vi PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. 



One hundred years after America was discovered, 

 the sweet orange was introduced into Europe. 

 Later it was brought to Florida, and a few trees 

 were planted in St. Augustine, and afterward in 

 the settlements along the St. John's and Indian 

 rivers. The pollen of the sweet orange fertilizing 

 the flowers of the sour produced the hybrid " bitter- 

 sweet. ' ' At the close of the Civil War, small 

 plantations of sweet oranges were found throughout 

 the State, consisting usually of a few trees growing 

 around dwellings. There were a few groves of 

 larger size, ranging from four hundred trees to nine 

 hundred, in the vicinity of St. Augustine and along 

 the St. John's River. The largest in the State 

 were planted by Dr. Speer at Fort Reed, near 

 Mellonville, and the Dummitt Grove on Indian 

 River. 



At the close of the war many of the old trees, both 

 sweet and wild, were bearing liberal crops of such 

 fruit as travellers from all parts of the world had 

 never before eaten. The fruit sold at good prices. 

 Some of those who had lately come into the State 

 thought there was a living in an orange-grove. 

 Land was bought, and planted in wild sour stumps. 

 Seed-beds were planted for nursery stock, and acres 

 were set with young plants. We were told that by 

 the time our trees were ready to bear" we would be 

 in another country where there would be no need 

 of planting. We answered then we would plant 

 for our children. We were told that by the time 

 the trees were in full bearing, oranges would not 



