The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-05-15

method of propagat1ng the trees. lhe
latest contribution to the literature on
this subject was written for the West
Palm Beach News, by Rev. E. Gale:
The whole tropical world is greatly
indebted to Mr.. G. Marshal Woodrow
for proving past all doubt that all the
Seeding mango trees scattered abun-
dainty all over both the eastern and
western Tropics can be grated and
made to produce the best fruit in the
world. Unfortunately while our In
dian co-laborer proved most impor-
tant fact, his method was so hedged
about by technicalities that the all
important fact has laid dormant for
many years, and probably is scarcely
recognized in India today.
But Mr.. T. J. Harris, Agricultural
Director of the Hope Gardens of ia
malca, seems to have grasped the ire
mendous Importance of Mr.. Wood
rows idea and set himself to try to
work that idea out on another line
whether fortunately Or unfortunately,
time can only determine, for the Is
land Of Jamaica and perhaps for all
the West Indies. It is an important
fact, however, that the people of ia
maica, with more than one hundred
and twenty years experience in the
cultivation of the mango failed to Sc
cure a single we'll arranged orchard
Of choice mangoes. But now Mr.
Harris proposes to reach that very
desirable object by what seems, all
things considered, the most available
method, namely, that of planting the
seedlings and when these are we'll es-
tabl1shed, changing them where they
stand to the choice varieties
AS for ourselves here in Florida we
have to meet not only the problems
peculiar to India and the Islands but
the occasional cold waves bring us
face to face with another and, at first
sight, a very discouraging problem.
Can we meet it? Faith1ess ones for
two years have been doubling it.
Old mango trees some miles north of
Mangonia, after all the doubts and
doubtful pleadings of "Doubting
Thomases," tell us that the problem
can surely be met.
But we have, here at Mangonia,
learned (and we talk only for Mango
Naive leave others to talk for
themselves), that marched trees can
never be safe here. Also my method
Of semi-inarching will have, for the
same reason, to be abandoned
Further than that budding the. mango
should never be attempted here.
Further than that any method of
working the mango above the surface
of the ground should be given up.
Planting marched trees deep down in
the ground promises to be a failure.
oil
have another peril. While Mr.. Har-
ris does not say SO he has, as far as
known, the only guard against hurri-
canes-that is, planting the seeding
trees where they. are to permanently
grow, thus forming a perfect root
system. We would laugh at the man
who tried to grow the Giant Califor-
MIA Sequoia in flower pot and when
we look at the magnificent mango
trees that find way to grow in Our
poor soil we feel that we are not do
ing much better.
Now our only safety is to be found
in grating in some way below the
soil, or where the soil can permanent
ly protect the union The mode Of
union does not seem essential. Only
we must simplify Mr.. Woodrow's
method if it can be done to suit the
conditions around us. This has been
done until in the impulsive language
of one of Dade's leading Horticultur-
lists, Anybody can do that" Now
to accomplish our purpose economi-
cal1y and certainly we must first of
all secure vigorously growing stocks
and these can usually only be secured
in the open. We must graft them so