Smyrna times., 1896-03-04
FLORIDA FRUITS.

Editor Busteed, of the Centreville,
Observer, who attended the National
Editorial Convention in Florida, writes
as follows about the fruits of the State:
''The orange is the largest grown
fruit product of Florida. 1t is so ex-
tensively cultivated that success in the
business of growing it for market will
depend upon skillful treatment of the
best varieties. The best soil is a deep
rich loan, sufficiently porous to admit
air to the roots, and elevated enough
to keep them out of stagnant water.
Propagation is effected by seeds, bud
ding, grating, layering and marching
for most varieties. Some few are seed
less. But budding is the method gem
orally adopted to propagate choice
kinds of seedlings. This is done usu-
ally in the nursery when the plants are
quite young. 1t requires seven or
eight years from the planting of the
seed to the appearance of the fruit
There are of course exceptions to this
'The prices of budded orange and
lemon trees in the State are about as
follows:
DIAMETER OF STOCK PER 100
/ to I inches, one-year buds. $40. 90
I to II inches, one-year buds. 5000
1 / to Il inches, one-year buds. ... COCO
1 1 to 1! inches, one-year buds. $500
"About 10 per cent discount when
1000 or more trees are sold, and prices
are becoming more moderate every
year. Thus it will be seen that it not
only requires capital but patience to
engage in orange cultivation.
'Lemon culture in South Florida is
making rapid strides of progress.
WelI-informed cultivators know that
the lemon is a necessity to the people
of the United States; that there is q
market for every first-class lemon that
can be produced. The time was that
the only lemons known in Florida
were coarse, OvergrOwn seedlings OF
the Messina and Sicily lemons, the
little bushy 'ever-bearing' variety, and
the venerable French or 'FlOrida
! Rough lemon. Lemon culture is now
receiving marked attention from the
progressive fruit growers, and quite
good crops are being raised.
THE peach is rapidly taking an i'm.
pOrtant place among the profitable
fruits of Florida; and, for few years
past, has received great attention. The
introduction of the 'Peento, or Flat
Peach of China, marked the begin
ming of a new era in peach culture il
this State, and the recent acquisition
of new and improved seedlings fron
the Peen-tO, Honey and other sources
has extended the season of Iipening
and greatly widened the field of thi
industry, so that the growers can nov
select and plant fine, marketable sorts
which will yield successive crops 0
this luscious fruit from the last 0
April until August or September.
EARLY apples have been grown will
success in Middle Florida for so years
in all of which section clay is near til,
surface. Of late years, apples hav,
also been raised-the early varieties
on the sandy lands of East Florida
yet this is not claimed to be an apple
producing country. Grated upon tn
roots of the LeCOnte Pear, mos
vigorous grower, spring or early sum
mer apples may, perhaps, be cultivate,
successfully.
''The pear, since its introduction sew
eral years ago, has proven a grea
blessing to the State and it's citizens
by the addition of another proftabl,
market product. The LeConte is
remarkably rapid and vigorous grove
and upon its roots the Bartlett, Law
son, Garber's Hybrid, and many othe
choice pears, foreign and domestic
have been propagated, and are yielding
luscious fruit. Besides, several kind
of summer apples have, by the sam
means, been added to the list of Florid
fruits.
GIN addition to these principal fruit
are also added the pineapple, banana
apricot, nectarine, fig, grape, pome
granate, persimmon, plum, olive
strawberry, raspberry, mulberry, an
numerous other fruits. Nuts gro,
quite well-chestnut, almond, walnut
pecan nut, cocoanut and others.