JMOXI'IILV JilLLIJTJX. 



8::5;1 



back and willi only a very few JTuits, these being russeted and inferior 

 in ((iiality. Tliere was at least four to six times as iiincli fiaiit on tlie 

 mulched as on the uiuiiulehed. Tlie trees miilclied for two years instead 

 of tliree also showed a proportional im[)rovement. p]ven the trees 

 mnlehed for only nine months showed marked improvement in eolor 

 and the amount of the last new growth. The improvement in this 

 orchard was in definite proportion to the length of time the soil had 

 been covered with vegetable nuilch. Professor F. S. Earle is of the 

 opinion that the secret of the success of mulching lies largely in the 

 shading of the soil. He believes that in hot wi^ather thi^ sini interferes 

 with work of the soil bactei-ia, and the normal formation of humus. 

 Wherever direct comparison could be made, it seemed to the writer that 

 the system of mulching or keeping the soil shaded in some way had a 

 great advantage over clean cultivation for keeping trees in good healthy 

 condition as well as helping to keep the fruit bright under the con- 

 ditions existing in that country. 



Fig. 111. — A large citrus planting in Cuba on a dark heavy clay loam soil. 

 Trees set about five years. (Photo by H. O. Neville.) 



At Santiago de las Vegas on heavy, red, sticky soil, ^Fr. II. A. Van 

 Herman had been mulching heavily all over the soil for the last five 

 years, and had stopped cultivating entirely during that time. Previous 

 to that he had practiced deep and frecpient cultivation and the trees 

 were said to have gone back rather than gone forward. Since beginning 

 this heavy mulching, the trees have grown rapidly, are healthy and 

 green in ai)pearance, and have on them a large crop of fruit. ]\Ir. 

 Van Herman was one of the first to advocate heavy mulcliing all over 

 the ground as a general practice in Cuba. He is convinced that it is 

 the proper practice for most soils in a climatic condition like that of 

 Cuba. 



Some excellent groves were seen, however, on red clay soils, and also 

 on deep clay loam soils where a system of nearly clean cultivation was 

 used plowing in large amounts of organic matter and fertilizing liber- 

 ally with commercial fertilizer. ^Nlany growers were jilacing vegetable 



