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The Horticulturist and Journal 



trees that had not produced a peck of oranges 

 in 25 years, which goes to substantiate my 

 statement, that great care should be exer- 

 cised in selecting a suitable site and soil for 

 a grove. He refers to the failure of orange 

 trees if planted in a soil where water can be 

 reached in from two to five feet beneath the 

 surface. If he had dug as many holes as 1 

 have at St. Augustine to determine this 

 very fact, he might be induced to change his 

 opinion. I can refer him to one lemon tree, 

 the crop of which sold for over $100, and 

 potable water can be obtained at any time 

 near the tree, by digging a hole less than 

 three feet deep. 



Your correspondent asserts that the 

 women living in what is considered the best 

 sections for orange growing, would be quite 

 glad to leave the country for good ; and he 

 seldom found a man who had been living on 

 his place for five years, but would gladly sell 

 for one-half cost. Last winter, I made it 

 my business to visit large and small groves 

 owned by "women" and men, and in no 

 instance did I meet with a person who would 

 sell their groves, old or young, for anything 

 like a reasonable price — much less at a sac- 

 rifice. Mr. 0. refers to his observations 

 and his town, but he leaves us in the dark 

 regarding where he has found women so 

 ready to sell ; or the whereabouts of "his 

 town." It is a self-evident fact, that he has 

 not examined the groves at St. Augustine, 

 Mandarin, Darcy's Landing, Orange Mills, 

 Palatka, Eaton's Grove at north end of Lake 

 Monroe, where the fruit of one tree has sold 

 for $140 ; at Enterprise, near Melonville, 

 Burman's or Dummit's Grove on Indian 

 river — the latter having yielded over a 

 quarter of million of oranges in one year ; 

 the groves at Manatee, Tampa, Sumpterville, 

 Booksville, Orange Lake, Micanopy or on 

 the Appalachicola river. 



At one time I entertained views regarding 

 Florida similar to those of Mr. 0., but later 

 experience, extensive travel and careful ob- 

 servation induced me to change them, and I 

 have no hesitation in stating that in my 

 opinion, portions of the State present greater 



inducements for settlement than any other 

 section of the United States. And in con- 

 clusion, I can assure your readers, that 

 orange and lemon culture will prove more 

 remunerative than any other description of 

 fruit growing in the United States. So con- 

 vinced am I of this fact, that if it were 

 necessary for me to engage in any description 

 of business for a livelihood, I would embark 

 in orange culture — not on the poor "sandy 

 soils" with a sandy foundation, but on the 

 rich loamy soil to be found in many portions 

 of the State — localities evidently unvisited 

 by Mr. Oliver, but carefully examined by 

 "Al Fresco." 



Greenhouses of Miller & 

 Hayes. 



DURING a recent visit at Germantown, 

 Pa., one of our most enjoyable visits 

 was spent at the greenhouses of Messrs. . 

 Miller & Hayes. Within the past three or 

 five years this firm have developed a pecu- 

 liar trade, erected a large number of green- 

 houses (13), and have become in new speci- 

 alties the largest growers in America. The 

 Rose is their favorite flower, and the 

 enthusiastic admiration which the advent 

 of a new and desirable Rose creates in their 

 spirits can not half be appreciated unless the 

 beauties are seen for themselves. However, 

 Mr. Hayes' articles in our numbers tell 

 capitally some of the best sorts, and give the 

 names of the newest and most remarkable. 



Prominent among them all are the two 

 favorites. Mine. Celina Noirie, a fine showy 

 Rose in its blossoms, and an excessively 

 strong grower and very hardy, a capital 

 sort for any amateur. 



Madame Trifle, an excellent showy Rose 

 of most exquisite yellow color, petals tinged 

 with violet, with the admirable character- 

 istic that its blossoms will hang for three 

 weeks a steady bloom, as compared with the 

 Saffrano, whose blossoms fade in a day. This 

 feature is of great value. 



The Miller Hayes Rose, of which we have 

 made previous mention, as a complimentary 

 name given by E. Verdier to his most valu- 



