The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-05-29

jects that we regard as closed ques-
tons. Wheeler and Adams, of the
Rhode Island Experiment Station,
working under different conditions,
find that ground rock, on floats, are
the best form of phosphates for
squash and better than any of the
soluble or treated phosphates for corn.
The question of combating insects
and Of controlling diseases is as old
as the fertilizer question, and both are
older than our society. We have pub
lished valuable contributions on both
of these subjects annually. Whatever
we have attempted has been carried
to full and creditable contamination.
Every year we have advanced slowly
but surely Sometimes Our speakers
ave been little too far ahead Of the
average, but the foremost have usually
been abreast with the leaders, One
of the leaders has not had spraying
machine in his grove for years. Last
year there was a large exodus from
the camp of sprayers to the camp of
those who use the natural enemies
for combating scale insects We
must look upon the use of spraying
materials for controlling insects and
fungus enemies as temporary exped1
ents, which for the most part under
our present knowledge are unavoid
able. In certain cases it is absolutely
necessary to spray in order that we
may avert certain failure, but we are
gradually learning how to keep our
groves and vegetable fields from get
ting into such distressing conditions.
The natural method of combating
scale insects is meeting with the
most fattering success, and can be
economically applied. It is far cheaper
to keep a grove from becoming affect
ed with dieback than to cure the dis
ease Many diseases and insects can
not be treated in a similar way
economically, because we have not yet
learned enough about them. The cot
tony cushion scale, which at one time
seriously threatened the sub-penin-
sula, has been reduced to a negligible
Quantity by introducing the Vedalia
cardinals, an Austrian lady bird.
California spent thousands Of dollars
in attempting to subdue this pest by
artificial means.
1t is Our province as a society to
teach every member Of this assocla-
ton what to grow, and how to pro-
duce the best Of everything. The old
adage that, "There's plenty of room at
the top" was never more true than
it is in horticulture today. The man
who markets the best product never
has to complain Of poor prices. 1t
takes brains to do this, and brains
4,
ly APPLIED. Some time ago we had
call from a gentleman from Michigan
who controlled capital, according to
his representations. He was IN
Florida with a view of investing and
had visited every vegetable growing
and fruit growing section, and closed
his visit to the state by calling at the
Experiment Station. We discussed
the various crops. Citrus growing, in
his opinion, was not desirable, since
it took a long time to get returns
from the investment, and then he was
also told that the white fly attacked
the trees. Peach growing was also
discussed, but that was given up be-
cause the peach trees had to be fertll-
lied One crop after another was
passed in review, every one having
some weak point. Celery growing he
considered to be remunerative, but
he had seen some fields destroyed by
blight. Finally he said what he want
ed was to learn Of some crop that
would not be frozen out; that did not
need to be fertilized; that was free
from insect attack, and fungus lnfec-
ton. He was very confident that
this information could be given him
at the Experiment Station, and SO