able. The other type of soil wihoh T reoommend,— a thin film oi eartli 

 resting on a bed rook, it is impossible to surpass from the drainage point 

 of view. Being fertile it is more valuable than sand. The air permeates 

 freely. These conditions assured, abundant rain, rain that would prove 

 prejudicial without rock, will constantly invigorate the plants. Large 

 areas are thus susceptible of cultivation based on the merits of the soil. 



Orangee, 

 I visited according to arrangements made at Washington a great Orange 

 nursery at Glen St. Mary, about 30 miles from Jacksonville. Many mil- 

 lions of plants have been propagated here. There are here about half a 

 million plants comprising all the best varieties of Citrus fruits. The pro- 

 prietor is a well known expert. Orange cultivation prior to the great 

 freeze of 1895, was the greatest industry of Florida, it was the chief 

 " wealth producer" extending over an immense area to the south of Jack- 

 sonville. Previous to that great disaster that ruined thousands of fami- 

 lies, this region was extolled as the most congenial in Florida for Oranges 

 for it is recognised by most leading growers that the further north even 

 to " danger point" they grow the more luscious is the fruit. This tallies 

 with our cultivation on the hills. Another frost 2 years ago destroyed 

 the groves connected with this nursery, the trees being frozen to the ground. 

 Thousands of groves were also destroyed by that morning's frost over 

 hundreds of miles of land. Many of the growers are now planting fur- 

 ther south in order to escape the frosts. Since last frozen the trees have 

 sprung anew from the bases of the trunks and they now present a splen- 

 did appearance having attained a height of seven or eight feet. Several 

 stems are allowed to grow from the base, — most luxuriant stems, branches 

 and foliage. Next yeat innumerable trees are expected to yield consider- 

 able crops. Only a few severe freezes have occurred in about 60 years. 



In this extensive nursery thousands of small plants budded two years ago 

 yield from 20 to 40 fruits each. I suggested that many hundreds of small 

 trees could be grown to the acre for early cropping. These precocious 

 trees are budded on citrus trifoliata stock. Pears, peaches and plums are 

 commonly cultivated side by side with the orange. Many of the groves in 

 the great orange region of Orlando that were less severely injured by frost 

 are new in a flourishing condition, far finer trees than any in Jamaica. 

 This is another example of the capability of a sandy soil, in which they 

 are made to flourish by constant care and fertilizers. 



A.t this nursery I witnessed a new departure in orange cultivation. A 

 considerable number of plants are under experimental treatment for the 

 Department of Agriculture at Washington, plants that were hybridized a 

 few years ago. There are at least 50 very distinct forms, distinguishable 

 by foliage, etc. These are about 8 feet high, and some of them are likely 

 to fruit next year for the first time. At Miami a few hundred miles futther 

 south I also saw duplicates of these new forms at the Government Experiment 

 Station, but much smaller plants. Varieties that will endure more frost as well 

 as superior in point of quality are anticipated from these hybridized types. 



In the orange plantation connected with this nursery my attention. was 

 directed to great piles of logs between some of the wide rows of trees I 

 was surprised to learn that these piles are placed in summer in readiness 

 for the winter frost. When the temperature falls seriously the huge piles 

 of wood are set on fire to repel the frost by means of smoke; this in the 

 open air. The result is usually satisfactory. 



Orange groves I noted everywhere are peculiarly sensitive to bad culti- 

 vation, that is by allowing weeds to grow, by witholding fertilizers, by in- 

 iiufficieut cultiTation. Wherever negteote^, they laBgoish. u; 



