The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-12-21
Grange Growing.
Coast Progress.

of the Progress, but it is for novices
that dare to write upon a subject
which is so we'll understood? by so
MANY of his county men had he much
less than fourteen years OF observa-
ton and experience had ne not twice
nut down seeds and seen the golden
fruit pendant amid the green foliage
of this beautiful and interesting tree.
can smile-ah, 1 should say weep,
when l see SO many good people
with much unbounded assurance of
the correctness Of their views, and of
the coming greatness OF their tor-
tunes in orange growing. Clean from
one end of the State to the other
may be found these enthusiasts des>
perately engaged in futile efforts at
fortune making. But it is not my
intention to discourage orange grow
ing. The foregoing sentence is writ.
ten because l feel that it is necessary
TO the happiness and welfare of our
people 10 sober them in the outset,
thus savig time, money, and the ulti-
mate good of the country. The or
ange, probably not unlike other fruit
trees, must have congenial home, a
suitable soil, and the best of care. l
cannot discuss this subject in all its
details, but for the benefit of the
coming man." will give it pass
ing consideration. Some people with
whom l would not dispute, may ads
wise differently; they may know more
or they may know less, and i will
give them all credit for honesty, but
| think that an orange grove should
not be undertaken on land which has
a hardpan, or black iron rust subsoil
nearer than six feet of the surface; or
on land not perfectly and naturally
drained. greatly fear that land on
which what we call maiden cane will
grow, will not do; where the saw
palmetto grows low and thick, When
a we'll is dug in dry season, water
will not be found less than ten feet
from the surface, and pure sand of a
red or yellow cast all the way down
on best orange lands. The growth
will be tall pines and turkey oak.
The black jack land is rather too
destitute OF vegetable matter, too
coarse texture, and poor; it is better
to pay more tor the fine grain land.
A congenial home is Of course far
South. There will be no use to res
mind any one that much vexation of
spirit is suffered by having his trees
and fruit even, occasionally nipped
by frost. What / mean by the best
OF care is that the land being first
well cleared and grubbed, is that the
trees should be well fed, cleverly
and the whole of the land
protected from the blasting rays of
our long summer sun. But now we
are upon perfect sea of question
this thing OF feeding trees. What is
the best food for trees? l say grow
pea vines and gather forest leaves
and muck with this, and sprinkle a
little nitrogenized substance over
this in rainy seasons. Some people
cow pen their groves, but as this is
always overdone, the result is not
always satisfactory. Some buy COM
mercial fertilizers, but l never could
afford this. / gather COW dung from
the range, and rake up forest leaves,
and dig wire grass from the woods,
and save all slops, soapsuds and drop,
pings from animals, scatter this over
the land and very slightly cover with
soil. l have picked up bones by the
cart load, aud beat them up with an
axe and scattered over the land Just
ahead OF the pillow. l am certain
that these will be lasting source of
phosphoric acid, nitrogen, ETC., 30
build up the tree and make fruit.
believe in digging bitches and large
holes i'll the grove and fill in with
every imaginable trash and covering
over-thus making a compost heap
in the earth for the trees to feed upon
tor Yeas. But you say this is ex,
pensive and looks like work. Yes,
indeed, but il it is worth doing at
all, it is worth doing well. l had
rather lay out money and labor than
time, considering that l have only
one lifetime, and that may be short.
But at the bottom, the TACT is, it is
TAR better to buy grove ready made,
or nearly so, than undertake to make
one. 1t will not pay to undertake
an orange grove in slipshod way;
it must be undertaken only by those
who nave means and as a business.
know lots OF people who think they
can put out the trees, give them an
occasional hck and promise, and 90