Sept.- 1, 1093. J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
155 
HOW TO GROW ORANGES IN 
FLORIDA. 
Some time since we were favoured by Mc, Herbert 
Webber with some photographs representing Orange 
calfcure in Florida. Mr. Webber, it will be remembered 
was deputed by the United States Government to 
take part in the Hybridisation Conference held 
ac Chiswick in 1899 ; and amongst other things, 
greatly interested his hearers in the details of the 
intensely practical way in which O'lr cousins im- 
mediately applied the lessons of science to the re- 
pair of the injuries to the orange groves of Florida 
caused by a severe " freeze." Mr. Webber has since 
communicated to the columns of Country life m Am- 
erica an interesting article on the culture of Oranges 
in Flocida, from which, with his permiasion, we take 
the following extracts; — 
'•The hfst problem of the prospective Orange- 
grower is to select suitable land for his experiment — 
for an experiment it is until he has demonstrated 
by actual experience what he can do. The best Orauge 
land is that known as "hammock" by the native 
Floridians. Hammock-land is characterised usually 
by a heavy growth of live Oak, Bahy, Hickory, Mag- 
nolia, &c., interspersed with Palmetto, and is usually 
comparatively low land near lakes or streams. It 
was on such land that the famous wild Orange grovea 
were found. While wild Oi-ange-trees ware found 
in various parts of Florida when the State came to 
be settled in recent years, it is not probable that 
they are indigenous. They were doubtless introduoed 
by the Spaniards in very early times, and spread 
by the Indians, who are known to have planted them 
to some extent. When Orange-growing was taken up 
commercially, these wild groves were found to be very 
valuable. The tops of some of the trees situated as 
regularly as possible were cut off, and good varieties 
budded in. The trees in the wild groves were very 
thick, and many of them were dug out and replanted 
being later budded^ with improved varieties. 
The other types of land have; as a whole, proved 
worthless for Orange-growing, and many a hard- 
earned dollar has been lost by planting on '-scrub 
lands". Scrub land resembles high Pine land when 
cleared, and many a purchaser has been 
duped by " land sharks " into investing in scrub grove 
property only to discover later his error. Scrub land 
is the pitfall to be avoided by prospective Orange- 
growers. 
Hammock lands being the most desirable for grove 
nnrposes, are naturally the most costly, uncleared laud 
Bellina; at from 50 dollars to 200 dollars per acre, 
while high Pine and flat woods land can be obtained 
at from 5 dollars to 50 dollars per acre. 
About sixty trees are required to plant an acre of 
land in grove, and trees budded with the best varie- 
ties can in most cases be purchased for from twenty- 
five to forty cents each. Some over-caretul indivi- 
duals, who think nothing is done right unless they 
to it themselves, prefer to set seedlings in the grovo 
and bud them themselves with the desired varieties. A 
case o£ this kind has come to the knowledge of 
the writer, where an inexperienced man prepared 
to bud his own trees in this way. He very caretuUy 
read and digested all the agricultural publications 
giving directions for budding, and then inserted the 
buds according to the moat approved methods. Two 
years later he called an expert to examine his grove 
which presented a very peculiar appearance. Curious 
to relate, everything had been done right and in order, 
but the buds had been inserted wrong side up 1 
Printed directions in books cannot be trusted co 
instruct one in fundamental principles. 
The methods of planting young trees differ little 
from the methods pursued in planting Apple or 
Peach trees. On ordinary well-drained soils, the trees 
are planted sg tbat the snrface-liae o£ the ttee aa it 
n 
grew naturally is placed slightly above the surface 
of the soil in the grove. In low moist lands the 
trees are plauted on mounds, sometimes as high aa 
2 feet above the original surface. This is done to 
avoid " wet feet,'' as the growers express it, as it leads 
to the fatal malady known as "foot-rot," 
The majority of soils in Florida on which Oranges are 
grown are largely sandy ; in very many cases, indeed 
they are almost pure sand as deep down as one 
can go. A chemical analysis of the soil of one good 
grove knowu to the writer gave ninety-nine per cent, 
silica, or pure sand. Oranges grown on such soil are, 
as the scientist would term them, "sand cultures,' 
and all the essential elements of plant-food must be 
added artificially. The experienced Florida Orange 
grower is an expert in the use of commercial ferti- 
lisers. He will cell you to use a fertiliser composed 
of three to four per cent, of nitrogen, five to 6 per 
cent, of phosphoric acid, and ten to twelve per cent, or 
more of potash. He can tell you all about the solu- 
bility and insolubility of phosphoric acid fertilisers, 
the necessity of using large quantities of potash, &c. 
He recognises that excessive quantities of potash 
fertilisers tend to produce sweet fruits ; and that ex- 
cessive quantities of nitrogenous fertilisers produce a 
rapid, vigorous growth of the tree, and a puffy, soar 
fruit. Some growers have carried the science beyond 
the range of known physiological laws and spray their 
trees at certain seasons of the year with certain 
chemicals to sweeten the fruit. Such methods are 
used by few growers, and the writer knows of only 
one grower who has followed the practice syste- 
matically. He regularly sprayed his trees to sweeten 
the fruit, and was able to guarantee his Oranges 
sv/eet. This sweetening of the the fruit, however, 
renders it rather insipid, and while such Oranges 
give better satisfaction when eaten with cakes 
and confectionery, as a dessert fruit, they are ordi- 
narily considered too " flit " by connoisseurs, and the 
practice will probably never become common. 
Stable and barnyard manures should be utilised 
whenever they are made on the farm, from the stand- 
point of economy. They should not be purchased 
in preference to commercial fertilisers, however, which 
havegiventhe best results, as some experienced growers 
are inclined to do. Experience has shown that they 
are harmful it used in large quantities, tending to 
produce thick-skinned, sour fruit, and leading finally 
to a serious disease known as '' dieback.". What 
stable or barnyard manure a grower may produce 
on his place, should be spread lightly over the 
grove, only a small portion being given to each tree. 
The Orange-picking season in Florida is what 
harvest time and Apple gathering are in the North. 
Fancy the broad acres of corn and Wheat in lUinoia 
or Iowa turned into fine old trees 30 feet high, with 
their branches interlocking and sprinkled here and 
there with golden Oranges. Fancy the balmy breezes, 
similar to May in that section of the country, fresh 
from the ocean or gulf, and laden with the perfume of 
the millions of fruits. At the picking season all nature 
partakes of the rich, pleasing aroma of the Orange, 
till, like GDethe's "Music of the Universe," it 
becomes well nigh indiscernible, and one must need 
stop and concentrate his attention to catch its full 
richness, la the crisp balmy air of the beautiful 
southern winter days the pioksrs may be seen at 
work with their picking-bags slnng over their shoulders 
enlivening their work with song and jest, now picking 
from the ground, the fruit on the lowermost branches; 
now perched on tall ladders half buried in the rich 
green foliage, in order to reach the fruit on the upper- 
most branches. The lieapod-up baskets or boxes are 
hauled in v/agans to the packing-house, and dumped into 
the larg:e bins. Thence they go to the " sizer," where 
all bruised or faulty fruits are carefully picked out 
and the Oranges in two streams bright oa one side 
and russeo on the other, are mechanically assorted 
according to size, and fall into the respective bins, 
Btie the nimble-fingered packet^ deftly grasp th« 
