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ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF CITRUS-FRUIT GROWING IN FLORIDA 19 
planted groves present a rather unfavorable picture to-day with their 
dense umbrella-shaped tops excluding sunlight from the ground and 
lower limbs, thus preventing growth of cover crop and causing the 
lower limbs to die. } 
This condition is not universally an argument against thick plant- 
ing, for it is the result of faulty management. The large yields and 
net income from thickly-planted groves have often caused the grower 
to be reluctant to remove some of the trees. Many growers are now 
planting their trees in such a way that alternate trees may be removed 
when necessary, leaving the grove in a symmetrical and workable 
condition. It costs a little more in the beginning to buy the extra 
trees and there is some expense in removing them, but the additional 
returns for a period of 10 years from approximately 40 trees per acre 
above the normal number that can be cared for at maturity is a matter 
that merits serious consideration. The removed trees may be re- 
planted and, if properly done, will produce fruit again within a few 
years. 
TaBLe 14.—Distribution of groves of fruit trees by numbers of trees set per acre 
Groves classified by kind 
Number of trees per acre 
Grape- | Tanger- 
Total | Oranges ait AGS 
Number | Number | Number | Number 
29 31 12 
bOrandelesstpsa- 2 besame tt OE Ce RES > Gr rewe Fo ee ee es es 72 
SEO 1G Qe re raat ee ale he ae a ite Nee La dee es 8 tn Ae 54 20 25 9 
GTEC Ort 0 see sete eh ere eeia Aa 2 a RN Leet yt Pome ge 2 ot Boe SS 29 14 11 4 
(ONO Vie Doe Oe Sas lee aha eee AS Pace beg e Re ea alee eee ee ee 33 12 15 6 
STO: 9 0 ee cee, eh pay lp iare) Wee ons taken ee tee een aN 18 Ul 5 6 
ON CTO O Se stas a a cages ee nad Rae wore Peeks a EA 21 10 8 3 
AA DO) pal ge ee, SS oa ey a A a a eee St aie fene oe Rac emer 227 92 95 40 
‘Average number of trees per acre for all groves_________________ GAP a Sa oe Ih oe 
The average number of trees per acre on the 100 groves was 64. 
The lowest number of trees per acre in any grove was 32 and the 
highest number was 117. The evidence is not entirely conclusive but 
there is no reason to doubt that on the whole growers would profit by 
having a greater number than the average of 64 trees per acre while 
the trees are young. Apparently no more ground space is necessary 
than that needed for the tree to grow in, leaving sufficient light and 
room for cover crops and convenience of operation. It pays to use all 
space to the limit. In fact, there is a strong tendency for the yield 
per tree to be greater where the trees are set closer together. 
VARIETIES OF CITRUS FRUIT 
As important as the number of trees per acre are the varieties of 
the different kinds of fruit. No statement can be made with regard 
to grapefruit and tangerines, because the growers’ knowledge of these 
kinds of fruit was too indefinite to classify. In the case of 73 of the 
orange groves it was possible to determine rather definitely the 
varieties of oranges grown. Of a total of 52,036 trees, 30,125 were 
Valencia, 12,457 were Pineapple, 5,071 were seedlings, 1,140 were 
Parson Brown, 592 were Washington Navel, and 2,651 were made 
up of miscellaneous varieties. 
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