FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
159 
servation and experience I find it neces¬ 
sary to keep up the work to hold trees 
of this character in good condition, and 
keep them from going back. 
Gummosis. I have seen some very bad 
cases of this disease on both young bud¬ 
ded trees and old seedlings. I saw one 
old grove in particular that was run 
down, and work was commenced in this 
grove by giving a very liberal application 
of fertilizer, and in addition there was 
applied about five pounds of nitrate soda 
to each tree. During the period, to use 
a common expression, I might say that 
the grove was almost “cultivated to 
death,” and was followed by a very bad 
case of gummosis. The, following rec¬ 
ommendations were carried out: Cultiva¬ 
tion was entirely stopped for a period of 
seven months, and the wounded places on 
each tree treated with crude, carbolic acid 
and soapy water, the mixture being made 
of equal parts. This was applied at least 
three times to the affected parts, and the 
results of this method have proved to be 
very beneficial, and the grove is now in 
what might be called normal condition. 
The Hoeing of Trees, Especially 
Young Trees. Hoeing trees, especially 
young trees, is very important. It les¬ 
sens the chance of insects accumulating 
and doing harm. Great care should be 
taken to remove the banks from about 
the trees, and to see that the entire 
amount of dirt is taken away from the 
trunk of the trees down level with the 
crown roots. Any rubbish, dead wood, 
etc., which may have accumulated against 
the banks should be picked up for the 
reason that it lessens the accumulation of 
ants. 
a few dont's 
Don’t give your trees an unusual appli¬ 
cation of spray material when you are 
spraying, especially of the oil emulsion, 
and particularly when the trees are in 
bloom, as it will burn young growth. 
Don’t dig a trench around your trees 
and put bluestone in it and then pour 
water in the trench thinking you will 
give your # tree.s a good application, and 
direct to the spot. This may kill your 
tree. I have seen this very thing happen 
twice. If you have occasion to put blue- 
stone into the tree, do not use more, than 
two small pieces, about the size of a pea, 
as this amount will inoculate them, and 
probably give you the desired results. I 
came across one grower who had given 
them what he called “a good dose” and 
now he has no trees. 
Don’t paint the trunks of trees with oil 
insecticides to get rid of lichens without 
first diluting it. I saw some fine old 
trees absolutely killed by this method. 
Don’t cut a ditch down the middles to 
the extent of two feet, to drain the land, 
and especially when trees are in bloom, 
as this may cause them to shed their 
bloom. One grower attributes the, cut¬ 
ting of these roots to this ditching, and 
I know of one grove where the trees were 
thick with bloom and the trees put on 
practically no fruit last year. 
Don’t spray with a strong solution of 
Bluestone to cure dieback. I have seen 
this tried, and it defoliated the trees. 
Don’t put Bluestone under the branches 
close up around the trunk of the trees; 
also don’t apply Bluestone during, the. 
rainy period. 
