FRUIT REPORTS. 
239 1 
“In South Florida the re-budding’ has been to late varieties, i. e. Bahia 
Washington Navel and Valencia Late — so when groves do get to full bearing the 
Florida season will be longer and we hope better prices will be maintained 
than for the years before the freeze. 
“We have no fears as to getting big profits so far as prices go, for the 
markets are ready for high grade Florida oranges; our only dread is, that 
the cold may damage our buds while they are young and growing so rapidly, 
They cannot now stand the degree of cold that they would endure if they 
were in bearing. 
“We have, in past years, gathered 650 boxes of oranges at one crop from 
an acre of trees, which, if they had sold at the price obtained for our last 
season’s crop, i. e., $3.10 per box, f. o. b., would have given profit enough— 
‘if.” 
In a later report, Mr. Sampson says, “I was in hope that some member 
of the Committee from South Florida would report on the fruits raised more 
extensively in that section and will add: The pomelo or “grape fruit” is some- 
what more tender than the orange, so that there are no very extensive plant- 
ings being made in the northern orange belt, but as one goes further south a 
constantly increasing proportion of trees are being budded to that fruit; as 
they come into bearing quicker than the orange, there will soon be a very 
large increase in crop. 
? ‘The' Aurantium, Seedless, Triumph, Josselyn and Walters are general 
favorites; the fruit is becoming more highly prized year by year and those 
who are fortunate enough to have bearing trees now are reaping a very rich 
harvest. 
“The Lemon is more tender than the pomelo or ‘grape fruit’ and is now con- 
fined to South Florida, except in some exceedingly well located places near 
large lakes, but even in South Florida the freeze has prevented many per- 
sons from re-budding to lemons. 
“Before the freeze the owner of an acre or two of lemons was not as a 
rule, well paid for his labor, owing to budding to poor varieties, not keeping 
fruit free from rust and generally poor methods of culture. I think I am 
safe in saying it requires more, attention to grow lemons profitably, than to 
grow oranges profitably. A second class orange will sometimes pay its cost, 
bqt a second class lemon will hardly ever do so. On the other hand, a well 
planned lemon grove is far more profitable, they come into bearing earlier 
grow much more rapidly and bear many boxes more per tree than will 
the orange, and sales will average at higher prices. 
“There has always been very much more attention given to oranges than 
to lemons in this State and before the freeze many growers had begun to- 
understand more about growth and marketing and were growing an an- 
nually increasing crop of lemons that would compare well with those grown 
anywhere — thin skined, seedless and full of juice, with flavor as well as acid. 
“The main crop ripens here during the summer' and early fall months, 
when, naturally, lemons are most in demand. 
“There has been a very large increase in pineapple planting during the past 
few years, of the small varieties under field culture and also of the larger 
varieties grown in inclosures with slat protection on top to secure the plants 
from both sun and frost; and the profits realized have been very encourag- 
ing. 
“Aside from the fruits coming within the purview of your Committee,. 
North and Northwestern Florida every year ship large quantities of Kieffer 
