The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-05-14
what Was Heard at the Rorti-
cultural Meetinu

eIhat Was Heard at the Eorti-
cultural Meeting
Predictions that the future E2s -
store for Florida development CT g
fruit by-products industry on ali eX-
tenSiVe scale were made d number OF
times during the course of the pro
gram of the Florida State HCTticul-
turol Society in the auditorium OF the
Woman's Club. = The discussion OF the
fruit by-prOducts brought out q large
audience of men and women which
showed unusual interest in the talks
made AS was expected the sugar
shortage and its effect upon preserv-
ing OF fruits in the various forms was
touched upon, but some degree O.
optimism. FlOrida's rapidly deevlop-
ing sugar cane crop is Looked 10 for
relief from the existing shortage Cf
sweeteling, both in the form Of syruU
and OF sugar, and the use OF fruits
with a high sugar content Is advOcat-
ed, among them the wild persim0n
and tie muscadine grape. the former
III dried form, and the latter in the
form CT syrup.
Strong talks were made by Mr..
J. ". Gamble, Haines City, who
featuring on a commercial scale OF
drinks from citrus fruits; Mrs. c. ".
Berry CT Sanford, who spoke on the
use of citrus fruits as food. stressing
their use from health standpoint and
paying high tribute to the quality Of
the Florida fruits. Miss Sarah Par
fridge of Tallahassee, State Canning
Club Agent spoke on the by-prOduct
Of Florida fruits other than citrus, and
she presented an exhibit OF the pro-
ducts of the canning club women and
girls of the state which was beautiful
to look at. Mr.. Charles bearing, OF
Washington, d c., grape expert OF the
United State Department OF Agricul-
tuTe, made talk On grapes and grape
by-productS, dwelling upon the mus
cadine and particularly on the Thomas
variety. The muScadine. as Mr.. Deer
ing pointed out, is native OF Florida
and is found growing wild all over the
central and northern portions OF the
state. Mr. Deering commended the
muscadine to the horticulturiSts as a
product for commercial development.
He stated that the muScadine grape
if grown in the southeast would eX-
ceed in production and in the prices
they bring the grapes grown in other
sections of the United States.
Grape Juice made from muscadine
graded by the canning club girls of
the southeast is now being introduced
on the dining cars of the Atlantic
Coast Line, Seaboard and Southern
railways.
Growing Grapes in Florida
(By F. j. Zimm ermen, Oldsmar. Fla.)
We have been doing horticultural
development work in Florida for some
time and at the present are working
on the following Gulf Coast native
plants-olives. goosberries, dewber
ries, blackberries, muscadines. the salt
marsh CRANBERRY, cherries, half doZ-
en- varieties of huckleberries and blue
berries, and others
Being closely allied with vitacul
ture in the southern part of Texas for
number OF years we found such in
formation as we had in this line TO be
much advantage to us when making
a special study of the grape industry
IN Florida. which study we have been
closely following for quite period
OF years. Years ago our attention was
attracted by large wild grape vine.
probably of the little mountain valley.
growing on the banks of the Nueces
river in South Texas, the vine being
about fifteen inches in diameter and
reaching to the tops of the tallest
oaks. On close investigation we learn
ed of the scarcity of vineyards not
only in South Texas but along the en-
tire Gulf Coast and especially of Flor
ida.
Many dire tale of experience have
We heard from residents of these sec
lions having visited many of the vine
yards of the south and noting variet-
les closely and taking advantage of
that great store of information leanred
first hand by such men as T. v. and
w. B. Munson and Herman Jaeger,