PREFACE. 



E have been engaged in orange culture for the last ten years. Dur- 

 ing this time we have found it necessary to propagate nursery stock 

 for our own use. The demand for our surplus stock has so increased 

 that we now feel warranted in making this a special branch of our 

 business. 



Florida is a growing State, and no branch of industry is attracting more 

 attention than orange culture. A large amount of capital is being invested 

 in this business, attracted no doubt by the large profits realized from bear- 

 ing groves. The number of groves started in 1870 exceeded that of any 

 previous year. A large portion of these trees died, or were irrecoverably 

 stunted by unseasonable transplantation, improper soil, location, or manage- 

 ment. This was largely owing to the ignorance of many respecting the 

 peculiarities of our soil and climate, and the habits of semi-tropical fruit 

 trees. 



To afford some reliable information among many conflicting statements 

 we have added to our Catalogue a brief but comprehensive GUIDE TO 

 ORANGE CULTURE. We have avoided all doubtful points, and include only 

 such facts as are generally accepted. To those who wish a more complete 

 work on the subject, we have no hesitation in recommending the ; ' Treatise 

 and Hand Book on Orange Culture," by T. W. Moore, of Fruit Cove, Fla. 

 THE CITRUS is OUR SPECIALTY; we endeavor to make our collection in 

 this department as complete as possible. We have carefully studied the 

 nomenclature and classification of this family of plants, which is perhaps 

 more confused than any other cultivated fruit. All the varieties contained 

 in the DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE have been obtained from thoroughly reli- 

 able sources. We have visited the principal groves in the State, securing 

 buds of the best native varieties from the original trees. Our leading varie- 

 ties are propagated from bearing trees. In connection with our nursery is 

 a bearing grove where stock is propagated and the different varieties are 



