CITRUS TREES AND THEIR DISEASES 41 



condition is ready for the feeders, then it is a long 

 transportation from there to the receiving agency of 

 your tree. 



"Now, isn't this rather unwise, unskillful, and 

 not the best method to be obtained, from the fact 

 that nature has declared so emphatically that the tree 

 top must spread in proportion to the spread of the 

 roots, and when they have reached the outer circle 

 of the tree, nature says they must go downward and 

 not straight outward. The sun would have a tendency 

 to affect them. On the other hand, they must go down 

 and search the soil for moisture and for mineral sub- 

 stances, and the roots closer to the surface must gather 

 the humus, nitrogen and phosphate near the surface. 



"If your grove is saturated with fine rootlets 

 throughout the center of the rows, I want to say 

 frankly to you these roots are not feeders for your 

 tree, but are soil robbers. You should tear these up 

 by plowing deep in the center of your rows at least 

 every two years, one year one way, and the next year 

 the other, not going closer than eight feet from your 

 tree, then plow shallow up to the circle of your tree. 



SYMPTOMS OF TREE DISEASES 



Symptom No. 1. To notice deterioration, the first 

 symptom will show in a large amount of foliage be- 

 qoming very small, sharp-pointed and soft. This 

 symptom indicates that the lungs of the tree are 

 closed ; that the tree is receiving no nitrogen from the 

 air; immediate steps should be taken to cause a re- 

 action of the sap. 



