, 1886-05-29
THE ORANGE GROW rs.
a BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEIR
MANAGEMENT IN FLORIDA.

MANAGEMENT IN FLORIDA.
budding the wild Orange ~- Grow
ing from the Cultivation of the
Spaces Between the Gathering
\ aud Packing the Fruit.
Fourteen years ago there were hardly a
dozen-bearing orange trees in Florida; now
the cultivation OF "the most delicious fruit
which nature yields is the leading indus
try in that state. 1t is Il great mistake tc
suppose that oranges are grown in every
part Of Florida. Only the south-central
part is available for the purpose indicated,
but the industry Will yet bear expansion
to dimensions now undreamed Of. The do
nestle and foreign demand increases con
s%tantly.
Wild forest land has been made wonder.
fully productive of good oranges In what
way All the trees but the wild orange
trees were cleared away, and these were
cut down and budded. To describe in de
tail the manner in which these productive
groves were started; In the forest grew
many kinds Of hard wood trees, mixed
with the natural wild orange. TIT forest
trees excepting these were cut down and
taken away, and their roots and all small
plants cleared, so that abundant sunlight
and air could get to the wild orange trees.
These were then cut down to about three
feet from the ground, and their top GOV
cred with wax, TO prevent the remaining
timber from splitting. In the space OF
three or four weeks buds started TO grow
out of the mutilated trunks. Two healthy
ones on each side were saved and Their
growth carefully observed until the shoots
were about half an inch in diameter. At
this time one was selected in preference to
the other, which vas killed, and there was
Inserted within the chosen shoot IA sweet
bud. The trunk was then carefully
trimmed down to where the saved and
grated shoot was growing from.
BUDDING FROM WELL KNOWN FRUIT.
There are people who fancy that select
ing the best seeds OF choice oranges, plant
ing them in a nursery bed, and removing
the young trees TO the grove when they are
about 2 or 3 years old, is better than bud
ding. The preferable way always is to bud
from well known fruit. Every grove, how
ever originated, has its nursery, and there
are besides nurseries throughout the
orange-growing section of Florida, in which
experiments are made with the seed OF
choice fruit imported from China and
Europe.
Best seeds are planted in the seed bed.
After growing five or six months there the
young trees are removed to the nursery
bed, where they are about a foot apart in
in rows three feet apart. AS their growth
necessitatcs, in the course of time they are
set out two feet from each other, preserv-
ing, however, the same rows. When n
year old the II is inserted, insuring the
nature and quality of the fruit to be in
time gathered from the trees.
II was originally supposed that all
orange trees when set out should be placed
il a particular kin of soil. This idea has
been exploded by practical tests which
demonstrate the feasibility of growing
them in every variety OF soil, other condi-
tionS being equal.
The spaces between the trees are dealt
with variously. There are growers who
take n horse and ordinary ~cultivator, and
keep the soil stirred up by constant cult
v%atiol, thus destroying the weec 5 and keep
INK the land clear. Others plant COW peas
between the trees, which in three or foui
weeks cover the ground, and serve by then
growth To protect the roots OF the tree
from excessive heat of the sun and to lei
in air. In the fall the COW peas are plowed
in and serve to enrich the soil.
GATHERING FACK. Z" THE FRUIT.
Orange trees not budd ID do not bear Ut.
til they are at least 10 years old, but those
buddel in two or three years from thu
time Of budding. They improve in pro
dnctivcness with age. and their fruit i'm
proves in quality with the lapse of time
having thinner rind and fewer seeds
When trees get in COOL bearing they
viii run from 1000 to 3 800 oranges each.
Unlike European producers, Florida
growers do not gather the fruit until 1t l.
ripe or nearly 50. In Spain or Italy it IL
Yssr ..A -. nj I-.-lt II Al.I Ill.
ida season is the middle of February.
Oranges are ripe and fit for market in
November, but are in their prime in Jan
unry and February. The greatest care is
taken in cutting the fruit. His ladder
having been placed against the tree the
plucker ascends it, provided with clipping
scissors attached to a sort of cup. He re
moves the fruit, leaving n small stem to
each orange. The clipped fruit is removed
from the cup into winch it has fallen
while heiug cut, into a basket hooked t.
the ladder. Basketfuls are emptied into
the boxes, and these removed to the sort
ing house.
There the oranges are "sweatedn from
twenty-four to forty-eight hours, by which
forcible, II not elegant expression. = un
derstood that during the time specified
they are left TO exude water through the
SKIN, thereby toughenlng II. Inc irult IL
then placed in racks allowing the freest
access Of air and drying it thoroughly.
Oranges are next sorted. An aproned
sor,er stands in front of an inclined
trough perforated with different sizes OF
round holes. lie sends the fruit gently
down an inclined plane, with the result
that each OF the oranges drops through its
appropriate hole and the largest remain in
the trough. Wrapping in tissue paper
comes next in order, then boxing and
shipment to market.-Cor Philadelphia
Call.