IG 



THE AVOCADO IN FLORIDA o 



THE SEED BED. 



Seed may be obtained in large quantities during the ripening- ^^eason 

 from southern Florida, Culja. and other places, in the Antillean region. 



At the present time good seeds cost 

 from H to 2 cents each. These prices 

 seem somewhat high, but every seed 

 is nearly certain to make a seedlino-. 



The seed bed should be made in 

 some moist localit}^, in soil free from 

 rocks and containing an abundance 

 of vegetable matter. The rows may 

 be made such distances apart as will 

 suit convenience — from 1 to 4 feet. 

 Place the seeds from 4 to 6 inches 

 apart in a drill 3 or inches deep; 

 hrm the soil about the seed and cover 

 2 or 3 inches deep. Supph^ a heav}^ 

 cover of mulch. 



As soon as the seedlings (see lig. 1) 

 appear above grouiid, fertilizer ma}' 

 be applied. The mulch should 1)e 

 turned back, the fertilizer raked in or 

 cultivated in, and the mulch replaced. 

 If the seedlings are to be removed 

 to the nursery soon, fertilizing and 

 cultivating ma}^ be omitted. Removal 

 to the nursery mav be deferred until 

 seasonable weather. 



THE NUKSEKY. 



For starting a nursery the best 

 land should be selected, especiallj^ 

 such as is fairly dry though nev(U' 

 suffering from drought. Land that 

 is subject to flooding should by all 

 means be avoided. AVhile the trees 

 are able to live in standing water for 

 two or three weeks, tliey become su).)- 

 ject to attack \)\ Aariuus forms of 

 disease. When practicable, a gen- 

 erous application of fertilizer should 

 be made two or three weeks before 

 the trees are set out. It should be 

 scattered down the row and raked in, in the usual way. The land should 

 be thoroughly grubbed and put into a first-class state of cultivation. 



Fig. 1. — Seedling avocado in December from 

 seed planted in September (somewhat t^Xow 

 in starting, but otherwise apparently nor- 

 mal): (a) First shoot to start: (h) st'coml 

 shoot starting from the axil of the iiicii)i('nt 

 leaf; (c) third shoot If) start— in v\\<^' of se- 

 vere drought or other adverse coudii ions, all 

 of tliese shof)ts may fail and some otlu r l)ud 

 grow into a new shoot; (cZ) scale-like leaf: {< ) 

 one of the cotyledons, the other having been 

 removed, sear opposite e; (/) primary root. 

 (Iledueed to one-third natural diameter.) 



