Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-23
Orange Culture-On the Wrong Sid
Of tho Hnucn

for publication, but as evidence of good
faith.
Orange Culture-On the Wrong Side
of the House.
Along the seacoast of South Carolina
and Georgia, and throughout Northern
Florida. reaching as far into the interior
as Southwest Georgia, orange trees are
found planted generally on the south side
of dwellings, although killed down in
those situations as often as a freeze occurs
severe enough to destroy them. A few
more observant people will tell you thai
those trees which by chance or for orna-
ment stood in the open ground, either es-
capped destruction or suffered less from
the freeze; but even these have not delved
into the true situation and informed them
selves as to the why's and wherefores. 1t
is known that orange trees are seldom, if
ever, killed by a freeze in mid winter,
however severe, but always in the spring
after the rising of the sap, which, indeed.
being a liquid freezes, and in freezing eX-
pands and bursts the tender tissues Of the
growing buds and bark. AS the freezing
NDE1 LII 40 ~ aus Va IL AADAAA= "
the tissues and, consequently, of the de-
structiOn Of the trees, the question is how
to keep the sap from rising until the dan
ger is past or how to keep it from freezing
after it rises. The latter has been tried
with poor success even with isolated trees,
by covering with various materials, but
chiefly by planting the trees IN the south
side of the house, where it was supposed
they would be saved by shielding them
from the north winds. AS these methods
failed to so great an extent as to render
orange culture doubtful and improbable
in the frost regions, we are remanded to
the effort Of keeping the sap from rising
until the cold is past. Now what should
observation do for us? Well, just this
and we are glad to have the experience of
Prof. STEELE, of Mobile, in the same direc-
tiOn-it should teach US that by reason of
such warmth and protection, those trees
planted on the south side OF the house are
started earlier in growth and the sap sent
up into the body aud branches before the
spring weather is permanently settled;
while those on the north sid or in the open
ground have not such warmth and pro-
lection, and are not, therefore, urged for
ward so rapidly to begin their new growth,
and so, often escape destruction, while the
former are Killed down. But those on the
north side and in the open ground, do not
always escapC-why, then, it may be
asked, are they, also, sometimes killed?
This may be accounted for in a similar
name If a tree is planted so close to a
l,sTEs-. ILL - e. .-.o-,1 ,,
der and thus receive the fertilization,
warmth and protection OF the building, it
viii be started thereby into early spring
growth, Notwithstanding the location Of
the body and branches on the north side
Of the building. In this condition 1t
would be killed down the same as if on
the south side. OF course, some varieties
Of the orange are much harder than 9th
ers and Will Withstand much more cold,
which simply means that, better adapted
to the changes of the climate, or as we
say, "accIimated," they remain dormant
longer in the spring and do not respond to
the short spells of warm weather, by send
ing up their sap and putting out foliage
prematurely. This accounts, sometimes,
for the escape of one grove and the de-
struction Of another, by showing no diff
ference in surrounding conditions. Much,
also, depends upon the cultivation and
thrift of the grove. A highly fertilized
and well-kept grove must necessarily re-
! spOnd quicker to the warm impulses of
returning spring, and, of course, encOun-
ter the sudden freeze with tenderer fbres
from the too eXuberant sap. In the open
| ground several days of mild weather with
1 continued warming sunshine in the spring
will be sufficient to start the sap in the
| less hardy or more impulsiYe varieties,
| especially if their surface feeders have
been nurtured and the way left open for
| the sun to reach them; while the more
hardy, or better acclimated, will require
a much longer period to be affected by the
warming change, perhaps, because they
feed less at the surface where the warmth
is greatest. These indications should
guide the grower somewhat and teach
him at least a few things, that he might
do with tolerable safety toward the estab-
ment Of a grove. First, to plant only the
hardest varieties that will pay in the
market; second, to plant them under the
protection of other trees and not under
the sides of buildings; and third as Prof.
STEELE advises J, not to fertilize and culti-
vate so highly as to have them sappy and
growing in the early spring. We say
plant under the protection of othe- trees,
not to shield from the northern winds, but
from the southern sunshine, which warns
the surface and starts the growth.
If the grove is already set and there are
no overshadowing trees to keep the Il n
shine from the surface, the same object
may be effected with a dense underground
of eyergreens, until the Grange trees are
large enough to protect or shade their own
roots. Let the ground be shaded aroun
them and the winds will be cool enough to
keep down the temperature at the surface,
provided the latter is not covered with
heat generating materials, which should
never be used in winter, though such
mulching is very beneficial in summer to
keep off the sun where the surface is ex-
posed and to retain moisture. Wild groves
are generally found in forests of other
trees and densely shaded from above.
This situation, though favorable to growth
and luXuriance, is not favorable to the
fruit bearing; but remove the shade above
and retain it below, and both conditions
are met, which some attempt to do by
mulching and loose or get their groves
badly injured by not removing it in win
ter.
Onions.
The yield of onions in Massachusetts
this season is repOrted at from 800 to 700
bushels per acre, and in some localities in
New York at 1000 bushels per acre. That
is the reason farmers there can sell so