614 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



phosphate, kainit or potash salts and cottonseed-meal 

 will make a good fertilizer. 



Cultivating under open sheds is now practiced in some 

 portions of Florida, and strong claims have been made 

 concerning the merits of the system. It is claimed that 

 the fruit matures sooner, is larger and better flavored 

 than when grown in the open field. The moisture is not 

 so rapidly evaporated, and the soil is therefore kept in 

 better condition. These sheds are covered with slats 

 1x3 inches and 18 feet long, separated 3 inches, so that 

 sunlight can enter. The north and west sides are boarded 

 up. 



Marketing. — The fruit is gathered just before ripe by 

 breaking from the plant, care being taken not to bruise 

 it. It is taken to the packing-house and cooled. The 

 stem is neatly trimmed, and the entire fruit is wrapped 

 in paper. The crown is not cut off. The style of crate 

 used is what is known as barrel or half-barrel crates. In 

 the first eight to ten pineapples are packed, and the 

 latter is used to ship the fancy varieties of fruit. 



PLITM.— (Prunus.) 



The plum tree is probably a native of Asia, whence it 

 was early introduced into European gardens. The tree 

 grows from fifteen to twenty feet high, and is conspicu- 

 ous early in spring for its white blossoms. 



Loudon asserts that probably the natural color of 

 the fruit is black; but the cultivated varieties are of 

 various shades of green, yellow, red and blue. It is a 

 delicious dessert fruit, in its best varieties, and is very 

 much esteemed for pies, tarts and preserves. 



It is also dried for winter use. The prune, or dried 

 plum, enters considerably into commerce. When fully 

 ripe, plums are, in moderate quantity, very nutritious 



