282 MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



D. This operation should be done in late summer or fall in California. 

 The reason for this is that cracks at this time will be at their widest 

 and some spores may have gotten in. These must be killed and the 

 places for entrance of others closed. 



For the disinfectant (A) I recommend corrosive sublimate, one part 

 to 1,000 of water by weight. Corrosive sublimate is a poison and must 

 be ^^sed carefully; it must not be put into a metal bucket nor come in 

 contact with any metal or the solution will be spoiled. Wooden 

 buckets or enameled ware without breaks may be used. 



For the sealing paint (B) I recommend asphaltum softened with 

 benzine to make a rather thick paint. This preparation is said to 

 make a covering material which does not become brittle on drying but 

 becomes plastic in hot weather. Hot asphaltum may also be used 

 applied as a paint. 



Third, trees already infected with decay are not to be cured by the 

 above method. They are subjects for tree surgerj^, which is entirely 

 too large a topic for this paper. Tree surgery in the orchards may 

 .sometimes pay if wisely done. I can not refrain from calling attention 

 to three points: (a) wood decays are greatly favored by excessive 

 moisture, therefore make all cavities so that they will drain perfectly 

 and remain as dry as possible; (h) where decayed wood is removed 

 use disinfectant freely on the wood surfaces and paint as recommended 

 for wounds; (c) use cement only for support, never for sealing up a 

 cavity. There will, rarely be any occasion for its use in orchard trees ; 

 (d) the principal measures with decayed orchard trees should be the 

 placing of strong supports to prevent breaking down. If strcmg devices 

 not injurious to the tree are chosen, decayed trees may possibly be kept 

 in profitable bearing for a considerable number of years. 



THE CAROB. 



( Cerafon ia fiUiqua. ) 

 By C. W. BeerSj County HortieiiUural Commis.'iioner, Santa Barliara, Cal. 



For several years the writer has been attempting to interest the 

 farmers of California in the above forage tree, and the demand for 

 some available literature on the matter luis led to the preparation of this 

 paper. 



WHAT IT IS. 



The carob is an evergreen tree, growing from 25 to 30 feet in height, 

 and old trees are reported as forty inches in diameter. The tree is 

 long lived, comes readily from seed and grows with little care after it 

 is once estal)lished. Tn Santa Barbara there are a number of trees 

 planted eighteen years ago, that are from 15 to 18 feet high. They are 

 ]5 feet apart in the row and the branches are interlocking. One tree 

 from the same lot of seedlings has a spread of over 20 feet and is 80 feet 

 in height. The carob belongs to the Leguminosfe and besides yielding a 

 large amount of highly nutritious forage it enriches the soil by storing 

 up nitrogen through the roots. 



