CITRUS TREES AND THEIR DISEASES 31 



it is improper to cultivate a grove heavily in the month 

 of August this has a tendency to prevent the matur- 

 ity of your first season's growth. Second, it would 

 have a tendency to throw the organic matter out of 

 the soil into the air. A dust mulsh would be proper; 

 that is, to cultivate with a steel tooth harrow, followed 

 by a light float this especially applies to a light soil. 



No man can make a set of rules that would apply 

 to cultivation, for the fact that it would be misleading 

 to many ; others would prosper by it. Different classi- 

 fications of soil require different methods of cultivation. 

 Heavy soil cannot be handled in the same manner as 

 light soil. This is a matter in which the grower must 

 be his own judge. He should study the conditions of 

 his soil, and know better how to cultivate it than any 

 other man could tell him. 



We will leave the subject of cultivation at this 

 time and take up the matter of pruning. 



PRUNING 



Pruning is an important feature to fruit growing. 

 Butchery is detrimental to fruit growing. This is a 

 matter in which no rule can be laid down, and but little 

 advice can be rendered, as each tree is a separate indi- 

 vidual. No two trees require exactly the same method 

 of pruning. Again, trees grown on heavy land require 

 more severe pruning than those grown on light soils. 

 About all I care to say at this time in regard to pruning 

 is to explain the three fundamental principles which 

 should be carried out in all pruning. 



