MULCHING AND PRUNING. 83 



ered to a depth of several inches, leaving a bare space of 

 about a foot around the trunk. The mulch should extend 

 about two feet beyond the outer roots ; this is very impor- 

 tant. Never allow the mulch to touch the trunk, it will 

 soften and rot the bark and encourage insects to settle 

 around it. 



We have not yet touched on the second objection of the 

 anti-mulchers that "of increased liability to frost." 



In reply to this we give an extract from the report of 

 one of our well-known Florida growers, and another from 

 a prominent planter engaged in orange culture at Pass 

 Christian, Mississippi. The Florida man says: 



"It has been urged that mulching makes the orange 

 tree tender and more liable to freeze. Believing a state- 

 ment of this kind, I was kept from mulching for three 

 years, and then I only began by the trial of a few trees at 

 first. I am satisfied, by careful experiments and observa- 

 tion, that no harm can come to trees on that account if 

 properly applied. Old trees and young trees, trees just 

 set out, and trees bearing five hundred oranges each, have 

 been alike benefited. Trees that were mulched during 

 the freeze of last winter came out of it much better than 

 those that were without mulching ; and now, during the 

 present dry weather, while other trees are becoming yellow 

 and curling* the leaf at mid-day, the mulched trees retain 

 a dark green, healthy color, and are growing right along." 



So much for our Florida witness ; now for the voice from 

 Pass Christian : 



"My grove of five thousand trees escaped very serious 

 damage during the severe cold of two seasons ago. I at- 

 tribute this exemption to a thorough mulching of the soil, 

 which protects them from the intense heat of summer as 

 well as the cold of winter." 



Surely the experience of these two men should count 



