The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-07-24

station e. Tacoma, on the G.. & c.; a
few minutes walk from the depot
on the summit of hill about so feet
high, and over 100 feet above sea
level have been for more than twenty
years the attractive residence, orange
groves, fruit trees and fields of that
well-known and energetic farmer, Mr..
w. c. Smith. Although many Of the
orange trees were killed to the ground
by the great frost of Ioo4-5, the dead
trees have now been mostly replaced,
and the groves have again taken on
promising appearance. On account
of the unprecedented drouth of the
current year, there is but little fruit
on either orange or guava trees and
the crop Of figs is much inferior to
that of 1906. When the writer visited
the farm, on June 18TH, 1907, (and he
wishes here to record his thanks for
the kind hospitality shown him by
Mr.. Smith and his clever wife), the
effects of the long drought were very
evident But a deep we'll was being
sunk on the top of the hill, and if
sufficient water is met with an aer-
moter will be set up and future
droughts dehed.
The guava enclosure is on the sum-
nit of the hill. 1t is 100 feet square,
and is surrounded by a close plank
wall ten feet high, being entered by
a door in the side. One hundred trees
of the best cultivated varieties Of
the tropical guava are inside; the
pear-shaped, the white, the green,
and the yellow being represented.
The young plants were obtained three
years ago from Reasoner Bros, of
Oneco. They were set out ten feet
apart. They now form sturdy, we'll
branched trees, with fine clean limbs
and large sappy leaves and twigs.
They have to be saWn off above to
keep them down to ten feet in height,
SO that in winter the whole enclosure
can be protected by a roof, complete
ly covering the top. Last year the
side branches Of the guavas met and
quite filled the whole enclosure, Civ
ing very large crop of fruit. But
this year, after pruning, the drought
has much lessened their growth. The
writer has never seen in the West In
dies such fine, clean, well-grown
plants, absolutely free from scale, in
sects or other pests
The guavas are picked when ripe,
boiled in water till soft, put into
cloth bag and the juice pressed out
by screw press. The juice is
strained as it passes out, measured,
and the right amount Of the best
granulated sugar Costing from 5 IL
to IA cents a pound) added. When
the sugar has dissolved, the liquid is
strained again and then evaporated
down in a large tin-lined copper
evaporating pan, over blue flame
gasolene stove. There is no need to
stir. Practice is required to tell the
right time to stop the evaporating.
Three years experience has shown
that this is attained when large bub
bles begin to form and burst on the
top, scattering little drops over the
surface. The pan has a faucet, and
the trays of bottles or glasses are
moved up and filled with the hot
liquid in succession. The jelly pro-
duced is of good color, quite clear,
neither sticky nor too soft or tough,
and of flavor which is not impaired
by any trace of smokiness. It is su-
perior to any ordinary West India
jelly and to the Cuban product put
up in paper-lined, ornamented white
wood boxes. Last year more than
5000 lasses of jelly were made from
these trees. 1.-TWO tropical guava
trees are growing in the open, near
the house, but are boxed in during the
winter, and as in the case of those in
10 loo ~