The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-12-14
Indian River Notes and Notions.
Editor of The Florida AGrSealt1rtst:

Iu0ldu DOItOI NOUtS dHu INOO1VIlSs
Editor of The Florida Agriealturtst:
,sSCRAwS AND STRAWBERRIES.
Straws are useful as indicators of
the direction of wind currents, and
strawberries hold high position
among the fruits of the earth. Some
one has said that possibly 'i0mnipo-
tenee could make better fruit but he
was, cutie sure that it lad never been
done. He probably had never eaten
a. Cherimoya, Mango, Sugar Loaf
pineapple or Dwarf banana.
In the AGRECULTURrsT of October
49, "Myrtle" gives us some sensible
talk about sand spurs and the "proper
occupation of women" She also
narrates some experience and asks
some questions. This is not an at-
tempt to answer her questions but in
the light of six years work in Florida
will offer few suggestions.
Therradishes planted in May and
s&he mustard planted in July would
probably have behaved differently. if
lplanted any time from November to
March. IF the watermelons had been
planted the last of winter or early
spring, the results had been more sSt~
isfactory: We have some planted In
August whose conduct is even worse
THAN hers. They have vines from ten
TO thirty feet long, with no fruit, but
plenty of blossoms and have she'd
their leaves three fourths OF their,
length.
One season l planted cashaws in
April, and as they were not advanced
enough 10 set any fruit before hot
weather came on, they postponed it
for some months. They grew and
blossomed and shed their leaves and
blooms until autumn when they
truited and retained both leaves on
the late growth. Some of the fruit
was at least fifty feet from the root
of the vine on which it grew. OF the
things planted "three weeks ago" 1t
is difficult to even guess at the cause
of their demise. "Only one cabbage"
points in the direction of bad seed.
From some cause seeds loose their
vitality here in very short time.
AS to the radIshes, beets, ETC., we
do not know the time of planting as
we have no data from which to
reckon.
Hot sand sometimes destroys
young plants, literally cooks the
tender shoots. When the sand is
dry in summer it becomes very hot.
I have scraped it to the depth of an
inch making a pile large enough to
cover thermometer. Under such
treatment the mercury climbed up to
l34o; it is no wonded that tender
plants in such shot bed" should
perish. Drowth is another cause of
the death of young plants. The tiny
root extends but little way below
the surface and very slight drowth
takes away all the moisture within
their reach. This is why it is SO diff
cult to raise plants from small seeds in
hot weather; or insect enemies may
have destroyed them.
! think our sister is unnecessarily
afraid of bacon and Syrup, particu-
larly the latter. By syrup mean a
good article of Florida syrup, not
the vile compound of starch and sui.
phurIc acid that our Northern neigh.
bors use so extensively.
have seen pansies bloom nicely in
a box in summer but / don't rememS
ber seeing them in winter. Sow annu.
ais so as to transplant in open
grounds as soon as danger from frost
is over. Here we have no frost and
we sow mostly in January. Many
ANIMALS do not do well here on our
pine land. do not know if it is the
climate or the land. OF those that
do we'll l will name, Celosia, Balsams
Asters, Cypress vine, Gillardia Globe
Amaranth, Petunia, Phlox, Pinks,
Portulaca Thunbergia and Zinnia.
Tulips HyaciAths, Narcissus and
bulbs OF this class are failure here;
so are Dahlias. But Gladiolus and
the various lilies do well. Verben-
las and Chrysanthimuns are also
success.