72 



OEANGE CULTUEE. 



area, remembering that the trees are growing all the time, and 

 their roots reaching out farther and farther. 



A top dressing of lime, ashes, or potash will hasten the decay 

 of the mulch. It is, at the same time, of great benefit. 



It is wonderful how a tree thus treated will flourish, even 

 when it has been in poor condition up to the time of applying 

 the mulch. An instance in point is that of a bearing grove when 

 the oranges were dropj^ing off, the leaves yellow, and the trees 

 sickly. At this juncture the owner caused two cart loads of 

 mulch to a tree to be spread on the ground, so that the entire 

 space between the trees was covered, at a cost of twenty-five cents 

 per load. In tvro weeks the oranges ceased to dvoip, the leaves 

 went back to their healthy green color, and the trees bristled 

 with new growth. It was two years before the mulch had to be 

 renewed, and in all that time neither the expense of hoeing or 

 cultivating the grove had to be met, the mulch keeping the 

 ground moist and friable, and choking out all weeds. 



There is a mode of mulching that we have not referred to, 

 that is well worth general adoption, combining as it does the 

 double benefit of mulching and green manuring. 



This is, to remove carefully the loose earth from the roots 

 of the trees to as great a depth as is practicable without injuring 

 them, then to fill in level with the ground the mulching mate- 

 rial, which in this case should be grass, weeds, cow peas, or other 

 green stufi'; sprinkle with lime or ashes if handy — it will do 

 without, however — then tramj) it down, and throw on top the soil 

 taken out. This retains the moisture, hastens decay, and absorbs 

 gases that would otherwise escape. It is mulch and manure at 

 the same time. 



The question of pruning is one about which there is little 

 controversy — less so, perhaps, than any other one point in orange 

 culture, though even here there are some who difier from the 

 great majority. 



Of all domesticated fruit trees, the citrus family requires the 

 least pruning; some say none at all,but experience teaches otherwise. 



Pruning is one of nature's great laws in the vegetable king- 

 dom. Look at our forest trees. In their youth their branches 



