The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-04-08
Florida Controls Grapefruit
Markets of The World; No
Danger of over Production

our best propagators and grove men
also learned the wisdom Of linprov-
ing the quality and productiveness OF
given variety by bud selectlcn' Ds
taking bud wood from trees IN the
grove that were most fruitful and or
best type and quality. Trees nave
been grown for grove planting that
weld the same type fruit and OF max
imum fruitfulness. / believe the I'M
portance of plant selection cannot DC
too strongly emphasizedyet some have
not been satisfied with using the cor
rect term Of plant or bud selection
which truly expressed to the prospec-
tive planter just what 1t means and
use the term "pedigreed' trees. This
sounds more attractive to the mex
perienced planter who may have q
knowledge of what pedigree" means
when applied to live stock which
shows the line of breeding on botn
sides of the ancestry all the way back
to origin.
To illustrate: A propagation plants
the seed from single sour orange
when old enough to bud he selects
buds from one grove tree that is no.
a good bearer and buds from another
grove tree that is a good bearer, ant
buds them into these seedlings. Al
far as the term pedigree can be ap
piled the trees grown upon this blocl
are equal, but as to merit based upol
plant selection they are very nue.
different and now stand lin the sam
relation to the purchaser as the pi
Of a litter that was runt and nc
well formed for a good breeder, com
pared with one of the same little
that was fine type, although bot
: would have the same pedigree.
The bad effect of the misuse Of tn
. term pedigree" lies in the discre'
/. iting of the claims Of those who
. actually and honestly practice br
selection with prospective buyers wi
! understand what it means; also pc
i mits the INSCRIPTIONS propagation
. truthfully claim that his trees a
u pedigreed, because he knows the tire
n from which he selected his buds b
ID could not truthfully claim that
~ trees were grown from buds select
W from the best type of bearing trees
is Conditions are rapidly growi
n better for the nonresident gro
70 owner as it Is not SO difficult NJ
IN to find competent men who are squs
~ to develop and care for their prop
On ties.
At the present time it is estima'
ca that a normal crop of the orange a
&C. grapefruit will be around twelve n
th lion boxes which, at present pric
da would represent an income to
Of state Of $40,0000o0, this to be tai
a,- into account in remembering I
nd twenty-five years ago an unpre
ts, denied freeze killed the orange gro
as ' in Northern Florida.
on, Another serious handicap to the
int dustry 10 too many OF the sma
ap- growers in their unorganized col
I've ton are at the great disadvantage
ex having to sell their fruit to spec,
my tors. Many of these growers VIC
TED have been able to double their a.
,dy age long ago IL they could have
ne. allied the profits that were due Il
rop through proper system OF pacl
ar and marketing and in this way p
at themselves in more independent
per sition financially, and add materi
ond to the citrus industry Of the st
ned This condition is being improved
,les not nearly as rapidly as 1t shout,
me and not nearly as successfully a
The would be II the advice and sug
heir tons of those whose greatest con
,uri for the grower is the profits
ople make of him, and whose field of
in ration is more to his liking wher,
the growers are more divided in
With operations and in need of final
year assistance sometimes. Through
leld, operative packing and marketing
acre sociations best results are real
the and It is, indeed, gratifying to
that progress is being made in
trus matter of grading, packing and