The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-02
Pecans and Jamaica sorreI.

Just now, here in stricken Florida al
least, the farmers-and fruit growers arc
earnestly searching for some new money
crop. The orange boom and truck farm
boom have busted to a great extent, and
left many poor fellows with empty bags"
to hold. s
Some have rushed into tobacco culture,
others into pineapple growing. and still
others into putting out camphor groves
A few experienced. sharp men will make
1t pay, while lots of less capable men will
utterly fail.
Pecan culture has been highly over
rated as a money crop as | know from
long waiting on seeding trees that failed
to fruit. But l think 1 have got on the
right track now. have had my Seeding
Trees grated and hope to see them bear
within the next two years.
But better than this have lust tried
an experiment in the face of great oppo-
sltion on the part of experienced fruit
growers who said it would certainly fail.
A few weeks ago set out a lot of young
hickory trees and Immediately the same
day. in some cases, grated them with
pecan cuttings.
To the great surprise of everybody /
now have thrifty pecan tops on these lit
the fingers spread out. So far only one
is backward in coming forward. so that
the experiment now appears to be great
success. Mr.. w. w. Lyon, who did the
grating, brought the cuttings from his
grated hickory trees, which bore in three
years after being grated. Col B. w.
Swoope brought the original cuttings from
Punta Gorda, on our Gulf coast. AS Mr..
Lyon is an expert CRATER it is possible
that some of my remarkable success is due
to his skill
Now, my object in writing is to suggest
to readers of the Morning News agricultu-
raj department that they select a nice lot
OF young hickory trees to transplant, or
use where they stand, next spring. and
carefully graft them at the proper time
with healthy pecan cuttings In three
years they ought to- begin TO bear and in
five years pay a handsome profit. The
expense and trouble is trifing compared
with the profits which ought 10 come 10
the grower under ordinary circumstances.
In this way the long delay attendant upon
Seeding pecan trees is easily avoided
A good deal is being written about a
new plant called the Jamaica SorreI. and
IL is highly commended 10 Florida farm
ers. Two years ago | had some plants,
but being ignorant of the method of using
them for fruiting purposes as a subst.-
TUE lOI the cranberry i cannot advise
on that feature. 1 am able TO saw. how
ever, that it is very thrifty and beauti-
full ornamental shrub, or bulb and
desirable for that purpose alone.
not to speak of it's fruitine
qualities when properly cultivated to
that end. My plants were the envy of the
whole community and everybody wanted
seed; but, alas, a freeze came along and
killed them "as dead as Hector" and
nave never been able to get any more.
am, however, on the track of a sourse
OF supply, and propose TO get a dozen
plants TO start with and use them alone
my walks and on the lawns for orna
mental purposes, and at the same time
look well to their proper fruiting. I am
satisned that the Jamaica Sorrel Is an
excellent plant for Florida and South
Georgia and South Carolina, the only dan
ger being in a sudden early frost. If this
danger is guarded against 1t will prove
profitable in fruit, as well as for orna-
mental purposes. Sidney uerbart :.
MAITLAND, Fla.