392 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



exuded, and hence the disease was called 'Lagrima' from the 

 Portuguese word for tears." 



The inference made by the writer is that the people richly deserved 

 what they got — the destruction of a fine industry, the far famed St. 

 Michael orange. The people danced and amused themselves while the 

 orange trees bore fruit, but years of reckless neglect brought disaster. 



AVhile it is a pleasure to be with you, I am frank to say that I am 

 unable to bring you anything new or revolutionary, or to divulge any 

 secrets in the culture of citrus fruits. I am sure many of you are 

 quite a.s well informed in all phases of the industry as I am myself. 

 If we can, however, in this general conference, mutually inspire one 

 another with a determination to produce a higher grade of fruit and 

 take better care of it, I am sure the citrus growers who are present 

 will consider ourselves amply repaid for this conference. 



There is a demand, and there will always be, for high grade fruit. 

 That demand cannot be readily supplied, and our aim should be to meet 

 the requirement of the most exacting market, and not to be satisfied 

 with simply growing oranges that must be forced into consumption by 

 low prices. 



The quality of the fruit we produce will largely gauge the financial 

 returns enjoyed. The orange, like the chrysanthemum, is susceptible of 

 high development, and I believe there is less excuse for one of us to 

 grow an inferior orange than for the professional florist to grow small, 

 sickly flowers for his market. The fact is, we cannot afford to produce 

 anything but the best, for anything less affords neither satisfactory 

 revenue nor that degree of mental enjoyment which ought to be at least 

 a part of the returns we should expect from the business. 



The first efforts of an orange grower must be directed to the selec- 

 tion of location, the preparation of the land, the quality and condition 

 of the stock, manner of setting it, and provision for a reasonable 

 amount of irrigating water. Some varieties are better adapted to 

 certain localities than others. The difference is often that between 

 success and failure. Remember in the competition which the largely 

 increased production we are soon to have will severely test us. The 

 survival of the fittest will be the ultimate result. Therefore, select a 

 variety adapted to your particular locality, not permitting yourself to 

 be influenced by a desire to grow an orange popular in other localities, 

 but not the best for vours. 



It is important that a location be selected free as possible from 

 extremes of temperature. While we may, to an extent, successfully 

 overcome low temperaturs, it is both expensive and dangerous to tempt 

 Jack Frost. He may swoop down upon us without warning and when 

 we are unprepared. I fear that during the present period' of much 

 setting of citrus orchards, many have been located where nature never 

 intended trees comparatively easily affected by cold should be planted. 

 It is also evident that soil conditions unfavorable to the production of the 

 orange have been overlooked in this widespread desire to set out 



