The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-06-19
Grapes, Figs and Kaki.
Paper Prepared for the Florida State Horticultural
Society.
By w. c. Steele.
Society.
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
By w. C.. Steele.

Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have very little to say on the SUBJ
ject of grapes, figs and Japanese per-
simmons. There was time, years
ago, when [ was familiar with all the
varieties of figs which are grown in
Florida, and with most of the northern
varieties of grapes. But for several
years [ was engaged in other business
which prevented me from keeping up
my acquaintance with them. During
the last three years, circumstances
have enabled me to learn something
Of present conditions. But the sub
ject has been so thoroughly and ably
discussed, by previous committees, that
there is but little left to report. So
far as I know, no new varieties of
any of these fruits have been intro
duced within the last year.
Possibly it may be we'll to call at
telltion to some facts in regard to
grape culture in this State. There is
no difficulty in making the vines grow,
that is the difficulties are only such
as are to be met in the culture of any
other fruit, and the vines of most
varieties will ripen good crops, beauti-
full punches of fruit of excellent quality,
and they will ripen at a time when
no other grapes are to be found in
the markets of northern cities.
About twenty years ago, being at
that time connected with the Florida
Dispatch, I was in Orlando at the time
when the first crop of fruit began to
ripen on the vineyard of the Niagara
Grape Company. In company with
oo,,o-o1 o+1,o~ e
I went by special invitation to visit
the vineyard to inspect the vines and
to sample the fruit We found thrifty
vines bearing good crop, fully as
large as the age of the vines would
warrant The punches were large and
the berries beautiful in appearance and
Of as good a quality as the Niagara
ever produced. Yet within few years
the vineyard was abandoned I never
heard full particulars, but understood
that it was owing to the fact that the
cost Of transportation was so great
that no profit was left for the grow
ers. Another instance where the ex-
press companies put on a rate which
was, not what the traffic would bear,
but enough to kill it as it did the
early attempts at peach growing.
A little later number of Niagara
vineyards we're set out near Moultrie
ir St. Johns county, Within a few
years they also ceased to ship fruit
to northern markets, probably for the
same reason. That these vineyards
have not been entirely abandoned, is
shown by the fact that last year the
St. Augustine papers contained adver-
t1sements Of wine made from Niagara
grapes grown at Mou1trie.
Possibly you may wonder why straw
berries can be proftably grown and
shipped from Florida, when they must
be sent in refrigerators, while the
grapes can go by ordinary express.
The difference is that the strawberries
reach the northern markets when there
is scarcity Of fruits, while the grapes
rlpen in midsummer and must COM
pete in the markets with raspberries,
blackberries, cherries, etc., consequent
ly they will not sell for so high a price.
Fig culture in Florida has never be-
come commercial success. The fruit
is SO soft, when ripe, that it cannot
be shipped to a distant market. So
far as [ know, no effort has been made
to introduce the Smyrna fig, from
which the driel figs of commerce are
made. They are being successfully
grown in California, and I see no
reason why their cultivation could not
also be made profitable in this state
The greatest drawback to profitable
fig culture in Florida, is the fact that
the trees are very susceptible to the
ravages of rootknot AS was shown,
in the address of Prof. E. A. Bessey
before this Society last year (See the