THE KAKI AND ITS RELATIVES 359 



Frequent and thorough cultivation of the grove during the 

 spring and early summer is recommended for Florida. Culti- 

 vation should be discontinued about the middle of July and a 

 cover-crop then planted. This may be cowpeas, velvet-beans, 

 beggar weed, or a natural growth of weeds may be allowed 

 to develop. Commercial fertilizers are used to advantage. 



F. H. Burnette 1 writes as follows on this subject : 



" Good clean culture is all that is required, the same that is given 

 in any well-cared-for fruit orchard. In our heavy lands, or on soils 

 similar in character to the soils of the bluff lands of Louisiana, sodding- 

 over should never be allowed, if good crops are desired. Any good 

 complete manure may be used. A good crop of cow-peas turned 

 under every two or three years will be highly beneficial. 



" During the first three years the growth of the tree should be 

 watched in order to build a symmetrical, upright tree. This is not 

 easy, for some of the varieties spread too much, and the leading up- 

 right branches are often overloaded and become broken easily, or are 

 headed back by careless removal of the fruit. Ordinarily, after they 

 begin to bear, there is little need of pruning. The tendency to over- 

 bear is so strong that new wood is not produced in abundance, and 

 the tree becomes dwarf -like. Systematic thinning of the fruit is neces- 

 sary to control this, as it will not do to leave the thinning to natural 

 causes, and depend upon the tree to throw off all the fruit it cannot 

 well take care of. The weakened condition from overbearing results 

 in a sickly tree which readily becomes a prey to diseases and insects, 

 and it requires a careful observer to train his tree and thin the fruit 

 to the proper amount. " 



Propagation. 



It has long been known, especially in Florida, that some 

 varieties flower profusely but fail to develop any fruits. In 

 other instances, though good crops are produced one season, 

 yet the following year there is no fruit, even though climatic 

 conditions may appear to be identical. This peculiar behavior 

 was not understood until Hume showed that it was due to 

 faulty pollination. In the Journal of Heredity for March, 1914, 

 he writes : 



1 Bull. 99, La. Exp. Sta. 



