The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-04-14
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ousneS ana grass around them as we
cleaned up, and l selected two OF
them for an experiment, (about the
LIST OF June | think it was) these two
trees had very small tops composed
OF yellow branches and whitish vel.
low leaves, the one l will describe
was Il in diameter above the collar.
carefully removed the soil until the
roots were visible, for distance of
three feet around, then spread three
bushels OF fresh marsh mud evenly
over the excavated portion, over the
roots and sprinkled six quarts of
fresh hardwood ashes evenly over
the mud Il did not replace the soil
over the mud and ashes as the tree
had been planted too deep and then
covered the whole to the depth of
more than foot with brush, weeds
and grass. The tree soon began to
change color, and in August was
looking healthy and growing thriftily.
Toward the last of the month
(AugusD l put in side graft, the
tree being a sour stump, and three
weeks atterward | sawed off the top
TO within sixth of its diameter and
bent 1t over. The graft started to
grow very soon after, and when it
was something over four feet high
plnched the top ana now it is just
starting its side branches. Through
out It's whole height, the leaves are a
deep green color and average nearly
eight inches in length and the graft
at Its junction with the Tree
IS nearly an inch in diameter.
My lesson from all this is that
an orange tree has much more vital
ity than other fruit trees that am
acquainted with, and that an orange
tree will well repay extra care. A
number of these trees that mulched
we'll after thoroughly cleaning the
ground becane healthy looking and
made fair growth, but number re-
mained sick-looking No prescription
seemed to answer and after | had ad-
ministered mulch Of leaf mould
some inches in thickness, to no per.
ceptable advantage. | dug them up
and then found what was wrong.
The collar of the tree was more than
a foot below the surface of the soil.
The lesson OF this is, if any, one has
planted their trees like they would
post, and intend to wait for a crop
of oranges, they will wait many,
many years, and then probably die
without realizing their expectations.
Perhaps it will be thought that l
have gone to the other extreme in
planting my trees, when 1 state that
L have set my trees with the collar
above the surface of the soil here in
my high dry hammock, but as | ex-
pect to use plenty of marsh mud and
ashes or lime, they will have plenty
OF covering for the roots even if the
soil should be leveled; now each of
my orange trees stands on an eleva.
tion two or three inches above the
surrounding level.
AS matter Of interest in the way
OF news, derived from a gentleman
at Orange City, who said he thought
there could be no mistake as he had
it from one who knew whereof he
spoke. The statement made was
that the cane grown upon our Dun
lawton property would. not make
sugar, and that nothing but syrnp
and rum had ever been made on the
premises. The gentleman who gave
me this. information seemed to be
quite as much in earnest as did those
who talked about railroads. / opine
that friend Dougherty would think
this a very poor joke. Do the peo-
pie OIL your side of the county start
such jokes tor the purpose of divert.
ing attention from the coast? / hope
that none but residents of Jackson
vile and few residents on the lower
st. Johns made such statements.
When l arrived in Jacksonville on
my way to the Halifax river region,
the air that came TO our ears was
filled with whispers of insects, rep
tiles, fevers, floods, (the whole land
under waler) every one leaving that
could do so, etc. And as to the up
per St. Johns Well it was worse,
insects larger, reptiles more poison
GUS, fever fatal, water deeper. Such
Jokes. bad as they are. have their in