The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-06-08
Culture of Orange Trees.
Editor Of TAe Eorida Aqrtculturist:

Editor of Ihe Ft0T'tdG AgTTcuttltTISt'
l frequently see articles in the
papers recommending the mulshing
of orange trees, and giving the beEe-
fits of the plan in such glowing
terms as would be likely to lead
those who have but a limited expe-
rience with the orange to believe that
mulching was the great SINE qua non
in orange culture, and hereafter the
hoe and cultivator may, in great
measure, be dispensed with, and the
labor and expense heretofore sup
posed to be necessary to make orange
growing success was an exploded
theory of the past Many of these
articles are copied from Northern
agricultural papers, and the plan DO
doubt works well with the fruits
adapted TO that section of the coun-
try. Before adopting the plan with
the orange, it may be we'll to enquire
what will be the result of continuous
mulching? The roots of the orange
tend to the surface, i'll this respect
differing from the apple and pear,and
will not the after effects Of mulching
counterbalance the present benefits
Experience is often good school.
master, though sometimes a rather
expensive one, and i'll orange culture,
which is TO many new business, 1t
is necessary to go often to this kind
of teacher. l have been a pupil In
this school and will tell some of the
lessons l have learned.
am an advocate for mulching
young trees when they are trans
planted, TO protect the roots from the
sun, and keep the ground cool and
moist. The soil should be made wet
before applying the mulch, which
may be turned over about once a
month, occasionally removingit before
a rain, and when the ground is well
moistened replace it. About the
first of November l invariably re-
move the mulch and do not replace
it until sprirg, for the following rea-
SON: Should the weather become
cold enough to freeze, the bark OF the
young trees will be killed just at the
top of the mulch This l know is
the case from sad experience. After
the tree is four or five years old, l
find that the best plan is to entirely
remove the mulching and lightly hoe
around the trees to keep down grass
and weeds, keeping the space between
the trees clean with the cultlvator.
If mulching is continued beyond
this period, a heavy mat Of roots is
formed upon the surface, precluding
the after culture of the tree with
either plow or cultlvator, without de
stroying these fibrous roots and really
doing more harm than mulching has
done good. The tendency OF the
orange tree is to form roots near the
top Of the ground, and know of no
plan that will change its nature, and
make them grow deeper, as some
contend that they can do by deep
blowing, which necessarily breaks
the surface roots and must retard the
growth OF the tree.
When l moved TO my present resi-
dence, my orange trees were In bad
condition, the leaves yellow, and the
the limbs infested with the
scale insect. The Hrst year
1, gave the trees several heavy
mulchings, which produced rapid
change in the appearance Of
the trees; they put on healthy,
vigorous growth, and the scale disap'
tesred. But another effect was that
the mulching brought the roots to The
surface and since that time have
been obliged to keep the ground
clean with the hoe.
The orange tree responds kindly
to proper culture and often makes a
rapid growth even without manure,
while on the other hand, no fruit so
soon shows the effect of neglect. l
have the evidence OF this fact before
me. l sold piece Of land adjoining
me which was in the woods. This
was cleared and planted with three
wears old trees; they received an oc'
casional plowing and hoeing; they
orc 4 varied, being about FOUR teet
G bioh and badly infested with the scale
insect At the same time | planted
a niece OF land opposite which had
hoan worn out by constant cropping.