The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-01-26

people set out their trees and away
they go at something else. leaving
the trees to come up in the rear.
Some will cultivate the same land in
corn, cotton, or other field crops,
giving the trees lick and a promise
as they pass. l think this is time lost
and labor thrown away, for the owner
VIII walt on from season to season
expecting to see his trees take
a start" until three or four
years will have slid by, when
he will find himself too poor pecuni-
arily and too weak physically to give
the trees the food and cultivation
necessary to recuperate them, tor
they will have become "hide bound"
so to speak, diseased perhaps, and
stunted as it were. Generally there
is nothing gained in setting out trees
on new land the first year. Nor is
there anything gained by buying
trees over two years old unless great
pains and care is taken to save all
the roots and to set either in the
early spring or tall. Great harm is
done when trees recently set are
scalded by the heat of summer, or
halt frozen by cold of winter, rather
favor the idea of buying large bear
ing trees if the land is at leas. two
years old and the trees are handled
with great care Removing large
sour orange or lemon trees Ior The
purpose Of re-setting and budding is
attended with SO little average profit
as to be entirely discouraged; or of
! buddlngtrees after theyare otany con-
siderable size asit makes an irregular,
miserables scrawny diseased and un,
profitable grove, but to bud the sweet
orange into the roots or near the
ground on those citrus roots which
are greater feeders than the orange,
or that have the power of assimilat-
ling the ood substances Of the soil,
ssss sSee sosI sG sSa sfiaddocE., E.e oi apsf
better still than all, the lime is the
best plan can recommend, this is
my tavorite root to bud to, for it is
the greatest grower we have. When
sweet tree will take twelve years
to attain given size, the lime, here
at least, will do so in five years, and
with less than half the fertlllzing and
labor. So much may be said in favor
of seeding grove that l will remain
mute if it is properly started and
backed by man who is not depend
ent on his daily labor tor subsis-
tence. But nothing is more redicu-
lous to me than to see a poor man
trying to shoulder family of little
ones and five to twenty acre sweet
seeding grove. Ii he should live to
see it a success, he will certainly be
too old to enjoy it. But never mind
reader, if this stings you, | will stop,
the main object was to say some
thing to Tighten the labor OF US all,
and l will sway to the point.
Whether we suppose you are just
starting a grove or not, you may
take the hints as they are dropped.
Clean off ground according TO your
means, break it thoroughly and get
all the roots out, except the pine,
stake off the grove, don't be in too
big hurry, but straighten the rows,
put the stakes twenty feet apart,
grub the ground we'll and manure
this spot, and give it a light mulch.
Build you temporary dwelling In
the center OF the grove; and why =?
because the best acre you will have
will be just around the house, be
careful to distribute the rakings,
scrapings and soap suds. Have
portable pig pen and fowl house, and
have an idea to cleaning out the
closet and keeping large compost
heap, which once a year may be scat
tered around the trees and dug or
plowed in. Say, now you have been
on your place two years, and have
grown a number Of fine little trees
for your own grove; if they be sweet
seedlings all right, but it were bet
ter that they had been lines, or the
lemon referred to, which is sometimes
called the Florida lemon; when these
trees were one year old you budded
them; the bud is now one year old,
and it being October, Or February,
you may take them up carefully and
set them in the holes previously pres
pared. The next thing is to pant }