52 ORANGE CULTURE IN FLORIDA. 



fact that the frost sometimes " strikes in spots or 

 streaks. ' ' 



Proximity to fertilizers is another favorable cori- 



- dition to be considered. The orange tree is a rav- 

 enous feeder and an abundant bearer, and however 

 fertile the original soil may be, and even though it 

 should be sufficient to produce fine trees and sus- 

 tain them for a few years, any soil would finally 

 become exhausted and need to be replenished. 

 Commercial manures can be bought, but even when 

 transportation is cheap the cost is considerable. 

 The abundant and frequent deposits of muck in al- 

 most every locality 'have been shown by repeated 

 experiments to be a valuable fertilizer. It would 

 be well for the person looking for a location for an 

 orange grove to have an eye to such a deposit close 

 to the place for the intended grove. Leaves and 

 ashes from a hammock close at hand, a shell bank, 

 or limestone from which lime may be procured, 

 should also be considered. 



Facilities for transportation is the last item to be 



- noticed in this chapter of favorable conditions to be 

 considered in locating an orange grove. One other 

 condition will be discussed in a separate chapter. 

 The orange will bear transportation well, whether 

 the expense of transportation or perishableness of 

 the fruit be considered. But it would be well for 

 the reader contemplating planting oranges to esti- 

 mate the cost of hauling, say five miles by wagon 

 or cart, an average crop of oranges grown on an 



