1878.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



179 



Beetles were after the " early worm " in the 

 shape of potato leaves. As fast as a little green 

 speck was seen, a hundred sharp eyed-beetles 

 were after it. It is very unusual to have to go 

 for the Paris green box so early. 

 •••• 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



PLOUGniNG Among tfie Roots of Trees. — 

 H. J. R., Riverside, Cal., writes : "As one of the 

 oldest subscribers to your journal, I am tempted 

 to trouble you with a few questions in relation 

 to the cultivation of the Orange and Lemon. 

 The growth of these fruits in orchards is one of 

 the great industries of this portion of the Pacitic 

 coast. "We have in this colony about 200,000 

 Oringe and Lemon trees in orchard, and about 

 500,000 in nursery. The trees in orchard are 

 planted about twenty feet apart. Nothing is 

 grown between the trees, and the usual custom 

 is to plough the orchard twice each season with 

 a heavy two-horse plow, and cultivate with a 

 dixinand-tooth cultivator as often as may be 

 necessary to keep down weeds or keep the sur- 

 face of the land loose and friable after each 

 irrigation ; as we cannot rely upon growing any- 

 thing here without irrigation. It has seemed to 

 me that this frequent deep ploughing would de- 

 stroy the surface roots, and ultimately injure 

 the trees ; but in our oldest orchards, six years 

 transplanted, we do not as yet detect any injury. 

 The seedling trees begin to bear in six to 

 eight 3-ears from the seed, according to the care 

 and attention given. Budded trees bear in one 

 to two years from the time of budding. So 

 much for prelude, now from your experience in 

 the cultivation of deciduous fruit trees, would 

 you advise such frequent deep ploughing of the 

 orchard after the trees are planted? Will 

 not budding dwarf the growth of the seedling 

 tree? "Would it answer to seed the orchard to 

 Alfalfa, and take an occasional crop of grass, 

 aid \yx\i ai o:;casional tTop, say during the 

 "Winter, to rot upon the ground? "We can cut 

 th3 Alfalfa eight times a year, and on good 

 fields it will j-ield two tons of dried hay per 

 acre, but requires thoi'ough irrigation to do this. 

 "Would like hear your opinion upon these points, 

 and any suggestions you may be able to give in 

 reiiaid to the cultivation of the diflcrent varieties 

 of the Citrus family." 



, (There is no general rule in regard to plough- 

 ing orchards. There are many cases where it is 

 absolutely best to plough orchards, and others 



where one may absolutely refrain from plough^ 

 ing them. Then there are ca.ses which cannot 

 be settled so decisively, but it is to be a balance 

 of advantages or disadvantages whether we 

 should plough or not. Ploughing or non-plough- 

 ing of orchards is just one of those cases in gar- 

 dening where nothing but practical skill and 

 experience of one's wants and one's surroundings 

 on the spot can decide. 



To giv an illustration : — There is in no case a 

 doubt but that a tree has need of all its roots, 

 and more if it could get them ; so some people 

 would say, w will sow the orchard in grass, and 

 thus avoid ploughing, which must injure some 

 roots. But the roots are of no use unless they 

 have something to eat ; and if we let the srass 

 have the best of the food, there is no gain, and 

 often a loss. In such cases, it is better to plough 

 the ground and destroy the grass, though some 

 roots are destroyed, because the roots left have 

 at least all the food to themselves. But if we 

 are so situated that we can give the grass all the 

 food it wants, and the tree roots all the food they 

 need, then it is far better not to plough the 

 ground, because then you have not only all the 

 roots to work for you, but some cool shade be- 

 sides. It follows that in those parts of the world 

 where little manure can be had for top-dressing, 

 it would be the height of absurdity to keep an 

 orchard in grass, no matter how great the theo- 

 retical advantages might be. The surface should 

 be ploughed to keep down grass and weeds so 

 that the tree may have all the food there is in 

 the soil. All that we can say is, that as a prin- 

 ciple of culture, those trees are the healthiest, 

 the largest leaved, every vvay the best, which, 

 with plenty of food, have their roots the least 

 disturbed. 



Budding or grafttng does not dwarfen Oranges 

 or Lemons, unless a dwarf variety hajjpens to be 

 employed as a scion. — Ed. G. M.] 



Stocks for Graftixg Goosekerrie?. — 

 Mrs. M. E. W., Sublette, Mo., writes: In the 

 Gardener's Monthly of July, 1875. there is 

 an article from the pen of Albert Benz, Ba}"- 

 side, L. I., on the subject of grifting gooseber- 

 ries ; and as I am g<ung to undertake gnrdening 

 in a small war, I, of course, wish to do cvcr}'- 

 thing in the best possi!)le manner. 



II it would not be pri'suniing too much upon 

 your valuable lime, I would like to have you 

 inform me in regard to the stocks used. 



"What is Ribes aureum,and Ribes Floridanum, 

 and where can the latter be obtained ? I have 



