The fresh soil which you put in would before long be impregnated through the surface evaporation of the rising moisture, which your straw lining would not long exclude.  The trees would not be permanently satisfactory under such conditions as you describe, though they might grow well at first.  It would be interesting, of course, to make a small-scale experiment to demonstrate what would actually occur and it would, perhaps, give you a chance to sell out to a tenderfoot.

Planting in Mud.

Why does ground lose its vitality or its growing qualities when it is plowed or stirred when wet, and does this act in all kinds of soil in the same way?  We are planting a fig and olive orchard at the present time, but some were planted when the ground was extremely wet.  The holes were dug before the rain and after a heavy rain they started to plant.  After placing the trees in the holes they filled them half full with wet dirt, in fact so wet that it was actually slush.  What would you advise under the circumstances and what can be done to counteract this?  We have not finished filling in the holes since the planting was done, which was about a week ago.

The soil loses its vitality after working when too wet, because it is thrown into bad mechanical (or physical) condition and therefore becomes difficult of root extension and of movement of moisture and air.  How easily soil may be thrown into bad mechanical condition depends upon its character.  A light sandy loam could be plowed and trees planted as you describe without serious injury perhaps, while such a treatment of a clay would bring a plant into the midst of a soil brick which would cause it to spindle and perhaps to fail outright.  The best treatment would consist in keeping the soil around the roots continually moist, yet not too wet.  The upper part of the holes should be filled loosely and the ground kept from surface compacting.  The maintenance of such a condition during the coming summer will probably allow the trees to overcome the mistake made at their planting, unless the soil should be a tough adobe or other soil which has a disposition to act like cement.

Electro-Agriculture.

Kindly tell me of any one who is working upon the application of electricity to stimulating agricultural growth-especially here on the Coast.  A friend who has done some work in this line seeks to interest me.  I have seen notices of this work, and have read of Professor Arrhenius stimulating the mental activity of children, etc., but I desire more definite information, if possible.  Does the idea seem to you to be feasible?