CITRUS FRUITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20622, 22 July 1930, Page 15

CITRUS FRUITS.

THE MEYER LEMON. Abou!, thrco or four years ago (he [ Mi-yer lemon was introduced to the public and many v. ho wore taken hy its unique fruiting habit planted trees of this new vmirty. Now one hears differing opinions regarding its merits and is forced to tho i conclusion that thn variety requires a little more understanding than the commoner kinds of lemons. The Lisbon and Euivka lemons, and other better-known kinds, will fruit readily if practically ignored, but it would appear that tho Mover needs to bo watched closely in order that it may he grown successfully. There seem to be two different types of Meyer trees, one of ft vigorous, upright growth, and tho other of a more stunted, horizontal habit. Tho former grows well, but does not frnit well after tho first season or two (according to thoso who havo grown them), whilo tho latter be:ir.s good crops but makes practically i!o growth. This diversity of habit is due to tho stock on to which tho leinon is giafted. Tho dwarf trees are worked on tho Trifoliata stock which has the tendency to stunt tho growth of any leinon budded on to it. It, will bn seen that the Meyer affords an excellent example of tho effect of tho vigour of the treo on tho crop borne. The difficulty in tho first case is to get the lives to continue to bear, whilo in tho other instance one desires to force the growth of the plants. Several who havo been disappointed in tho Meyer lemon have intimated their intention of digging the trees out, but before they do this Iho writer would adviso them to try tho following courses of treatment. To check (he growth of the tall-growing trees one must eliminate all nitrogenous manures, and use sulphate of potash and superphosphate in equal quantities, except on clay soil, in which case tho proportion of superphosphate may be increased. A system of root pruning in the late autumn should also be undertaken, but this must not be too severe. Beginning within a radius of liiin. in ihe case of a throe-vear-old treo (i.e., three years from the bud) one should gradually work away from tho trunk of the tree until in tho years to coma the pruning is done at a distance of 4ft. Only half of the roots should be pruned each year. Although the late autumn is mentioned as tho time for carrying out tho root, pruning it will depend on whether the tree has completed its autumn development or not by t his time, ff some of the leaves havo still to mature, tho treatment must be delayed. With regard to the fertiliser, this should be applied in two lots when the trees arc in blossom, about lib. being the rato of application for tlnee-year-old trees, the quantity being increased as tlio trees grow older. The trees wonted on the Trifoliata stock requite no encouragement to fruit, as a rule, but they will benefit from tho above Icrtiliser mixture. In this case, tho addition of something to force their growth is morn important, and for this purposo one should use sulphate of ammonia in equal proportion with the other two ingredients of the mixture. There is another method of manuring, however, and this consists of using nitrate of soda is u liquid when ttio tree a are matting their growth.