

Of r 



VEESITY 



see Dame Nature employing this method to brace and 

 strengthen their growth. 



As a general rule clean culture from February to June, 

 suspending culture from the latter period, gives the best 

 results, where the ground is dry and rolling. Where it is 

 low and damp, allowing the grass to grow, cutting it once 

 or twice in the season and leaving it to decay on the sur- 

 face is the better plan. The former is the best for pine 

 lands, the latter for wild hammock groves, although cir- 

 cumstances may, in individual cases, modify these rules, 

 but generally they hold good. 



We know of a pine land grove, where for several years 

 grass was allowed to grow, and three or four times in a 

 season plowed under ; the trees did not grow well or bear 

 well; they became sickly and insected, and the oranges 

 rusted. Then clean culture was tried, and a cultivator 

 passed through the grove every two weeks from January 

 to October. It was curious to see how those trees bright- 

 ened up under what was evidently congenial treatment, for 

 that time, at least. Before the season was over they started 

 to grow vigorously, throwing out thrifty shoots from top 

 to bottom, the insects disappeared, the trees lost their sickly 

 yellow look and joyously donned their wonted dark green 

 livery, and the fruit was large and fine and bright. 



Another instance we know: A wild hammock grove, 

 where clean culture was practiced for several seasons, the 

 trees, hitherto healthy and in vigorous growth, drooped, 

 turned yellow, became the prey of insects, dropped their 

 oranges, and seemed likely to die. Then the owner stopped 

 plowing and cultivating, allowed the luxuriant grass to 

 grow at will, and when it became too rampant had it 

 cut and left it where it fell. Almost immediately the 

 drooping trees lifted up their heads, the insects fled, and 

 to-day, when the ground has not been stirred for more 



