472 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jnne 1889* 
may be forced must for the present be left until 1 have further con¬ 
sidered Tea varieties for the purpose we have in view. 
Beginners in the culture of Roses for winter will be anxious about 
the vexed question of pruning prior to starting the plants into growth, 
but at the present time this matter will only have passing notice, and 
will be fully dealt with, because pruning should be conducted on two 
different principles acccording to the object in view. The use of the 
knife to the plants in their present stage and condition does no goml, 
but rather the reverse, as it has a tendency to check the plants. 
Their roots are still active, and this quickly induces growth to start 
from the weak shoots, encouraging greater activity at the roots and 
eventually stronger shoots from the base. These will be stronger and 
earlier than would be the case if the plants were well pruned. Some 
may be inclined to doubt this who are firm believers that hard pruning 
is followed by greater luxuriance, but, however sound such practice may 
be in cases where the plants have thoroughly matured wood and are well 
established, it does not hold good with the plants in the partially 
ripened condition. Early worked or early rooted cuttings of Gloire de 
Dijon will be strong with shoots 10 to 15 feet in length, more or less 
according to the quantity of side shoots they produced, provided they 
were trained upright. Plants in this condition may have the unripe 
ends of the shoots removed, for they will produce a number of small but 
useful buds, which if they are allowed to expand will do them no real 
harm. To flower them that are planted out, however, is a loss of time, 
especially if they have been thinly planted with the object of increasing 
the number of shoots under the roof the second season. In this case 
they may be cut back to the eaves of the house. As many shoots as are 
required may be trained .at the base horizontally until they reach the 
place where they are intended to be trained, and then they can extend 
up the roof. Another plan is to lay the plant, or as much of it as may 
be required to fill a given spice, along the base of the house, and then 
train shoots upright from it. Either plan is good, and the results are 
much about the same. The remarks on pruning apply equally to the 
plants in the centre beds or those trained upon the roof. 
Whether the Roses generally should be allowed to flower the first 
se.ason after they are planted out is another matter of importance. 
This to a large extent must be decided by each cultivator. But it will 
be as well to point out that the more the plants are flowered in their 
early stages the greater will be the length of time before they attain 
the object the grower must keep in view—namely, strong growth that 
can be matured early. Year-old plants of JIarechal Niel, if they have 
been well grown, will yield on an average thirty blooms. I have cut 
forty-five from plants rootal in February, and it may seem hard to cut 
away these ; but if the future well-being of the plants is con.sideretl it 
must be done. The constitution of this variety I firmly believe is sadly 
injured by overflowering it in the early stages of its existence. The 
short life of this favourite variety before it cankers and finally dies 
must be taken fully into consideration, so that the method of culture to 
be pursued should be of such a nature as far as possible to prolong its 
life in robust health. The plant will certainly linger for a long time 
after it is b.odly cankered, but the blooms are small, colourless, and 
practically of no market value. 
, Notonlyis overfloweringinjurious.but a too robust growth in itsearly 
stages is also detrimental. This Rose strongly grown often in the richest 
of soil resembles in no small degree an overgrown Vine, which to all 
outward appearance should fruit well and freely, and perhaps does for 
a few years, eventually to collapse. From the first its constitution is 
impaired by being built up too quickly—not half ripened, and therefore 
the strain of fruit-bearing after a few years proves too much. I firmly 
believe the Marechal can be overgrown in its e.arly stages, and as growth 
continues until late in the season the wood in the first years of its life 
is never well ripened, and thus the seeds of destruction are so'wn. 
Morlerate growth the first se.ason, produced without those uphill systems 
of forcing that are practised to turn out luxuriant plants with firm 
and well matured wood should be the aim of cultivators who desire to 
so build up the plant that the ordinary span of life allotted to this 
variety may be considerably exceeded. If this variety then is of 
moderate growth the first season and established in the soil before 
winter, cut well back instead of flowered, say early in February, strong 
growths th<at will have a chance of ripening before the close of the 
season will be produced that are certain to bear good flowers. When 
they are allowed to flower much time is lost, and the plant is growing 
when it should be maturing its wood. If our borders were made of such 
materials that would produce moderately strong firm woody shoots that 
can be well ripened, instead of tho.se strong soft ones generally seen that 
have no solidity, I am of opinion that the plant would live longer and 
yield better coloured flowers.— Wm. Baedney. 
(To be continued.) 
FRUIT FARMING IN FLORIDA. 
A Scotch gentleman now on a visit from Florida, whose business 
brings him in contact with traders of all classes, and to whom the 
deplorable condition of our .agricultural industries generally, on this 
side, is perfectly well known, communicates to the Anglo-American Live 
Stock News Agency the following remarks upon Florida .as a field for 
farmers, fruit growers, kitchen gardeners, or other small capitalists. 
Those desirous of obtaining further information can communicate with 
Mr. Stewart, 1(1, Thm-nham Street, West Derby Road, Liverpool. 
During the short time I have been here my attention has been 
attracted largely towards the various measures promoted, both publicly 
and privately, for improving the condition of agricultural matters. 
Considerable reliance seems to be placed on the efiorts of Government, 
and particularly those efforts which are being directed towards esta¬ 
blishing a higher educational standard. While quite in sympathy with 
this latter movement, and appreciating fully the value of a scientific 
training, I cannot see how any immediiite relief or benefit will accrue 
to those now suffering so severely from the existing depression. Gene¬ 
rations hence will, it is to be hoped, reap the full reward of the pressnt 
agitation, but this bright future will not relieve the present burdens. 
What, then, is to be done for those who, having lost nearly all their 
capital, find themselves about to be handicapped in the race for life 
against younger and better educated competitors 1 My answer is simply 
emigration. But where ? Not to the blizzard-blighted regions of Western 
America I Not to the ice-bound Manitoban prairies 1 Not to th& 
tropical plains of the Argentine ! Not to the far-off New Zealand or 
Australian Colonies, where success is so difficult of achievement t 
Where then ? To Florida, the most fertile of the Southern States ol 
America, where the greater portion of the soil is of the richest descrip*- 
tion, and available for the production of every species of crop, fruit, 
cereal, or vegetable. 
That this wonderful country has so long been allowed to remain un¬ 
developed is probably due to the ignorance displayed as to its position, 
climate, and agricultural resources. Misconceptions of the most serious 
char.acter have been allowed to go on unchecked, increased indeed until 
recently by the operations of unscrupulous speculators, who, in order to 
get rid of certain poor lands—for there is such a thing even in Florda 
—grossly deceived their clients, who not unnaturally formed their 
opinion of the country from what they saw and experienced. A few 
plain facts may be given, which I hope will clear up many of the erro¬ 
neous impressions current on this side, and considerably enlighten any¬ 
one anxious to found a home and make .an independent living in a land 
where overcrowded competition and other difficulties are unknown. 
Florida has a history covering nearly 400 years, and yet in spite of her 
unequalled natural advantages, she has to-day a smaller population, in 
proportion to her size, than any State in the Union, excepting perhaps 
Nevada or Colorado. Florida now is no longer an unknown country, a 
constantly rising tide of immigration is flowing in from all parts. True, 
many of the visitors are only flocking there for health, but once having 
breathed its balmy airs, not a few of them remain permanently. 
So recently has the attention of land operators, fruit growers, agri¬ 
culturists, and others, been directed to Florida, that it will be many 
years before the entire State will be in private occupation. The class 
of emigrants, however, who could best take ad vantoge of the opportunities 
presented in Florida for making a competency are farmers, market 
gardeners, fruit growers, or others, possessed of a moderate capital. Alachua, 
(jounty, where I come from, is reckoned the fertile centre of Florida, 
and lots of ten, twentjq and forty acres of cleared and uncleared lands 
can be had on reasonable terms. A ten-acre lot is generally considered 
sufficient for one man to work—that is, easily, and without any great 
expenditure for occasional hired labour. Too much importance cannot 
be given to the fact that fruit and market gardening form the staple 
industry of this section of Florida. In the neighbourhoorl of Gaines¬ 
ville, Strawberries, Peaches, Le Conte Pears, Japan Persimmons, Figs, 
Grapes, Plums, and Pomegranates, are cultivated in perfection, and find 
a ready market in .all the great cities of the Northern, Eastern, and 
Western States. Numerous wild fruits and Nuts of various kinds als» 
grow in luxurious profusion. During the early shipping season Straw¬ 
berries realise fabulous prices, ranging from 10s. to 15s. per quart. The 
Strawberry season basts from February tillJune, values falling gradually 
as the season advances and supplies increase. The very remunerative 
character of the Strawberry crop may be realised when I state that from 
£120 to £150 per acre are frequently made, a very moderate estimate- 
indeed being £100. The yield during the season per acre varies frora 
2000 to 3000 quarts. Prices for other fruits are proportionately high- 
during the earlier months and equally as profitable. 
For kitchen garden produce the returns are almost beyond belief— 
Irish Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Cabbages, Onions, Turnips, Radishes, 
Parsnips, and field Peas, commanding the best prices to be obtained in the 
North from January to May, no other produce being on the markets 
during this period of nearly six months. With respect to the 
other crops with which home farmers are more intimately acquainted, 
such as corn, oats, and hay, there are plenty of facilities for cultivating 
and disposing of the same, and also for the cultivation of Cotton, Sugar, 
and Tobacco. For the three last-named products P’lorida already enjoys 
a high commercial reputation. 
I do not make any special reference to the great Orange-growing 
industry of Florida, because, to do it justice, it would require a whole- 
paper, but wherever the Orange business has been carried on with capital, 
energy, and intelligence, it has proved an investment of the richest kind. 
The Orange groves of Alachua County are reckoned among the finest in 
the State. lu this county, which, it must be borne in mind, I have had 
specially in view throughout, it being my home county, the climate is 
simply magnificent, a cool breeze prevailing night and day during the 
summer months, enabling even the most delicate to enjoy sound refresh¬ 
ing sleep. Water of the purest mineral kind is abundant, in fact the 
natural supply is practically inexhaustible. A perfect network of rail¬ 
way systems are rapidly converging at Gainesville, v/hich, from its 
central situation, will shortly be the business capital of Florida. Already 
the State jMilitary Academy and U.S. Land Offices are established there, 
and it is likewise proposed to locate in it the State Agricultural College, 
simply because it is the centre of a great agricultural region. 
