794 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June 2, 1902. 
of a very large number of flowers, while working at 
the fertilization, never found auy abortirn of organs. 
Cacao seed has been sent to distant parts of the 
British Empire with a view to discoveriug the length 
of time that the seed will retain its vitality under 
varying conditions. It is important to know the test 
method of sending seeds or young plants from a 
distance. 
TOURS AND planters' ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. 
During the year 1 have visited many plating dis- 
tricts, including Badalla, Passara, Monaragala, 
Dikoya, Matale, Deltota, Dunibara, Atnbagamuwa, 
and the low-country, where experiments and investi- 
gations have been made and material collected for 
laboratory work. I have also attended Planters' 
Association meetings at various centres, where 
diseases of plants and cognate matters have been 
discussed and explanations given on various technical 
points. It is a pleasure to record my thanks to 
many planters for valuable help in investigation of 
plant diseases and other matters, 
,J. B, CARRU HERS, 
Government Mycologist and 
Assistant Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens. 
Peradeniya, January, 1902. 
^> 
PINEAPPLES, ORANGES, CASSAVA, 
MANGOES, &c. 
BE POUT ON THK CTILTIVATICN C I? 
piXBAPPLS 5 ANTD oraEa PRODUOrS OF 
FLORIDA. 
By Robert Thomson. 
{formerly Su2Jcrintende7it of the Botanic Gardens of tlii 
Government of Jamaica, now Advi- 
ser to Messrs. Elder Dempster & Co. on 
the cultivation of Fruit and 
other products.) 
(Concluded.) 
ORANGES. 
1 visited according to arrangements made at Wash- 
ington a great Orange nursery at Glen. St Mary, 
about 30 miles from Jacksonville. Many millions of 
plants have been propagated here. There are here 
about half a million plants comprising all the best 
varieties of Citrus fruits. The proprietor 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 Jacksonville. Pre- 
vious to that great disaster that ruined thousands of 
families, 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 growths rnore luscious is the 
fruit. The tallies with our cultivation on the hills. 
Another frost 2 years ago destroyed the groves con- 
nected 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 
further south in order to escape the frosts. Since 
last frozen the trees have sprung anew from the 
bases of the trunks ard they now present a splendid 
appearance having attained a height of seven or eight 
feet. Several stems are allowed to grow from the 
bace,— most luxuriant stems, branches and foliage. 
Next year innumerable trees are expected to yield 
couf-iderabie crops. Only a fev/ severe freezes have 
occurred in about (jO years. 
In this extensive nursery thousands of small plants 
budded two years ago yield from 20 to 40 fruits each. 
I HUggeKled that many hundreds of small trees could 
bo grown to the aero for early cropping. These pre- 
cocious trcen are budded on citrus trifoliate stock. 
I'fcftrE, paachea and pluma are commonly cultivated 
side by side with the oral ge. Many of the groves in 
the great or.f region cf Orlando that were less 
severely irjaitii by fi ost are new in a fjoiuishing 
condition, far finer trees than any in Jamaica. This 
is another example of tlie c:i) aliifity of a sandy soil, in 
whiolJ the.v :.ie nia'lc to il.uri.-h b> constant ('are a>id 
fertilizers At thi;:, niirserj' I wi'ne.ssed a new departure 
in crf.rge cuhivaiif n. A considetable number of 
pliiiits are under experimental treatment for the 
Depiu lnient. of Agriculture at "Washingtoij, plants that 
w. rf- hyl iidiz d a few yeniK ago. There are at least 
50 v.-ry (libtirjct forms, disniiguithable by foliage, etc. 
Tiic--e aiebboiu S feet high, and some of them are 
likely to fruit next jesr for the fiiiit time. At Miami 
a fev^ hundred mi!es further fcouth I also saw oupli- 
cates of these new forms t.t the Government Experi- 
ment SI a' ion, but much smaller plants. Varieties 
that will endure more fiost as wclP as superior in 
point of qtiality are anticipated from these hybridized 
types. In the orange plantation conneottd with this 
nursery my attention was directed to gi eat piles, of 
logs between some of the wide lows of trees, I was 
surprised to learn that these piles are placed in sum- 
mer in readiness for the winter froft. When the 
temperature falls seriously the huge piles cf w ood are 
set on fire to repel the fiost by means of smoke, 
this in the open air. The result is usually satisfac 
tory. Orange groves I noted everywhere are peculi- 
arly sensitive to bad cultivation, that is by allowing 
weeds to grow, by wilholding fertilizers, by insufficient 
cultivation. Whenever neglected, they languish. The 
ownership of a ten acre grove has been and is still 
locked forward to ps a>nple to provide all the com- 
forts of i well-to-do family. E:ich tree is highly 
prized, for on anivlng at maturity it i" valued at 
froin $15 to 5f25. " In an Orange Grove 8 to 10 years 
old $1,000 per acre has often been realizedii' Ordi- 
nary manure is deprecated " the benefits of barn 
manure in an avers ge grove are in serious question. 
The fruits produced by nitrogen from this source are 
as above stated usually large, coarse, thick tkinned, 
with abundant rag and of inferior flavour," My 
Bttention was repe&tcdiy called to the notorious 
manner in v^hich oranges are packed in Jamaica. 
Frequently trained packers have been selected in 
Orlando, sent a few days journey to New York or 
Baltimore at great expense and besides paid $2 a day 
to rehandle orange shipments from Jamaica, that, is 
to size, pick and repack in boxes for distribution. 
Orenge growers and dealers freely express their 
Euiprise at this incredible examxole of Jamaican in- 
competency. For be it remembered that the splendid 
quality of (he fruit it.=elf is depreciated. " Fruit which 
is we 1 known by a brand will often sell readily and 
quickly for .50 per cent more than other fruit equally 
as good, but not known to be so by the buyer.', 
Orange and Grape Fruit groves are being largely 
planted in the vicinity of Miami. Plants three years 
old bui'ded on small lemon stock yield 100 "fiuit. 
The size and luxuriance of the foliage is remarkable. 
Se ver^il of the most successful growers informed me 
that they did not know 10 years ago the difference 
between an oak and an orange tree. With determined 
energy and enthusiasm they have become noted 
cultivators. Before the 1895 freeze five million 
crates of oranges were shipped from Florida valued 
at about fifteen millions dollars. After this freeze 
the number of crate.s fell to 100,000. Last year it 
increased to 750,(100 and next season double the 
latter lumber are expectfd. California produces 
six million crates. In a conservatory at Washington 
the most famous of all orange trees" was pointed out 
to me, the original plant of the navel variety from 
which by propugation about half of the oiange crop 
of California has originated. Californians commonly 
salute this wonderful tree. 
Since my return from Florida I have visited the 
pari.41 ol Manchester the chief centre of orange pro- 
duction in Jamaica, more than half of all that are 
shipped coming from her^, One firm alpug collects 
