CITRUS TREES AND THEIR DISEASES 21 



ash. This same rule will apply to all elements as well 

 as minerals. In order to determine the mineral ele- 

 ments, plant a few rows of strawberries, and if you 

 can produce sweet berries without acid being strong 

 enough to take the skin off of your mouth, this would 

 determine the question of minerals available. 



I desire to make plain right here that fruit, which 

 has been commonly understood as being composed of 

 nitrogen, phosphate and humus, is absolutely a mis- 

 take; as the flavor, texture and development of all 

 characteristics of fruit depends largely upon the min- 

 eral substances in the soil. Without these mineral 

 substances you cannot produce the fine flavor, the fine 

 texture, and the high polish rind. 



This requires no argument other than a little bit 

 of good horse sense and observation, as every reader 

 will agree with me that the mountains that contain 

 the numerous beds of minerals are ideal spots. If the 

 conditions would permit to produce a high flavor, a fine 

 texture and a high polished rind, these substances can 

 be easily explained and administered by applications 

 to the body of the tree and the results are surprising. 



The writer thinks at this point it would be well to 

 quote some of our great writers as to their conceptions 

 of nature. 



"We would be happier if we studied nature more in 

 natural things; and acted according to nature, whose 

 rules are few, plain, and reasonable. Let us begin where 

 she begins, go her pace, and close always where she 

 ends, and we cannot miss of being good naturalists." 

 William Penn. 



