The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-02-04

That seedlings grow as large and
produce as abundantly as budded
trees is sustained by such facts as
$1,000 oranges on tree'' described
by yourself in the same number with
Mr.. Manville's article. Several large
seedlings in the Stark grove, at old
Enterprise, one owned by Mrs. Thig.
pen, west of Palatka; several near
Micanopy and many others. 9
The fact that Captain Burnham,
who has fine grove of budded trees
at Cape Canaveral, told DR.. Peters
that he thought budded trees were
better than seedlings, may be impor.
tant to nurseryman of Lake George
but it is certainly only the opinion OF
one who has seen but little of sweet
seedlings and is worth no more than
that OF the thousands of orange
growers in Europe who, previous to
the present century, believed that all
seeds OF sweet oranges would pro-
duce only sour fruit. - 1H ~
What we want is a fair statement
OF facts on this important subject, to
show how these can be distorted. l
ask you to allow Gallesio, who has
been quoted, to speak for himself.
Art. TX, chapt. w of his trans
lated "Treatise on the Citrus Family
he says vt is surprising that the sue.
cess OF those plantations in America,
which renew themselves by seed, and
give sweet fruit without being graft
ed have not enlightened Europeans
and led them to multiply these
. trees by seed. have no means of
ascertaining whether this method is
known in Portugal AS to Spain |
think it is not practiced there. An
attentive examination of the sweet
orange trees OF that country has sat.
isfied me that all are grated. It is
certain that the method is ignored in
Sicily and Naples, and not more than
halt century has elapsed since its,
introduction in Liguria / do not know,
indeed, of any writer on agriculture
who has spoken of the sweet orange
as mother species, capable of per.
petuating and reproducing itself by
its own seed. All speak only of its
multiplication by gratis, or by layers,
and the greater part have given meth.
ods TOR moderating the harshness of
of tree [unbudded] fruits by means of
infusions of the seed of other similar
proceedings. Ferraris
is the only author who has known of
the existence of the orange tree OF
sweet fruit growing from seed. This
writer, the first to examine deeply
into the culture OF this tree, lived in
time q646) When this method.
already spread in America, had prob.
ably passed into Portugal and other
parts of Europe. He ought, then, to
have had an idea OF it. Neyerthe.
less he speaks Of the more favored
climates, as the Philippine isles and
China and he counsels European gar.
deners to supply by graft the defect
OF climate. Thus in some countries.
Nature more adroit renders art use
less, because the seeds of domesti.
Gated oranges trees give abundantly
OF sweet fruit without need of being
grated. : S He establishes as
a maxim in Europe] shat the most
perfect seed OF the sweetest orange
Will yield only plants bearing sour
and wild fruit, which require to be
improved by graft. Such is the force
OF habit and prejudice; when an
opinion has taken root in the mind of
men, 1t is not sufficient for its de-
structlon that Nature reveals herself
by her operations. Prejudice will
long contend against belief of facts:
= r More than century has
passed since Ferraris remarked that
there were climates where the sweet
orange reproduced itself from seed and
still the prejudice in favor OF the
graft exists in the minds of the great
er number of agricultural writers.
Finally, the custom of graft.
ing suited the views of the speculat-
ing gardeners as we'll as amateurs
Both had no other object than to be
assured OF the varieties they DOS.
sessed and which they desired to pre-.
serve.
Thus we see why there has been
such delay in learning the nature of
this species, which, during a number
OF years has existed out precariously