The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-04-07

formed that potash and muck was
good fertilizer for orange trees-noth.
ing about proportion or application
purchased a ton OF muriate ofpotash,
composted it with an equal amount
of muck, applied it to the roots OF his
trees and killed fine grove. l have
since seen in THE FLORIDA AGRI-
cULTuRTsT that fifty pounds of pot.
ash to one ton ofmuck are the proper
tions. That one paper costing 8 cents
would have saved an orange grove.
So far as the agricultural chemistry
is concerned, it is really necessary
that a few orange growers should
keep up with the progress OF the
science, in order to be able to make
experiments, intelligibly, but until
their analysis and theories have been
tested by actual experiments; l for
one-at the risk of being laughed at
have but little faith in them.
The most careless reader could not
but notice IN the many discussions on
agricultural chemistry between Pro-
tessors Pendleton, Lee Vile and
many other eminent agricultural
chemists, how widely they differed
on many points, that one would think
any chemists ought to be able to set
tie definitely in few hours; yet we
find those able men arriving at ex.
actly opposite conclusions.
See the RurdL Cdr0limiaW OF Feb
ruary 1875, page 243, where the ac
complished editor ID. III. Jacques
writes cit is an unpleasant thing to
learn that one has been teaching error
in the place of truth; but it is some
consolation to know that our betters
and Instructors have been doing the
same thing, misleading us as we have
misled Others" He theu goes on to
show conclusively that experiments,
carefully and repeatedly made by EN-.
inenJ men, prove that Agricultural
chemists from Liebig down were mis-
taken in their theories and conclu-
sions and some things that they
taught as facts were actually false.
| could show several other instan-
ces where practical experiments
have proved that the chemist
was in error, but l think all will
agree that actual experiments are tar
more reliable than agricultural chem
istry.
The Tampa Tribune wants to
know about lemon bushes. We have
the Sicily lemon here budded on
sour orange stumps and they make
trees, as large as any orange tree and
much sooner. My neighbor, Captain
Carney, gathered this year, from a
four year old lemon bud, 1000 beau
titul lemons. All agree, however,
that the lemon is much more easily
killed by cold than the orange, and,
therefore, can only be grown success
fully in old Jack Frost's pet patches,
which are scattered all over the State
without any regard to latitude. We
can show few hundred lemon trees
on this lake that are hard to beat,
they have never been injured by
frost.
Since my article appeared in THE
FLORIDA AGR1CCLTURIsT, | have
received several letters lnquiring
about the healthtulness of Lake Weir.
Allow me to answer them with facts
in as few words as possible, for
have already far exceeded my limits.
l have lived here six years, had
one chill, with which [ was in bed
about two hours, with that exception
l have never been in bed minute on
account of sickness, and l have done
much hard work in sun and rain, have
been married four years, have two
children, and with the exception of
teething, ETC., have had no sickness
in my family, they never had chill
or fever OF any kind. My brother
has lived here four years has five
children the oldest nine years, and he
can truthtully say the same in regard
to his family and others living here
can say as much. l don't mean to
say there was never a case of chills
and fever on Lake Weir, for there
have been several, but when inquired
into nine out OF ten were contracted
elsewhere and brought here. Several
consumptives brought here to die,
have recovered enough to do their
own work. One gentleman, who
coughed and looked as if he could