17 

 CHAPTER IV. 



GROVES FROM TRANSPLANTED SOUR STUMPS. 



The next most expeditious way of getting a sweet grove is from 

 transplanted stumps of sour trees. It is sometimes the case that per- 

 sons improving wild groves, having budded all the trees and finding 

 them too thickly set on the ground, will sell those budded stumps at a 

 fair price. When this is the case a grove can be brought into bearing 

 in a short time. I have frequently had such trees to fruit the same 

 year of planting. But this has been the case only where they have 

 been 'taken up with great care, with abundance of root and removed 

 but a short distance. But even where this early fruiting can be 

 secured the policy is doubtful. The tree should not be taxed with 

 efforts to bear fruit so early after its removal and in its enfeebled con- 

 dition. It requires much greater effort on the part of the tree to bear 

 fruit than to produce new wood. One of these budded sour stumps of 

 medium size, carefully taken up with good roots and carefully culti- 

 vated, will begin the second year to bear considerable fruit, if it has 

 not been allowed to fruit the year of planting. The third year such a 

 tree will begin to pay a good interest on the investment of purchase- 

 money. 



There are some objections to a grove of this kind. These trees 

 from old stumps never grow to be so large as the unbudded seedlings, 

 nor bear so abundantly. They are believed, also, to be much shorter 

 lived. European writers tell us such is the case, but I do not believe 

 that our experience in Florida has been of sufficient length to test the 

 age to which one of these trees will live and bear fruit. One other 

 objection I will mention. It is generally believed that it is hard to 

 make the old stumps live. The sad experience of those of us, who, a 

 few years ago, bought such stumps by the hundred and had them die 

 almost as fast as they were set, has made this kind of business very 

 unpopular. But I am persuaded that most of this disaster can be 

 attributed to ignorance and carelessness. I am satisfied now that if I 

 had handled sw r eet seedlings, as I and every one else then handled sour 

 stumps, the sweet seedlings would have died almost as badly. There 



