The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-09-05

10 get the work started by more peo-
pie.
The velvet bean is worth millions
Of dollars to the farmer; it is certain
ly proving worthy of its name as it
is helping to put more farmers on
velvet than almost any other crop
in the State.
CITRUS FRUITS
The average person, when the State
of Florida is mentioned, Immediately
thinks of it's fine climate, golden or
anges and fresh vegetables
Citrus fruits include the following:
Oranges, grapefruit. tangerines. lines.
kumquats, and lemons. The last two |
are not produced in any large guam
titles, and most of the lines are pro-
duced along the East Coast on the
keys. The oranges and the grape
fruit make the bulk of the shipments.
A good many years ago the aver
age person did not know what a
grapefruit was and most of the old
growers said when these and oranges
began to be planted by thousands that
the market would soon not be able to
take care of the amount produced
However, it seems that the people are
being educated to the use Of the most
delicious breakfast fruit faster than
its production.
One of the beauties of the citrus
; fruit tree is that of it's producing
more fruit each year, that is when
it has been planted on soil adapted to
: its culture and the tree has been CIV
I en- proper care and attention. There
i are orange trees in the State known
to be over seventy-five years cd and
; they produce more fruit each year
In Rome there is an orange tree re-
} portd to be over 1900 years old and
) in Spain one over 600 years old
The citrus-fruit industry of Florida
has been on a commercial basis so
long that the producers have been
able to we'll organize the gathering
= packing and shipping Of this fruit
: and the marketing end seems to be
70 we'll taken care Of too.
The grower is beginning to realize
: that the consumer will pay better
price for good article properly de.
: livered to him. With the assistance
:. OF the State and United States Agri
;. cultural Department. the grower i:
= fast learning how to put the very
:. best fruit on the market.
- The yields in boxes Of fruit and re
turns in dollars from grove Is some
: times hard for a person to belive. Ac
cording to the Bureau of Crop EST
mates of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture the following ar
the yields in boxes of all citrus fruit
of Florida, with prices for crop, TO
the last three years: 1915, 7,650,00
boxes; worth $156S2,000.00; valu
per acre, $4,000. 1917, 100000 box
es; worth $12,SSOOOO.O0; value pc
acre, $4,000. 1918, 100000 boxes
worth $212OOOO0.OO; value per acr
$365.OO.
Complete returns for 1919 will sho'
up much better than for 1918, accort
ing to present indications.
TRUCKING
Florida having the longest CROWN
season Of any State in, the Union
is especially adapted to the produ
don of winter vegetables.
The Sunshine State has. accordir
to the United States Weather Bures
report, a growing season of from q
days in the extreme northern al
western part of the State to 365
the extreme southern part; the leng
Of the growing season varying in
diyidual counties according to loo
ton and type Of land.
Florida has in the last twenty yea
built up a great industry of product