CHAPTER VIII. 



THE ADVANTAGES OF PARTIAL FOREST SHELTER. 



fHE frequent discussion of the subject consid- 

 ered in this chapter among orange -growers, 

 its importance to all, and especially its impor- 

 tance to many portions of the State where suc- 

 cess must ever depend upon either forest or some 

 artificial protection, demands careful attention. 

 Many persons have heretofore considered it un- 

 necessary, and the idea even absurd. But years of 

 experience and observation, and especially the ex- 

 perience of the winter of 1876-7, have made many 

 converts. Let the reader consider some facts that 

 may be mentioned. 



Wild groves have grown luxuriantly, have borne 

 abundantly, and lasted, no one knows how long, 

 not suffering, so far as the writer has been informed, 

 even from the severe frost of 1835 ; and all under 

 forest protection. Again, all through Florida 

 in almost every old settled community, and even 

 in the southern tier of counties in Georgia, there 

 are a few old trees standing and bearing well fine 

 fruit. Hundreds seeing these trees have thought 

 that what has been done once can be done again, 

 and have planted in the immediate vicinity of such 

 trees, but unfortunately in the open field, or, what 



