742 



THE AMERICAN BEECH. 



entire tree. The cause is unknown and no remedy has 

 been discovered. Its occurrence is becoming more fre- 

 quent throughout the orange region of the state, and its 

 attacks prove fatal in every case. It had been known 

 by some present to have attacked "sweet "seedlings, 

 also. Mr. Williams stated that when it first appears 

 the leaves become smaller, the tree blooms more pro- 

 fusely, buds appearing nearer the stem than in healthy 

 trees. He thought it would attack all the groves in the 

 state if not checked. He had sent samples of affected 

 rootsto Washington, but nothingcould be found on them. 

 Had tried bisulphate soda, arsenate lime and many 

 other things, but none had proved effective. It was 

 voted to have the society petition the agricultural de- 

 partment at Washington to send down a special agent 

 to investigate and report upon the destructive blight of 

 the orange tree. 



Mr. Williams found in citrus culture that sweet 

 oranges propagated on ''rough lemon stock" gave a 

 fruit which commission men were puzzled to distinguish 

 as being lemons or oranges. Several delegates preferred 

 the " rough lemon stock " to any other, and found no 

 trace of sourness in the fruit. Mr. Woodworth found 

 that the lemon stock was tender and would bud low. 

 Others stated that the "rough Florida variety" has 

 proven hardy. Major Rooks thought all Navel trees 

 should be budded on this stock. Trees on this stock 

 have been known to live thirty years. President Dudley 

 stated that the confusion as to longevity is due to there 

 being two kinds of stocks used — the small bitter ever- 

 bearing, known to be short-lived, and the ' ' rough Florida 

 lemon'' which is a long-lived tree. Mr. Philips stated 

 that the lemon stock produced much larger crops than 

 the "sour" or "sweet" orange stocks. By "double 

 working," using the lemon for the middle piece, he made 

 Navel trees bear very heavily, but the fruit is varied. 



Major Norton, of Eustis, has six desirable varieties of 

 native plums. It was said that by getting the different 

 wild plums they would fruit from May to November, giv- 

 ing excellent materials for jellies and preserves and to 

 eat. He spoke of the May plum as probably a valuable 

 early market plum. Dewberry does best if allowed to 

 run over an old dead log, or grow as it desires in the 

 orange grove. Kittatinny blackberry succeeds well, but 

 Mr. Woodworth finds the huckleberry so valuable that 

 he has given up the blackberry. 



In the discussion of insect and other pests it was stated 

 that arsenical sprays will prevent the tent-tree cater- 

 pillar from defoliating trees. This insect works on 

 persimmon and pecan trees in Florida. A nail sus- 

 pended in a bottle and hung in a tree will tinkle and 

 scare crows, lime and other birds. The most effective 

 device used to keep birds from crops was to run strings 

 from pole to pole over a field. It was thought that the 

 Florida jay-bird would not pay attention to any of 

 these. 'Coons are kept away by the use of strychnine 

 in fish. 



Much interest was manifested in beautifying the home. 

 W. H. Holdridge, of Grove Park, urged the planting 

 of native ornamentals — the magnolia, holly, s.weet bay, 

 cherry, laurel, the live-oak and water-oak. 



Of tropical fruits the imported mangos (Durian and 

 Mangosteen) from India, were doing well at Lake 

 Worth. The Surinam or cayenne cherry is a very or 

 namental fruiting plant. It bears heavily as a tree, and 

 its fruit can be used for every purpose for which we use 

 cherries. It is hardy enough to endure some frost, and 

 although it has a pungent flavor, is quite good. Mr. 

 Phelps questioned its utility on account of its turpentine 

 flavor. Other members found them very fine and readily 

 salable on the markets at good prices. Some prefer it 

 to the strawberry. The taste for it is acquired. 



THE AMERICAN BEECH. 



THE BEECH of America {Fagus fcrruginea) 

 although smaller than some of the famous 

 beech trees of Europe, is yet a magnificent 

 native tree, often reaching and exceeding 

 a height of eighty feet. The leaves are larger, 

 thinner and less shining than in the European spe- 

 cies, the straight veins running into the salient 

 teeth. What is known as the red beech is now re- 

 . garded only as a variety of the common white beech, 

 with the wood softer and of more easy cleavage, and 

 perhaps a slight difference in foliage. 



Aside from its quiet grandeur as a forest tree, the 

 beech should be a favorite for planting in all 

 grounds of considerable extent. Its smooth, gray 

 bark, possessed of the unique quality of never be- 



{See Frojitispiece. ) 



coming furrowed, as in the case of other old trees, 

 but spotted in time with horizontal belts or patches 

 of light gray, niakes the beech tree trunk an attrac- 

 tive and cheerful object among other trees, as well 

 as a convenient surface on which to carve or write. 

 Attaining good size and forming deep shadows, it 

 is, nevertheless, at all times a cleanly, cheerful- 

 looking tree ; and in winter the great number and 

 light color of its radiating branches and abundant 

 spray is a pleasant characteristic. 



A beech tree in leaf is an interesting object of 

 the landscape, on account of the contrast it pre- 

 sents with other trees, because of the peculiarity 

 that its shadows are disposed horizontally in layers 

 or strata like those of the pine and spruce family. 



