40 



horses unci mules: nor should that from poultry except as a liquid dis- 

 solved in water. The manure from cows and oxen may be used with 

 splendid results. In Florida we used to ' Cow pen' our land. We would 

 run a temporary fence about say an acre at a time and then every 

 afternoon drive into it as many cattle as could be coofined within the 

 fence, keeping them there over night. This would be done for two or 

 three weeks wh^n the fence would be removed to enclose as much more 

 land to be treated in the same way. This system of course had to be 

 supplemented with the chemical elements but it su[)plien h.oth humus 

 and the most expensive ingredient, nitrogen. 



" Above all no fertiliser should be used tor pinc^ in which the 

 phosphoric acid has been rendered " available " bv use of sul[)huric 

 acid. This seems to be poison to the pineapple. As I say above, my 

 land shows no result from application of phosphoric acid. Other land 

 may require it in which ca--^ [ would advise use of the finest ground 

 bone meal. It is also possible that the phosphatic guanos may do welL 

 Personally 1 have had no experience with them." 



The Florida Agricultural Experiment Station has published lately 

 a Bulletin on this subject by Prof. P. H. Rolfs, a copy of which may be 

 seen in the Director's office at Hope Gardens. A summary of these 

 experiments was read by Prof. Rolfs before the Florida Horticultural 

 Society as follows : — 



Pineapple growing in Florida on an extensive scale is probably th© 

 youngest branch of horticultural industry in the State. For many years 

 the growing of pines on a commercial scale was confined to the Keys 

 and the West Indies. Various attempts were made to grow pineapples 

 on the main land of Florida, but these all proved more or less unsuccess- 

 full. I will not attempt to enumerate the causes for failure in this di- 

 rection, but I may be permitted to mention in passing that the extension 

 of the railroad down the East Coast is by no means the least important 

 factor in developing this industry in that section. Of course pineapples 

 were grown at various points along the East Coast before railroad com- 

 munications were established, but the industry was carried on on a 

 limited scale. The rapid transportation of fruit to Northern markets 

 has stimulated the production. 



OEOLOGICAL ORIGIN OF THE SOIL. 



Geolog,ists tell us that only a few periods of geological history have 

 passed since Florida began to be. They tell us that the whole southern 

 extremity of Florida, especially along the East Coast,has been gradually 

 brought out by the sea. Coraline deposits in the ocean grew high 

 enough to arrest the waves and form breakers. Upon these were de- 

 posited sand which finally grew high enough to make bars and islands. 

 By the action of the wind the sand was carried higher, making our 

 spruce pine land. By visiting our beaches we may see to-day where 

 new land is being formed. This is bound into place and retained by 

 the action of the beach plants, such as morning glorys and grasses. 

 After these have flourished for a period of years the soil finally becomes 

 suitable for palmetto scrub. After many years of growth the palmetto 

 scrub adds enough humus to the soil to permit the spruce pine to form 

 a forest. After these have grown for many decades the wood, falling. 



