SPECIES, VARIETIES, ETC. 109 



ket. Unlike the above, it is not a prolific bearer, on 

 which account many fear to plant ; it is however by 

 no means as shy a bearer as has been represented. 

 The Blood has not been fruited long enough in the 

 State to determine its market value. The Egg is val- 

 uable as an early fruit for home use ; its small size 

 and want of flavor render it unfit for market. The 

 Sweet Seville and St. Michaels, though not distinctly 

 marked, are to some extent distinguishable by the ap- 

 pearance of the fruit ; the former is one of the most 

 delicious for home use, though too small for profitable 

 shipment ; the latter is prolific and a good market 

 fruit. Acis, Arcadia, Beach's No. 3, Creole, Dum- 

 mit, Dixon, Excelsior, HAMOSASSA, Higgins, MAG- 

 NUM BONUM, NONPAREIL, Osceola, OLD VINI, 

 PEERLESS, Ahiti, and perhaps others having a local 

 name and celebrity, are native varieties recently 

 brought to public notice ; those in SMALL CAPS are 

 best known and most highly esteemed. They are all 

 very similar, the difference, if any, being too slight 

 to distinguish them in market, and of little importance 

 to growers generally. The differences of description 

 have arisen from soil, location, and treatment rather 

 than from any intrinsic difference in the fruit. This 

 multiplication of varieties differing little in character 

 would seem at first to be useless, confusing the 

 grower and burdening the nurserymen ; in fact, they 

 served good purposes, placing a superior variety 

 within reach of every section, and being a safeguard 

 against the numberless inferior sorts. While, there- 

 fore, it is immaterial in planting which of these be 

 selected, it is highly important that a well-known ac- 

 credited variety be chosen. Tardiff does not differ in 



