The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-12-27

well drained, the trees should be
! planted on ridge made by throwing
up several burrows together. Our
neighbors at Parametta pave the
bottom Of the holes with flagstones
for the very purpose of keeping the
roots off the cold substratum.
Another cause OF decay is when
larger trees, four and five years old,
are lifted from the nursery for trans.
planting, and cube of about eight
by ten inches represents the whole
of the roots prepared for shipment;
this system should be discarded by
every conscientious nurseryman. The
tap>root, thus mutilated, begins to
decay at once; new surface roots sus-
tain the growth tor a while; but
eventually the dry rot reaches the
stem and death ensues.
Many trees are injured by badly
conducted irrigation. In digging
trenches the roots get mutilated and
perish. Some advise discardiDg irri-
cation entirely. Evidently there are
spots of ground retentive Of mois-
ture, where, by careful working of
the surface and mulching, the trees
may do we'll when young. One can
easily judge if the tree suffers for
water; then the leaves become wilted
and crumple up. If this occurs, the
growth of the fruit is checked and
no after abundance can remedy it.
To this cause mainly I ascribe puff
ness or bioated rind, the pulp res
naming contracted by having its
connecting supply cells with the rind
partially severed, whereas the rind is
replenished and its gro xths Senewed
with the access Oh fresh moisture
sys..- -i.+-ossl
tofkeep the tops open, without ex-
posing naked branches, admitting
the sun to fructity the blossoms and
to gid the fruit, and that the whole
tree may be washed clean by de-
scending showers. Clipping the
spines promotes truitfuIness and
guards against injury to the fruit.
Insect depredators covering neg>
lected trees makes long list. The
different varieties of scale take full
squatter possession if tacitly allowed.
The first black scales | noticed on
the Usage orange and olive. the red
scale on Camellia, and the minute
white scale on Pride of China tree.
These all readily transfer themselves
to the citrus Fortunately, alkaline
washes will destroy them, or keep
them in suojection, object to soapy
compounds, as they adhere to and
glue up the leaves. A simple and
efficacious remedy 1 find In strong
fresh wood ashes. Sprinkle the tree
copiously at the advent of the
rainy season, and repeat the ope-
ration whenever required while the
leaves are wet. The rains dissolve
the potash and conveys it to every
part Of the tree-a paDulum so dis.
tasteful that the scales speedily va>
cate the premises. This remedy be.
ing so simple, may fail to enlist con.
tidence, and in such a case there are
many solutions OF whale oil soap,
kerosene, carbolic acid, ammonia, to-
bacco, sulphur, bluestone and cop.
pPras, pearl ash, boraX and soda
compounds. These can be combined
as ability may suggest, and. applied
in moderation, prove of great ad-
vantage.
Some controversy is enlisted re-
garding the influence OF the stock in
the propagation Of budded and graft>
ed varieties. 1t seems clear to my
mind that orange seedlings, while
easily raised and hardy, should be
the best adapted tor the development
of the most perfect oranges. So,
also, lemon seedlings tor the finest or
their kind. This, l believe, will be
confirmed by the widest experience.
1t is hard TO personate and act