The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1886-08-14
Ehe 4ino't Gribn',t.
THE ORANGE GROVES.
a BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEIR
MANAGEMENT IN FLORIDA.

MANAGEMENT IN tlOK'OA.
s.sud.ling'' the wild Orange Tre~~-t;r"w'-
ing frem the Standardization "f the |
Space. Between the Tre~s-Gath~ring
and Packing the Fruit.
Fourteen years ago there were hardly a
DOZEN bearing orange trees in Florida: now
the cultivation Of 1.-THE most delicious fruit
which nature yields" is the leading indus
try in that state. 1t is q great mistake to
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 90
nestle and foreign demand increases con-
stantly.
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 butlded. To describe IN &c
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. The forest
trees excepting these were cut down ana
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 COW
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 OH 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 was killed, and there was
inserted within the chosen shoot & 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 arc
about or 3 years old, is better than bud
ding. The preferable way always is to bud
from we'll known fruit. Every grove, how
ever originated. has it's 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-bcd
After growing five or six months there the
young trees are removed to the nursery
bed, where they are about q foot apart in
in rows three feet apart. As their growth
necessitates. in the course of time they Are
set out two feet from each other, preserv-
ing, however, the same rows. When q
year old the bud is inserted, insuring the
nature and quality of the fruit to he in
time gathered from the trees.
IL was originally supposed that all
orange trees when set out should be placed
in q particular kind 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 a horse and ordinary cultivator, and
keep the soil stirred up by constant cult
walton, thus destroying the weed $ and keep
ing the land clear. Others plant cow pea.
between the trees, which in three or foul
weeks cover the ground, and serve by theil
growth to protect the roots Of the tree
from excessive heat of the sun and to ie
in air. In the fall the cow peas are plowet
in and serve to enrich the soil.
GATHERING AND PACKING THE FRUIT.
Orange trees not budded do not bear un
til they are ut least 10 years old, but thos.
budded in two or three years from tn
time of budding They improve in pro
luctiveness 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 good bearing the
will run from 1000 to $500 oranges each
Unlike European producers. Florid
L. I
ripe or nearly 50. In Spain or Italy it
ida season is the middle of February
Oranges arr ripe and fit for market i
November. but are in their prime in .Jal
nary and February. The greatest care
taken in cutting the fruit. His ladde
having been placed against the tree til
plucker ascends it, provided with clippin
scissors attached to a sort OF cup. He r,
moves the fruit, leaving il small stem
each orange. The clipped fruit is remove
from the cup into which it has falle
while heing cut. into II basket hooked
the ladder. Basketfuls are emptied in
the boxes. AMI these removed to the sol
ing-house.
There the oranges are "sweated" fro
twenty four to forty-eight hours, by viii,
forcible. if not elegant expression, is II
derstood that during the time specific
they are left to eNute water through Il
skin, thereby toughening it. The fruit
then placed in racks allowing the free
access Of air and drying it thorough
Oranges are next sorted. An apron
sorter stands in front of an inclin
trough perforated with different sizes
round holes. lie sends the fruit gent
down ali inclined plane, with the rest
that each Of the oranges drops through
appropriate hole and the largest remain
the trough. Wrapping in tissue pap
non,1as NEXT in ul,ler then h0xina III