350 CITRUS FRUITS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



back into the hole. If the ground where the trees stand is 

 low hammock, containing a great deal of humus and more 

 or less decayed vegetable matter, it is unsafe to place the 

 soil about the trees. In such cases it may be advisable 

 to haul clean earth with which to bank the trees. 



In spring, usually about the end of March, or as soon 

 as danger of damage from cold is past, the banks should 

 be removed from about the trees. By no means should 

 they be left about the trees throughout the summer, as 

 mal-di-goma may attack the trunk above the point of 

 union of stock and cion. 



Protecting the Whole Tree With Earth. While this 

 method of protection can be applied only to small trees, 

 still it is of considerable importance, and the following 

 experiments carried out by J. Y. McKinney, * of Candler, 

 Fla., are very interesting. "To test this form of protec- 

 tion, we had about thirty young trees covered entirely 

 over with sand. Ten of these were covered on December 

 15, and opened up March 21. These died back to within 

 three inches of the bud union. The other twenty were 

 opened at different times with the following results: 

 Those covered four weeks were but little damaged. Those 

 covered six weeks lost all their foliage and were otherwise 

 so devitalized that they were slow in recovering. Some 

 of my neighbors, however, banked as high as six and seven 

 feet and left the banks for from five to seven weeks, aside 

 from losing their leaves, the trees are but little damaged. 



From other sources on this point I get varying re- 

 sults, so that in forming judgment on this form of pro- 

 tection, it would be said there is great risk attending it, 

 so much so, indeed, that if we place any financial value 



Fla. State Hort. Report 1900, 29-30. 190. 



