145 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
that the peach tree under the soil will 
not throw out its own root ? 
Mr. Soar: Not to any great extent. I 
have seen them throw out roots and, of 
course, where they do that the root knot 
will affect the peach root the same as in 
any other case. Roots are sometimes 
thrown out by the peach where worms 
have been removed. This is, however, 
very seldom. 
Mr. Hollingsworth: I got my first 
planting on plum roots, planting them on 
virgin soil. I also planted the plum 
stock on virgin soil, thinking it would 
have the same effect. 1 understood you 
to say that it is practically immune from 
root knot, regardless of the soil on which 
it is planted. 
Afr. Soar: We are growing fruit at 
home on land that has been cleared some¬ 
thing over thirty years. Some of the 
land has not been cleared that long, but 
some of it has been. 
I might make a statement here that I 
would like to emphasize. In planting- 
peach trees on plum stock, you do not 
want to apply too much ammonia, while 
the trees are young. If you apply large 
quantities of ammonia and force the trees 
to too rapid a growth the first few years, 
the results will not be as satisfactory. 
They will make too much top and not 
enough root. It is very important to ap¬ 
ply a small amount of ammonia; that is, 
only enough to produce a good, vigorous 
growth. Never force the top to make an 
excessive growth. 
It is also important to keep the trees 
well pruned back. Some orchards will die 
out in a few years if not pruned. 
Some of our orchards have a number of 
trees that range from fifteen to twenty 
years of age; one orchard will run some¬ 
thing like fifteen to eighteen years old, 
where fully one-half of the trees origin¬ 
al ly planted are still living-. The soil is 
sandy with a little clay and a very few 
pebbles. 
Mr. Hollingsworth: The ordinary 
plum we bud on is not as healthy a grower 
as the peach, and therefore the peach 
outgrows the root. 
Air. Soar: You will find in some cases 
the peach will outgrow the plum, but if 
you will graft them underneath the 
ground, you will find that it reduces the 
difference in rapidity of growth to a 
minimum. 
The budding or grafting of peach trees 
on peach roots is not to be recommended 
for South Florida. 
Mr. Watson: The peach growers in 
California have great success in the use 
of Asphaltum for borers. It is heated 
and applied warm enoug*h to* run. It 
hardens and makes a perfect protection 
against the assaults of the borer. It is 
applied in the spring and kept there until 
after the dangerous season is over. 
Mr. Soar: There must be at least 
two broods during the year, because in 
removing the borers from peach trees, 
I have seen large and small borers at the 
same time. x Go into* an orchard where 
the borers are not well removed from 
the trees and you can find them working 
in the trees at almost any period through¬ 
out the year. I have seen large borers 
and small borers working in the same 
tree at the same time. 
Air. Knibler: I would like to say a 
word about this, too. I do know that 
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