The Florida agriculturist., 1907-08-14

very large size that the plant Tweed
on, not the fruit, but the plant) at
tains 1t is a cross of golden Sunshine
upon Dwarf Champion. Are seeds SO
hurtful that nature should be consider
ed an enemy to humanity by producing
them in large quantities as in the cu-
etc., ETC.? But nature will eventually
"get back and already the seedless
orange shows many seeds and we hear
no more of the seedless apple
Some very interesting news comes
from far away Nevada concerning
banana culture in that region Of snow,
frost and ice. It reads like horticul-
tural fake of the first class. A number
Of Gol6e1d capitalists have formed
company to bud or graft the banana
on a species of cactus grown in that
section and commonly known as the
Joshua tree. Now, don't that ''josh"
you? A banana industry two miles
above sea-1eve1 and a successful one
would indeed, if successful, be a Won
der in a (tropicaD horticultural way
Furthermore the statement is made
that "the agricultural and horticultural
experts of the u. S.. Government, as
we'll as those connected with the lead
ing universities and agricultural col
leges OF the country have been conduct
ing experiments in grating and bud
ding of trees for several years with
this in mind This science has so far
progressed now that the banana can
be grated upon the ''Joshua tree"
And to think how close this secret has
been kept out of the bulletins and
pamphlets and reports of all these
"experts." A Nevada banana! Next
we will have exploited a Yukon pine
apple and an Alaska orange and a
Siberian pOmelo.
Can the growing of bamboo cane be
made a paying crop in the states bor-
dering on the gulf? This seems to be
a question under consideration by
agricultural experts connected with the
Department at Washington over which
Farmer" Wilson presides. That the
bamboo will grow in Florida goes
without question. Both the dwarf and
the giant variety do we'll, though I
have seen the latter, though thirty
feet high with canes three inches in
diameter cut down by one of the big
freezes Of late years, while the dwarf
sustained no injury. Reasoner's cata-
lOgue contains a description of half
a dozen or more, some of them suit
able to be grown as far north as Ohio
and Pennsylvania. Perhaps the new
variety from Japan about to be intro
duced here may eventually be grown
tor building purposes as is done in
NipOrs; and in view Of the terrible
destruction Of pine trees by the drOuth
of last season, the cutting down for
timber and their sapping for turpen-
tine, forestry problem of no light
Importance cOnfronts Florida But it
is to be doubted if bamboo will ever
take the place of the pine here or else
where
A press slip from the Forestry
Service of the u. S. Department of
Agriculture informs the public that
twenty million turpentine cups are in
use in the pine forests of the South to
catch the flow Of resin from the trees
and that each year hereafter will see
seven to eight million more added.
This indicates that the wastefu1 and
runlOus-tO the trees-custom that
has prevailed through the old plan of
cutting deep boxes in the trees will
eventually be abandoned and the cup
and gutter take its place. The amount
collected by this improved method is
said to be greater than the old way,
is of superior quality and commands
q! higher price. Better than all, the