The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-05-22

put lew nunuIcQ Crates. TIC
seven are, Brevard, Dade, DeSoto,
Hillsborough, Lee, Orange, and St.
Lucie. The crop of 1905 was 572,-
$50 crates, valued at $823,216. Two
counties, those of Dade and St. Luc;e,
on the East Coast, produced five
sixths, the new county of st. Lueie
leading with 1880 crates and Dade
with 23I,3oo. Lee comes next with
10000 crates, with DeSoto and Hills
borough next, with 10 to IL thousand
to their credit 1t may be said that
the DeSoto county pineries are she'd
ded ones, growing the variety known
as the Smooth Cayenne, while the
East Coast counties grow the COM
mon Red Spanish in the open field,
though as a fact, there are shielded
pineries as far south as Miami, in
proof that Jack Frost is no respecter
of counties east, central or west, in
Florida.
The Banana does not cut great
figure in commercial value, in Flori-
da, though fruit growers in such
counties as Dade, St. Lucie and Lee,
could engage in the culture of the
Dwarf Cavendish variety, which, in
the opinion of some of the officials
in the Bureau of Plant Industry at
Washington, is the only variety that
can be grown to profit in Florida
Only 1887 punches are reported, hav-
ing a value of about Is cents per
bunch. Eleven counties report, St.
Lucie, with 1850, and Dade with
1902 punches. Lee, that would seem
to be most favorable for this fruit,
the whole Ca1oosahatchee valley be-
ing we'll adapted, reports only 500
punches, while Orange, in the north
ern part of the state, had 100. De-
Soto and Brevard nearly the same
number each.
The Sugar Apple seems to have
been grown in only three counties,
those of Dade, Hillsborough and Lee.
Only I27 crates, valued at $500, indi-
cate that the sweet sop, as it is
sometimes called, does not promise to
be fruit worthy of extensive cult
walton. 1t has no long keeping
qualities, hence it's unftness for dis
tant market points.
The Avocado Pear may be classed
with the Sugar Apple as to it's place
among Florida tropical fruits. The
yield in 1905 was 1915 crates, value
$I,o4I. Dade county is credited with
o52 crates, the balance to 'Alachua,
DeSoto and Lee.
The Cocoanut makes a third in
this lesser group It's 3,742 trees pro-
duced only 1890 nuts in 1905, while
their value was estimated at about
cents each. Dade is credited with
3,24o trees, the balance mainly in Lee
county with $50 trees.
The Guava however, can be c1assedl
as having commercial value; it is
grown in thirteen counties, mainly
lying in South Florida, as it will not
stand the frosts liable to occur in
those counties lying north Of Polk.
The yield in 1905 was 1870 crates,
value, $I2,623. Dade and DeSoto
produced two-thirds, the one being |!
credited with 2,oo7, the other with
!, 400 crates; Lee had close on to q i
thousand, and Hil1sborough, Pasco,
and St. Lucie about 500 each.
This about covers the tropical |
fruits. Surinam cherries and Myrtle
berries could be grown in every home
garden in South Florida, for pies,
sauce, JdlllS, ana Jell1eS, Dut there
seems to be little attention paid to
hem. They are both hardy, having
passed safely through such frosts as
have visited the lake region on the
borders Of DeSoto and Polk counties
where the writer resides.
Deciduous Trees and Small Fruits.
The Peach is the leading stone fruit
IF the state. The report gives $685.