10 THE PLANT WORLD 



mold. The land is not usually susceptible of cultivation by ordinary 

 implements, since it is covered with fragments of rock and intersected 

 by numerous outcropping ridges ; but the soil is extremely variable, 

 owing to the absence of clay, and thus requires neither plowing nor 

 harrowing. It is a source of surprise to northern visitors that such veg- 

 etables as tomatoes and egg plants, which in our latitude require care- 

 ful cultivation in well-manured ground to produce the best results, 

 thrive with little or no attention on the keys. Sturdy individuals, well 

 laden with fruit, may frequently be seen growing from a crevice in the 

 rock containing apparently only a cupful of soil. Of course, the cli- 

 mate is an important factor in the plant development on these islands, 

 and it is not so much the increased mean annual temperature as the 

 uniformity of the latter that promotes luxuriance of growth. The region 

 is practically rainless during the late winter and early spring months, 

 and on account of the total absence of fresh water streams and any 

 artificial irrigation it would seem that most crops could hardl}^ be pro- 

 ductive unless grown at special seasons ; yet tomato culture continues 

 the year around, and other garden vegetables may be grown with equal 

 ease, while the pineapple affords at least two crops in a season. The 

 only necessary operation in cultivation is to keep the ground free of 

 weeds, and in many plantations not even this precaution is taken. 



With such natural facilities the development of the islands as a 

 market gardening section would be very rapid if it were not for the 

 fatal obstacle of inaccessibility. Fruits and vegetables must be trans- 

 ported in sailing vessels to Key West or Miami, and from either point 

 the distance by steamer or fast freight to northern x>arts is far too great 

 for perishable produce. Even this difficulty, however, may be sur- 

 mounted in time, and the plantations on these islands could then com- 

 pete with the best truck farms on the adjacent peninsula. 



Southern France has long been known as well adapted to the growth 

 of plants for the manufacturing of perfumery and essence. The centre 

 of this industry is in the regions about Nice, Grosse and Cannes, where 

 there is grown and treated annually about 2,500,000 kilograms of orange 

 blossoms, 3,000,000 kilograms of roses, 200,000 kilograms of jasmine, 

 and 150,000 kilograms each of violets, acacia, and tuberoses, besides 

 several thousand kilograms of geranium, mint, balm-mint, jonquils, 

 mignonette, verbena, lavender, thyme, rosemary, etc. 



