May 9, 1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



189 



able to care for itself. The first winter is especially critical, 

 for then the transpiring surface is in excess of the absorbing 

 surface, and the soil-connection of roots with the soil is more 

 easily broken by the winds which sway the tree. The reason 

 why the Pines and other conifers which thrive on neighbor- 

 ing mountain-sides cannot be made to grow on the plains may 

 be explained by the fact that the clouds and fogs in which 

 mountain vegetation is bathed, and the higher relative hu- 

 midity of the atmosphere, tend to reduce transpiration, while 

 the deeper snows furnish more soil-moisture. In the plains, 

 where the soil-moisture is reduced and the atmosphere is rel- 

 atively dry, the sun raises the temperature of the leaves and 

 accelerates transpiration, while the absorbing power of the 

 roots does not increase. Whether irrigation is feasible or not, 

 a liberal mulch will prevent frost from penetrating so deeply, 

 will retard evaporation from the soil, keep the moisture near 

 the surface and give the plants the fullest benefit of all water 

 received, whether from artificial or natural sources. Tender 

 plants need protection against sudden changes of temperature 

 as well as desiccation. Small trees may be wrapped with straw, 

 or even with paper, and old barrels with the bottoms removed 

 can be set over the plants and then have hay packed about 

 them. This is especially valuable during the first winter or 

 two after the plant is set out. In some places on the plains 

 Peach and other less hardy fruit-trees are set out with the 

 roots trained in two opposite directions only. In autumn a 

 trench is dug close to the tree on one side at. right angles to 

 the root-line, and it is bent over until it lies as nearly horizon- 

 tal as may be. The soil then thrown about and over it holds 

 it down and serves as the best protection from loss of water 

 and against sudden changes. In the spring the soil is removed 

 and the trees straighten up, none the worse for their winter 

 sleep if due care has been taken to disturb the roots as little 

 as possible. 



Meetings of Societies. 



Fruit-growing in Florida. 



F'LORID A has an exceedingly vigorous Horticultural Society, 

 which held its seventh annual meeting in Jacksonville on 

 the 10th of April. The two hundred active members who as- 

 sembled were welcomed by the Mayor, who encouraged them 

 by some eloquent remarks on the importance of fruit-growing 

 and other branches of horticulture. President W. W. Adams 

 illustrated this fact by stating that the orange crop alone 

 amounted to five million boxes, while peaches, pears and 

 tomatoes were leaving the state by the car-load, and there are 

 preparations already made in the state to furnish train-loads of 

 all these in the near future, while there are Orange groves 

 enough planted to produce in a few years twenty million 

 boxes. Mr. Adams claimed that the depressed condition of 

 the fruit trade was not due to overproduction, because the 

 crop of oranges now produced would only furnish one orange 

 a month to each inhabitant of the United States. The busi- 

 ness, however, had outgrown the facilities for transportation, 

 and something must be done to enlarge these facilities and 

 economize in transportation, or the future of fruit-growing in 

 Florida would be without hope. 



Mr. George H. Wright reported that in Orange County 

 grape-growing began some seven years ago, and last year 

 there were five hundred acres in cultivation. The low price 

 received in 1893 had reduced the acreage somewhat. Re- 

 frigerator-car service was necessary to make growing grapes 

 for market profitable, otherwise the grapes must be converted 

 into wine. He advised against planting any more Niagaras, 

 and on sandy soil such varieties as Herbemont, Norton's Vir- 

 ginia, Cynthiana were recommended. He thought that vine- 

 yards should be set on higher land than had been previously 

 recommended. The vines should have clean culture until 

 June 1st, and a complete fertilizer, one which contained am- 

 monia, phosphoric acid and potash, should be freely used. 

 Growers from western Florida stated that Grapes in that re- 

 gion set on high and well-drained soil had done well. Some 

 growers declared that their products had reached northern 

 markets in such good order as to realize reasonable returns. 

 The experience of others was less satisfactory, and many of 

 the members claimed that, on the whole, grape-growing, be- 

 yond raising enough for family use, was not an industry to 

 encourage. 



A large Pineapple-grower of southern Florida had found 

 Scrub Pine land to be the best adapted for this fruit, and the 

 varieties which were the most profitable were the Egyptian 

 Queen, Strawberry and the Scarlet Pine. From 12,000 to 

 i~5,ooo plants could be set out on an acre, and sixty per cent, of 



these would fruit the second year, while the next year some of 

 the plants would have from three to five fruits each. Mr. 

 Richards, who is known as the Pineapple King, states, in reply 

 to an inquiry as to how long the plants would bear, that he had 

 been in the business fourteen years, and his plants now looked 

 better than they did five years ago. 



The Fruit Committee called attention to a formidable rival 

 of Florida which was much nearer than California ; this 

 was the coast-region of Texas, where an area equal to the 

 entire peninsula could be utilized for growing subtropical 

 fruits. During the last twenty-five years the progress of fruit- 

 growing in both these states had been so rapid, and they had 

 so many interests in common, that it was proposed to hold a 

 joint meeting of Texas and Florida horticulturists to devise 

 the best means of uniting for mutual benefit. 



Professor Swingle, of the State Experiment Station, reported 

 that he had discovered a speedy and easy way of making a 

 sulphur solution which had proved an effective remedy for 

 the rust mite and red spider which attacked citrus fruits. The 

 formula is 32 pounds of flowers of sulphur made into a paste, 

 with 12 quarts of water, 20 pounds of caustic soda 98 per cent, 

 strong, and 4 quarts of water, which are thoroughly mixed and 

 then diluted to 20 gallons. Two quarts of this to a barrel of 

 water should be used for the rust mite, and 4 quarts for the 

 red spider. Against the white fly, which causes what is known 

 as smut on the orange and is now the occasion of some alarm, 

 the following remedy was recommended by Professor Web- 

 ber : Four and a quarter pounds of caustic soda, 20 pounds 

 of resin, 3 pints of fish oil and 20 gallons of water are put in 

 an iron kettle, and when dissolved are boiled ten minutes. 

 When the mixture is cooled it should be used in the propor- 

 tion of one part diluted with five parts of water. This is effec- 

 tive against scale of all kinds and the red spider, and is just as 

 valuable for deciduous trees as for the Orange and Lemon. 

 The cost of this mixture was estimated at half a cent a gallon 

 of spraying material when ready for application. 



It was generally agreed that in applying fertilizers high-grade 

 mixtures were to be preferred. Some of the members advised 

 planters to buy the different materials and mix them at 

 home. Others believed that it is equally as cheap to purchase 

 the prepared fertilizer from reliable firms. It is evident that 

 more experience is needed with commercial fertilizers as well 

 as with home-made manures before definite conclusions can 

 be stated in regard to their use in this region. 



After all, the topic of paramount importance was that of 

 transportation and transportation rates, and the statement that 

 a barrel of flour could be brought east for one-third of the 

 price which it costs to transport a box of oranges west, was 

 cited as an instance of unjust discrimination. The resolution 

 to favor the bill now before Congress to open the coasting 

 trade to vessels carrying foreign flags caused such a heated 

 discussion that the society adjourned with some bitter feeling 

 on both sides. 



Notes. 



The beautiful pink and fragrant flowers of Daphne Cneorum 

 have opened unusually early this year. When planted in the 

 rock-garden in light well-drained soil this Daphne is singularly 

 beautiful. A few large plants of this mingled with hardy Can- 

 dytufts, which trail over the rocks in a similar way, and are 

 covered with the whitest of flowers, just now make a beauti- 

 ful show. 



The recent numbers of Engler & Prantl's Die Natiirlichen 

 Pftanzenfamillien that have reached us bring the work down 

 to the one hundred and second part. Some of the groups 

 here treated are Stachyuraceae, considered a family with a sin- 

 gle genus of two shrubs, native to Japan and the Himalayas ; 

 Guttiferae, Onagraceae, Turneraceas, Passifloraceas, Bignoni- 

 naceae, Caricaceae, and a continuation of the Leguminosas 

 commenced in an earlier issue. 



A correspondentof the Tribune writes that the most interest- 

 ing feature of the midwinter fair in San Francisco is the flower- 

 show which is now made by the different counties. The ex- 

 hibit, both of cultivated and wild flowers, is noteworthy, and it 

 can be commended to every tourist as a revelation of the pos- 

 sibilities of floriculture in a land where frost and snow do not 

 hamper the gardener. The recent rains have brought out the 

 Roses in fine form, and the Rose-show, which begins on May 

 nth, promises to be exceptionally attractive. 



The fruit-growers of California are hopeful of a good year 

 since last week brought abundant rain and the late frosts 

 have done but little damage. In the San Joaquin Valley many 



