The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-02-25

common sense. lie could see that
orange trees would thrive upon the
hammock lands, but whether thew
would grow in the pine woods, was
a debatable question. He was told
that the seed of sweet oranges grown
upon sour stock would produce sour
oranges that stocks removed from
she'll lands to those of a diverse
character would die; that sweet trees
would not grow upon low lands like
the sour orange, because they had a
different root; that sweet trees be.
came changed into sour ones by a
Jew years OF neglect and want of cul-
tivation; that peach trees when bud
ded were worthless; that strawber-
rles could not be made to grow, nor
Japan plums, nor grapes, nor many
other things-all of which and much
more besides, has since proved mere
moonshine. The enthusiasm of some
OF the newly arrived was SO bound
less as to lead to unfortunate attempts
at acclimatization, and 1 can recall
with melancholy smile the spectacle
OF rows of apple, pear, cherry, and
plum trees, and even currants and
gooseberries, fresh from porthern
nurseries, neatly planted in rows
with labels attached. PEOPLE have
learned better since, and protting by
the experiments of the pioneers, the
immigrant OF to-day need not waste
time and money in truitless labor.
Our nurserymen can now supply
easily and cheaply great variety
OF trees suited TO the climate, which,
a few years since, it was scarcely
possible to procure. Still much re.
mains to be accomplished in the way
OF introducing fruit and other plants
OF value from foreign parts, and
another decade will witness a still
greater addition to our. resources.
standing on our steamboat wharf
and seeing hundreds of quarts of
mammoth Strawberries going off
every day, brings to mind those times
when we tried hard to raise this most
excellent Of berries, and were almost
tempted to give it up as impossi-
BILE, till we afterwards found out
how. Fruit growers should learn
from this never to be discouraged
until after repeated trials it has been
proved impracticable. A dozen years
ago some of our successful garden
ers obtained prices tor their vege-
tables which they would be glad to
get now. Watermelons so cents TO
/ ST each; cabbages 20 to 30 cents per
head; green pease SO bushel; string
beans So a box; and often rich re-
wards were reaped for small lots of
green corn, tomatoes, cucumbers and
the lesser products OF the garden.
But if prices have fallen, an increased
knowledge OF the times and seasons
of planting, of the proper soils and
manures tor each crop, and improved
modes of cultivation still make vege-
table growing very profitable. The
Jersey gardener emigrated to Nor.
folk to be first in the market, from
thence to Charleston and now he is
coming tobFlorida, and will soon
turn up in the everglades, sending
north from thence the most delicate
products in the depth Of winter by
refrigerator cars on the great South.
ern Railway or Key West steamers.
Florida, being almost destitute of
mineral resources, must remain per-
manently an agricultural state, and
we cannot, as yet, realize the infinite
number of staples that can be pro-
duced within her borders and hardly
anywhere else in the United States
sugars, both cane and palm, wines,
stsrches, textile fiber, tobacco, garden
vegetables, fresh and canned fruits,
wool, silk, oil, honey, wax, lumber,
rare essences, and perfumes, and
variety of medicinal and useful plants
and trees. A dozen years ago, a
semi-weekly river steamer carrying
the mails, and running from jackson
vile to Enterprise, together with one
from Savannah and two from Charles
ton per week to Palatka, amply sup
piled our wants, but now above
score, both great and small, many of
them plying to the head Of naviga-
ton, and often loaded to their utmost
capacity with merchandise and pro.