34 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
nearly perfect and I got good results and 
by moving a few times there was little 
trouble. 
But I tried further to find just when the 
cultivation should cease. First I left a 
square of sixteen trees as soon as the 
bloom had 1 opened, and cultivated all oth¬ 
er trees until the first summer rain. Then 
the soil got dry and I cultivated a few 
rows again before the heavy rains. The 
spring drought was not severe enough to 
kill the weeds and grass in the test plot so 
it was two or three feet deep in fairly rank 
growth through the worst weather, but 
the trees looked as well as the cultivated 
ones and when the rains commenced they 
put on a much better growth* and were 
ahead of those cultivated. The rows culti¬ 
vated last were the last to show 
new growth and made the least growth 
and the differences were almost as appar¬ 
ent and in the same order the following 
season. I next turned loose a large plot 
about the first of April. We had a good 
shower which gave the weeds and grass 
good start and they got about eight inches 
high when the weather got so bad that 
they commenced to wither and expose 
the soil to the sun. Then they 
dried up until I thought they were all 
dead and the temptation to cultivate was 
very strong but I considered the mischief 
done so I let it go. I did not at that time 
nor have I since noticed any bad results 
from the neglect, but there was no appar¬ 
ent advantage except a saving of labor. So 
I have about decided that the best time to 
lay by is when the bloom opens if there 
is sufficient moisture; if not then we must 
cultivate until the first rains of summer. 
But on fairly moist land if a good deep 
growth can be secured by the first of May 
it will keep the ground cool and grow 
right through the drought when a small or 
scattering growth would die and be of no 
use at all. The only use of this growth in a 
drought is to keep the ground cool and in 
good condition, for I think that there is 
little doubt that the growth takes less 
moisture than would be lost by the direct 
heat of the sun on the soil. With irriga¬ 
tion, we can lay by when we choose and I 
would wish to get a cover before the hot 
weather any way. 
Four years ago about twenty-five trees 
in the lower corner of my grove, where the 
soil is rather moist and rich, showed die- 
back. I had little hope for them and have 
done nothing more to them except to cut 
down the weeds and young bushes. This 
season the trees in that plot are the health¬ 
iest I have and had the best crop and the 
best fruit on the place. So it is quite easy 
to consider this more perfect, except that 
the dead trash on the ground all winter 
is too tempting to fire, but closer mowing 
with some clean middles Would help that. 
I have thought that it would increase the 
danger from cold but I am not now sure 
of that when the more uniform condition 
of sap is considered. I believe that irriga¬ 
tion will be necessary to adapt this culti¬ 
vatorless cultivation to high land but irri¬ 
gation is needed anyway and this sort of 
cultivation will simplify irrigation and in¬ 
crease its benefits, for the final results of ir¬ 
rigation on the bare, hot sand has seemed 
doubtful to me. If I were dealing with a 
fruit like the peach which has reached per¬ 
fection through strenuous urging, or a 
short lifed vegetable, the result of intense 
culture and forcing, I would seach for 
more artificial means in improving them. 
While the citrus tree shows great ability 
