The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-05-07

prominent notice among the States. 1t would
to be the part of good craftsmanship to
foster and encourage the developments of this
crowning glory of the State In many things she
is equal to any. In this she excels them all.
The excessive rains of February and March,
1889 and the drouth of April and May caused a
widespread alarm lest small crop of oranges
would result. AS the season advanced prospects
constantly improved and finally we harvested
the greatest crop ever grown in the State. On
the whole too believe the growers received bet
ter prices than before, though ''loOking
backwards we can see how still better results
could have been achieved. great mistake was
made in forwarding green fruit unfit for use.
People bought once, and then with anathemas
upon sour Florida oranges went and bought the
Jamaicas and Messinas at prices above ours.
After our market completely broken by our
own folly we stopped shipping till the accumula-
latiOn of green oranges had been worked off.
This gave foreigners q fine market in which to un-
load their surplus. About the time these arrived
we again opened our flood gates and deluged the
markets with 10000 boxes of oranges per day till
again the market was wrecked and the prices
went down. A majority of the crop of the State
was sold during these two gluts, resulting in a
loss to the grower of fully dollar per box. 1t
is safe to say that OOO OOOwas lost to the grow
ers by this irregular forwarding of the crop To
remedy this evil is q task worthy of the most
profound thought.
The growing of oranges presents many op-
portunties for earnest and profitable study but
marketing the crop is beset with incOmparably
greater difficulties. Some of the ablest of our
members are giving their best energy to this
matter, and that their success has not been fully
up to their expectations only proves the magni-
tude of the task undertaken. How shall we cul-
tivate our orange groves to best combine present
vgor, future fruitfulness and economical invest
ment is a question, apparently as far ever
from q generally accepted answer. If you will
take careful look at Northern agricultural pa
pers and notice the absolute want of agreement
among farmers as to the best method to grow
corn (the main crop ofthat section for a century
and one that takes only four months from plant
ing to maturity, you will not wonder that orange
growers who have not yet perfected even one
crop of orange trees not agreed to the
proper mode of procedure. To the careful OBJ
server, however, it is apparent that progress is
made, and that the application of common sense
to our methods is leading us forward. 1t is still
the case and no doubt always will be, that many
people can learn nothing from the experience OF
others. They come to Florida and go right for
ward and strike the same rocks on which Others
have wrecked. The wrecks in sight have ter
rors to those whose self-confdence is supreme till
bye and bye they make the discovery of thesunken
reef and another wreck ornaments the shore.
The oracle who can tell us all about the business
is the one who is about to or has just embarked
on his first trip. l think l speak safely within
bounds when say that half the money that has
been spent in making orange groves in Florida
has been wasted. In other words one-half the
money all ready invested would (if economically
and intelligently expended) have produced great
er results. One of the most important things in
profitable culture OF our groves is the building
up and maintaining the fertility of our soil. 1t
is not always the quickest that is the most pro-
ftable way to make permanent investment in a
grove.
Men go into grove-makingfor diverse purposes.
One starts out with determination that money
shall make oranges, another starts out with the
hope that his oranges willmake money. Theon