PREFACE. 



JfiOME time before the discovery of America the 

 ^ sour orange the brigerade was introduced 

 into Italy, and a short time thereafter it was carried 

 to Spain. The Spaniards brought this variety to 

 Florida. The sweet orange was then unknown in 

 Europe. Doubtless the Spanish Catholic mission- 

 aries first distributed the seed of the brigerade 

 frequently called the Seville orange in the vicinities 

 of the Spanish forts and missions. As the fruit 

 multiplied the seeds were scattered by the Indians 

 along the banks of the rivers near their camping 

 grounds, usually points projecting into the rivers. 

 Thence they were scattered throughout the State 

 of Florida. 



The largest of these wild orange groves, twenty 

 and fifty years ago, were found along the eastern 

 and southern shores of rivers and lakes, and in 

 the hammock and swamp lands of Florida. In 

 addition to the protection from damage by the frost 

 to the young plants, afforded by the water, the ham- 

 mock and swamp lands gave protection against fires, 

 which annually swept over the pine-woods, destroy- 

 ing the slow-growing trees. Some of these wild 

 groves were, fifty years ago, cut down and the land 

 cleared for planting corn, cotton, and cane. This 

 was repeated as late as twenty- five years ago, before 

 the monetary value of the orange was appreciated in 

 this country. 



