92 ORANGE CUL7^URE IN FLORIDA. 



can be readily reached. There are several advan- 

 tages derived from generous manuring when the 

 trees are young : not only is the development of 

 the tree hastened, but the tree is. less liable to be 

 attacked by some of the insects, and when attacked 

 is better enabled to resist their ravages ; and when 

 in vigorous health, but not making new wood 

 during winter, it is less liable to be damaged by the 

 influence of frost. To prevent this last-named evil 

 the young tree should never be stimulated in the 

 fall or latter part of the summer. It is much bet- 

 ter to manure in the spring. Another advantage to 

 be noted is, when trees are pushed before coming 

 into bearing, the heavy manuring does no damage 

 to the fruit. 



The kind of fertilizer to be used depends largely 

 upon the character of the soil. If the land planted 

 was originally heavily set in hard wood, and the 

 ashes of the wood, cut in clearing, have been scat- 

 tered on the ground, it is more than likely that the 

 soil for a few years will have a sufficiency of lime, 

 soda, and potash. In that case nitrogenous ma- 

 nures will be needed. But if all the hard wood has 

 been taken off the land and no ashes left, such a 

 soil will likely have become poor in calcareous 

 manures (as the readiness with which the pine 

 springs up in our worn hammock lands shows), and 

 should be treated as the pine lands, and manures 

 applied containing all the elements of vegetable 

 life used by the roots. 



