FERTILIZING. 95 



appearance, of a similar nature to " hard-pan." 

 Such a deposit is of no value, and that containing 

 the brown sand is actually injurious to the orange. 

 Some who have used this kind of material have 

 failed to discover any benefit and have cried out 

 against all muck. But the time has passed for 

 this. Too many have used muck and found it 

 valuable for its merits to remain longer unknown. 

 Where this deposit is close to the grove, an econom- 

 ical way to use it is to haul it at once from the bed 

 and spread it broadcast over the ground and plow 

 it in. It should not be allowed to dry in the sun, 

 as it then becomes lumpy. If turned under the 

 surface it soon incorporates itself with the soil. 

 After it is applied and turned under, a top-dressing 

 of ashes or lime would prove beneficial. If the de- 

 posit is some distance from the grove it is more eco- 

 nomical to throw it into heaps near the bed, but 

 under the shade, and still better to add a little lime 

 slaked with salt water or ashes, as it is thrown in 

 uniform layers. The pile soon heats and dries out, 

 leaving the muck as friable as a bed of sand. It is 

 then very light and easily handled and carted. In 

 this condition it can be used in almost any quanti- 

 ties ; the only danger to be feared from excessive 

 use is in piling it up so deep over the roots as to 

 smother them for a while. And yet if the crown 

 roots are kept uncovered the surface roots soon find 

 their way to the muck near the surface. The writer 

 has had the orange roots penetrate, for several 



