8 BULLETIN 1435, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Most of the high pine lands are deficient in all plant-food elements 
and humus. No attempt is made to grow a fruit crop without the 
use of commercial fertilizer. The humus is usually supplied by the 
use of a volunteer cover crop. Each fall most of the growers plow 
or disk under crops of beggarweed and grass which reseed themselves 
each year; or, occasionally a legume crop, such as cowpeas. The 
loose character of the soil makes cultivation an easy matter. 
RAINFALL 
Rainfall at Bartow, Polk County, over a period of 30 years, aver- 
aged 52 inches a year. The period of greatest rainfall begins in 
June and terminates in September. The dry season begins in 
October and with very little variation continues until May. 
(Table 5.) 
TABLE 5.—Average monthly rainfall for 26 years (1887-1912) at Bartow, Polk 
County, Fla! 
{ 
Month Rainfall Month Rainfall 
Inches Inches 
SEUNG Vase a ne es coe any aoe ae DSB 5H || SAAS Ga ee tin SS 9 a alee ere eee 7. 67 
Hebniuanys ats Gos Ree ee PS ee eee 2 GAs SO DbEIM DCT == sie 0 pact ee 8.19 
MW ar cinco a ae eo a eee | 25341: Octo bet eeaet eos sais Sk ee ees 3. 55 
A Dress iea soa eS ee eee 1 74h |MINOVEMDET > Se ee et 1.81 
MR ye ie CS a ap oS a eee ee | 32 Gon || D CCE DOL sees a ee SS Fees mee 2. 32 
JUNG SESE ea Se le a eee ee 8. 33 
Dy Se ee ieee ie ere eee ee | pear SISOL as Sa aise Se eee ee eke §2. 31 
1 Reprint, sec. 84, Southern Florida, p. 4. US. Dept. of Agr. Weather Bur. 
Rainfall plays an important part in the production of citrus fruit. 
Practically all fertilization and cultivation of citrus fruit is done 
during the dry season from October to June. It is during the 
rainy months from June to September, inclusive, that cover crops 
of weeds, grasses, or legumes are grown, to be worked up later to 
improve the humus content of the soil. Generally there is so much 
rainfall during the summer months that heavy cover crops may be 
grown without danger to the trees from drought. 
Rainfall is usually sufficient when properly distributed, but drought 
conditions occur on an average of one yearin four. A severe drought 
occurred in 1922 when a great deal of fruit was lost. During this 
drought period several growers reported that they stopped their fruit 
from dropping by constant stirring of the soil with the harrow. The 
tractor proved particularly efficient during the drought because of 
the acreage it could cover quickly and thoroughly, even on the hot- 
test days. An abundance of water is available in the many lakes 
everywhere in this region. At present, however, few growers have 
installed irrigation systems, and those only in a limited way. 
‘WINDS AND STORMS 
This is what the United States Weather Bureau says about winds 
and storms for the west coast of Florida: 
Winds are northeasterly most of the time. Severe storms of the West Indian 
type are liable to occur occasionally; in fact, moderately high winds may be 
expected every year, as disturbances move northward from the Tropics, mainly 
from August to October. Thereafter, however, the weather is ideal, and storms 
of any consequence are the exception. 
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