Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-27


the letteror article, not necessarily for
publication, but as evidence of good faith.
The Peach Problem in Florida.
Mrs. Leora B. Robinson writes that the
problem of successfully growing peaches
in the vicinity of Orlando, Fla, has not
yet been wholly solved. There are so
many other kinds of summer fruits cult
waited there that there is very general
disposition not to bother with the peach.
In spite OF failures, however. there are
some who have continued TO experiment
with it and have met with some encour.
agement.
Up to the present year but two varieties
of peaches could be said to grow and bear
in South Florida, namely, the Piento and
the Honey peach. Both of these are of
Chinese origin and differ materially from
the Persian varieties that are cultivated
SO abundantly farther North.
The Picnic is fat, clingstcne sort,
with delightful Gpeach flavor. and fire.
quently with decided, though not disa-
greeable, bitter after-taste. Among such
rich and juicy peaches as the early Craw-
ford, the Heath and other preferred sorts,
the Picnic would stand perhaps little
chance. But it provides for itself in this
respect and takes care to ripen in May,
when its possible rivals are scarcely past
blooming season and thus it wins for
itself a sure welcome.
The Honey peach is a small, elongated,
70 ;t.
name implies, and were it not so dimlnu-
tive it would, by most persons, be valued
as a good second-class peach.
Mr.. BIdwell, one of the most prominent
nurserymen OF the State, who removed
from Jacksonville to point near Orlando
several years ago. took with him num-
Der of seedlings of the Picnic peach. The
original trees on which the fruit was
grown were SO situated that there was
probability OF hybrIdization with the
Honey peach or with the Persian varie-
ties, many of which do fairly well in the
latitude OF Jacksonville. These seedlings
we're carefully cultivated and cared for.
Last year nearly all of them fruited and
this year again more abundantly. One
of them of good size and exc client flavor
seemed so especially valuable that MIR.
Bidwell has made arrangements for it's
extensive propagation. This tree has
borne now abundantly for two successive
seasons-once after an almost frostless
winter, and the second time after the
memorable winter Of last year, when the
cold was so remarkably severe. 1t seems
reasonable to presume that there is at
least one Florida peach that will take its
place beside the best of Northern fruit
AS this peach ripens at Orlando in MAY,
it will be seen at once what probable
profits will be realized from its success.
MIR. BIdwell shipped less than bushel
last spring to New York city and received
the liberal return of 50.
But Mr.. Bidwell is not the only one
who has met with some success in peach
growing at Orlando. Mrs. Robinson says
that ever since she has been in Florida
she has been trying to do something with
peach seeds from Northern fruit. Speak
ing of her experience In this respect she
says:
From the hundreds of peach seeds en-
trusted to the tender mercies of our Flor
ida sand six little shoots appeared in the
spring of 1884. These seedlings came up
under the shade of large guava tree.
These little trees-not any of them more
than foot leng-were carefully trans.
planted where we hoped some of them
might grow. During the summer three
of the six made wonderful growth and,
strange to say, the next year gave US
abortive blossoms. This last spring they
were well-grown trees and were literally
loaded with fruit. One of these trees is a
wonder. The trunk, six inches from the
ground, is nearly five inches IN diameter.
just fifteen inches in circumference. The
limbs cover space OF twelve feet and
the tallest limb is fourteen and a half feet
high. In other words, it is as large as an
ord nary peach tree six or eight years old
In Kentucky. From this tree over two
bushels of the finest peaches grown any
where were gathered. Some of these
peaches measured three inches in diane
ter and very few of them less than two.
In flavor and color they were as fine as
they were in size. This for tree two
years old from the seed is something worth
recording. l should ieel that we, too, had
done something toward solving the peach
problem il 1t were not for the fact thai
last winter was so exceptionally cold,
and therefore unusually favorable to the
peach. LIZ this wonderful tree, by any
singular good fortune, should prove to be
equally vigorous and productive after our
ordinary winters, of course 1t would be
priceless acquisition. The two other trees
that lived would be creditable specimens
both in growth and fruit il they were not