Ifl- -J 
Southorn Planting Facts 
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.III I iHC 
General Care 
One of our 2 -year-old Grape¬ 
fruit trees, eleven months after 
planting, in the grove of Mr. John 
H. Derby, Rockledge, Florida. 
After carefully planting trees or shrubs they should 
receive such care and attention as will keep them 
in thrifty growing condition, and. if the best results 
are desired, they should never be allowed to become 
stunted in their growth. To bring about tliis condi¬ 
tion they must be cultivated frequently, fertilized 
from time to time, and kept free from insects and 
diseases. Only those who give their trees the care 
they require can hope to secure the maximum result; 
from their plantings. Consult your successful neigh 
bors. 
CULTIVATION 
The ground around newly set plants must be kept 
. , , free from weeds, because a growtli of weeds deprives 
the trees of needed moisture and plant-food. Lawn 
specimens may be cared for by simi)lv cutting out the 
turf in a circle of 2 feet radius around the trees, and 
keeping the circles well cultivated. Young orchard 
trees may be handled by cultivating a narrow strip 
3 to 5 feet wide on each side of the tree-rows and 
tile remainder of the ground (not cultivated) should 
be planted with a cover-crop to shade the soil and 
improve its condition when it is plowed under. 
It is best to continue tlie cultivation of the narrow 
strip throughout the season, or well uj) into autumn. 
Of course, if heavy rains occur, cultivation of young 
trees may at times be omitted, but even then weeds 
must not be allowed to grow up around the trees, 
thereby shading them to an injurious degree. 
Planting a shade tree 
See page 72 
Disc harrow at work in an Orange grove 
The cultivation of older trees differs in some par¬ 
ticulars from that given young trees. In tlic first 
place cultivation should begin in spring some time 
iieforc the trees start into growth and should be con¬ 
tinued at intervals of ten (lays or two weeks through¬ 
out the spring months up until about June 1501- July 
I. .A cover-croj) should then be given po.ssession of 
the ground until autumn. The best cover-crops in 
the lower South are beggarweed. cowpeas and velvet 
beans. In spring, the whole surface of the ground 
should be cultivated, and if the weather is dry, 
cultivation should Ixj given more frequently. 
The most important objects of cultivation are to 
Cover-crop of beggarweed in a Pecan orchard 
preserve a dust mulch and conserve moisture. The 
best cultivation tools are a disc harrow, an exten¬ 
sion disc, an Acme harrow and, for heavy lands, a 
spring-tooth harrow. The jilow is not required, 
except when the cover-crop is turned under. 
FERTILIZERS 
The fertilizer already recommended for use 
at time of iilanting will be found about right for 
young trees and. under most conditions, its use 
may be continued until the trees are well grown 
and' commence to boar. On shade trees and shrulis 
its use may be continued throughout. When fruit 
trees begin to bear, the comixisition of the fertilizer 
apiiliod should be changed. The amount of potash 
should be increased. In general, it will be found that 
a fertilizer containing 3 per cent ammonia. 6 per cent 
phosphoric acid, and an increased amount of ])otash 
will be about right. The comjiosition of the fertil¬ 
izer should be varied to meet special conditions. 
The general tendency in the use of commercial 
fertilizers is to make frccpicnt ajiplications of small 
amounts. In arriving at the ciuantities re(iuired on 
shade trees, it is a good plan to use from one to 
two iiounds for each inch in diameter. Young fruit 
trees may be given two or three iiounds for eacli year 
of age, and fruiting trees have to i>e fertilized accord¬ 
ing to their condition and the crop indications. 
If a young orange tree received one-half iiound 
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