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

ests of our Society for the State of Florida. Al
though am not an old man, | have thought it
would be better for younger man to have been
appointed but assure you l will do my best to
serve you.
Mr.. w. w. Breese was then invited to
read his essay, which he did as follows:
STRAWBERRIES IN FLORIDA.
cultural Society:
have been studying the strawberry business
ever since my arrival in Florida over three years
ago. | am now thoroughly convinced that there
exists distinct " strawberry soil, :" somewhat
scattered about over the State, but principally
confined to what is known as the Central Lake
Region, or Santa Fe River Country. | con-
clude that there is some chemical element in this
soil that acts salt chloride of sodium, in
drawing moisture from the air, and thus retain
ing a damp condition in the midst of the most
prOtracted drouths yet known. At Hawthorne
going west of town, little branch is crossed
leaving the loose, sandy, dry soil one side, and
you find as you come UP on the high ground near
CONSUMES mill, that the solid, moist soil prevails
The wagon road on the east side of the stream
is loose and heavy, but on the west side is solid,
damp and hard have not found such mark
ed change in so short distance elsewhere At
Orlando I tried to raise Strawberries. My plants
in the late fall beauties They blossomed
handsomely, and responded to thefertilizer, most
literally applied, but by the middle of January
began to droop and die out. Irrigation, on
limited scale, was resorted to, but the soil was
like ducks back and the water refused to soak
in. 1t got just as far away from the plant as
possible before it gradually disappeared. By the
first of March had only a dozen or so plants
left, and they were too sick to be of any account.
found that most of my Deighbors had the same
experience. My cabbages, peas radishes, lettuce
beets, etc. were all fine but strawberries were a
failure. I saw few berries plants at old Mr..
Dollins' place. but they were dwarfed and
natural in appearance. failed to find good
healthy looking patch in Orange county
But at Lawtey and at Starke [ found new
kind of soil. Pour water on that soil and it dis
appears at once 1t is a solid. damp soil natur-
ally. The plants there look fine and the berries
are large and glossy. But at Kingsley Lake,
only ashOrtseven miles to the east in Clay county
they raise strawberries-soil too loose
and light. They raise splendid watermelons and
sweet potatoes at Kingsley, and also egg plants,
which they cannot do at Lawtey Starke. l
also looked up the strawberry business at Ocaa
where few years ago in the hammock land out
few miles, man is said to have had out
thirty acres of vines. 1t broke him up, and l
could not find an acre of vines being raised at a
profit. At Belleview. with it's high pine and fine
hammock the same tale is told. The soil is not
adapted to the strawberry. At Umatilla and
Eustis, looked for berries; but with the excep-
ton of a small patch owned by Geo. " DeVault
at the former place, l could learn of none. He
admitted that his berry crop was q failure-dry
weather he said. But he had chosen the best
soil in the neighbOrhOod, and the success might
have been a fair one with such q supply of rain
we had in 'SS. At Clermont / found q patch
planted by Mr.. Parsons in the edge of the saw
grass lands which was giving small amount of
very small berries, but none to ship. At Center
Hill, learn of success in raising straw berries by
Mr.. Coleman but have visited him. At
Pasadena, Pasco county, saw some fine berries
asst year on the vines of Col. Spencer and also at
Mr.. Lilburn's place near Rchland. But the wet
weather was phenomenal, and fear the success
has been limited this dry season. Yet they had
in each case some good land and it had q COM
pact, solid appearance, much more than is usual
in South Florida. at Hampton, on Little Santa
Fe Lake, in the midst of the straw berry region |
visited DR.. Cullens place. The doctor is an old
Virginia market gardener and fruit raiser and
bought this place for it's beautiful lake front fine
hammock land, and supposed adaptability to
Strawberries. He paid out large sums of money
for plants, hired help, and fertilizer had the land
Of md