VI11 PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



early life considerable experience as an amateur 

 cultivator of fruits. For twenty-five years he has 

 been accustomed to eat fresh from the trees the 

 orange grown in Cuba, in Central America, in Cal- 

 ifornia, in Louisiana, and in Florida. His admi- 

 ration of this " queen of fruits" has led him to 

 observe and inquire after the methods of culture in 

 each of these several countries. During the ten 

 years of his experience he has frequently travelled 

 over the State of Florida, visiting, at all seasons of 

 the year, the various sections engaged in growing 

 oranges, discussing with growers their theories, and 

 noting the results of their efforts. 



This little work, therefore, is not the result of 

 the experience of a single individual confined to a 

 single location, but the result of the experiments, 

 the successes, and the failures of many, extended 

 over the entire State of Florida. 



The Press of Florida has done much to help for- 

 ward the knowledge necessary to success in orange 

 growing in this State. Its appreciation of this great 

 interest, and the readiness with which it has devoted 

 its columns to growers for the interchange of 

 thought and the discussion of theories, both false 

 and true, has given to persons widely separated 

 the benefit of each others' experience. For this 

 work the Press of Florida, and especially the Agri- 

 culturist %x\& the Semi-Tropical, as more especially de- 

 voted to this interest, is deserving of all praise ; and 

 whosoever would keep up with the rapidly growing 



