The excellence of the following mixture has been proved by succssiul giowois. Two parts blood and bone, two parts bone flower, and one part sulphate of ammonia, applied in proportion to the size and age of the trees. For small trees, the quantity is Boz, increasing the amount as the trees increase in size up to 61b., for large trees in fail bearing. This is best, applied u.t the end of autumn. A dressing 01 lime, basic slag occasionally _ applied m the autumn, will be beneficial and alio nit, which is a cheap form of potash. Before applying manure, the gxount. should be thoroughly cleared of ail weeds and * nice loose juifacs produced.