The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-26

the streets, and great groves Of them in
private gardens and yards. No other city
in the United States can compare with Key
West in this respect, and it might we'll be
called the city of palms. While the cocoa
palm is the most distinctive feature. horti-
culturally considered it is by no means the
only one Many magnificent tamarind
trees (Tamarindus Indica) are to be seen,
and for grand shade or street tree no tree
of the tropics, or for that matter anywhere,
will equal it; the foliage is most luxuriant,
acacia like, and having a most delicate,
soft. graceful appearance. Many speci-
mems are upwards of fifty feet in height
perhaps the largest in the city grow near
the post office. The tree bears small pink
ish-white flowers, followed by thick, fat
looking pods, four or five inches long, con
tanning SOFT white pulp of very pleasant
acid flavor, from which a very pleasant
drink is made; the pods are also pre-
served
Though many species of palms are cult
waited here, yet next to the cocoanut the
most remarkable specimens of this family
are four or five immense trees of the date
phoenix dactylifera) some Of them, should
judge, are fully fifty feet in height and ale
the finest have seen in the State, and are
very old. The bases Of the trunks are
surrounded by dense thicket of suckers,
some of them quite good sized trees, which
give the old trees an odd appearance.
These trees bear abundantly of large fine
fruit and it is a wonder that the date is not
more extensively planted all over the State
than it is, for contrary to the cocoanut it
is hardy in all parts of the State, and
though Of very slow growth soon makes
very ornamental tree, though not equal in
beauty to the cocoanut In all parts of
the town, particularly the southern, one
sees fine groves or orchards Of the sapodilla,
which seems to succeed to perfection here
with its dense shade; and in many yards
are seen the Jamaica apple trees with their
smooth clean trunks and early in spring
loaded with beautiful fruit.
One of the greatest charms of the city is
due to the fact that almost every private
residence has its garden, and the Cuban
citizens have brought with them from Cuba
their favorite flowers and trees; one finds
in almost every garden or yard something
new. To see the city at its best one should
be here in May, when the famboyante, or
royal poincianas, are in bloom, when the
streets are ablaze with color, presenting
scene of rare loneliness beyond desCrip-
ton. 1t is without doubt, when in full
foliage and loaded with its maze of orange
red flowers, the most royal of all Towering
trees. The immense decompound leaves
are like the most delicate fronds of some
great fern and form a perfect umbrella
shaped head add to this hundreds of great
clusters of the most brilliant flowers with
their great yellow stamens and you have a
sight not surpassed in beauty by any thing
in nature.
Another gorgeous tree. though not so
graceful as the poinciana. very common in
the city, is the Cordia Sebestina-called
here Geiger tree, with its great, heart
shaped leaves, SO rough they might be used
in place of sand paper, and the most i'm
mense trusses of the most gorgeous red