JOURisAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
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])lanteJ 15 feet apart each way, it would require 193 trees per acre. 
Xegro labour can be had for fifty cents (2s.) to one dollar (4s.) per 
day without board, and in consequence of the soil being of a loose 
sindy character a much larger area of land can be cultivated 
in a day than in other States, where it is of a stifEer nature. 
An evaporator would be required which would dry from fifty 
to 100 bushels of Peaches per day. This could be obtained for 
£20 or £30. The Peaches being planted in varieties as indicated 
to ripen following each other, the rush of drying would not all 
come at once, as there are, as already stated, many suitable 
varieties ripening in different months, and other varieties are 
continually being discovered in out-of-the-way places, and pro¬ 
pagated by nurserymen who are always on the look out for Peaches 
of this class, whether new or old. 
An idea of the paying character of a large orchard of this 
kind may be obtained by ascertaining the price of a pound of dried 
Peaches in one of the many good stores in England. If the fruits 
grown here were evaporated, boxed up, and shipped direct to 
England to some good wholesale firm all intermediate commissions 
might be saved. 
As to the time the trees would take to reach a bearing state I 
have an instance in mind now, where a man planted in January, 
1884, 200 Peach trees budded a few months before (about Sep¬ 
tember, 1883), the buds being dormant at the time of planting. In 
April, 1884, the buds had all grown, making bushy plants. The 
ground was then fertilised with artificial manure. In May and 
June of the following year the trees bore sufficient fruit to pay 
for the cost of the trees, cost of planting, and cost of the fer¬ 
tiliser, and the following year, 1880, the net or clear income from 
these same 200 trees was 40 dols. He used all the fruit he required 
himself for dessert and preserving, and also made a barrel of 
vinegar. 
The Loquat, which is incorrectly known in the Southern 
States as the “Japan Plum” or “Japan Medlar,” ripens in April 
and May, and is a very refreshing slightly acid fruit, but good 
crops of this fruit cannot be depended upon every year in conse¬ 
quence of the blooms being partially (sometimes totally) de- 
s‘royed by the slight frosts we have in December, January, and 
February, which is not, however, severe enough to injure Orange 
trees materially, the youngest tender growth only being cut off. 
Figs are perfectly at home in Florida, many varieties being 
grown, and all succeeding well. The varieties grown are White 
Celeste, White Marseilles, Brunswick, White Genoa, Blue Genoa, 
Brown Turkey, and Black and Green Ischia. The trees bear good 
crops, but very few large plantations of Figs are made, the people 
only growing a few trees for the fresh fruits for their own use. 
Whether Fig culture can be made a paying crop, either as fresh 
fruit for shipment or for drying and boxing, is yet to be proved. 
The Mulberry and Pomegranate trees bear splendid crops of fine 
fruit every year. 
The Kaki (Diospyros kaki) is one of the most successful of 
the imported fruits, and splendid crops of it are grown about 
Waldo. The trees are so prolific that they are sometimes killed 
by being allowed to ripen too heavy crops annually. The Kaki 
grafted or budded on the Florida native Persimmon (Diospyros 
virginiana) and a bud or graft one year old from the time of budding 
cr grafting is 7 to 8 feet high and 2 feet through, with fine glossy 
leaves and covered with fruit buds all along the stems. Yemon is 
the variety most generally grown, and in appearance is very like a 
well-grown specimen of the Trophy Tomato. Hachiya is the 
largest of all cultivated varieties of the Kaki, exceptionally fine 
fruits sometimes weighing as much as 20 ozs. Growing this fruit 
i": likely to be one of the best paying industries in Florida, as there 
are so many luscious varieties, and when it becomes better known 
it is sure to have a large sale. 
In many varieties, both European and American, Grapes are 
grown and succeed as well in Florida as anywhere in the United 
States. On this side of the Atlantic the foes of the Grape are 
mildew and black-rot. Grape-growing is a great industry here, but 
as I have already covered more space than I intended, my remarks 
on this luscious fruit can be briefly given in another paper. How¬ 
ever, in concluding this, it may prove interesting to state that we 
have been gathering Roses of the Marcchal Kiel, Belle Lyonnaise, 
Kiphetos, Sunset, Queen of the Bedders, Gloire de Dijon, and 
William Allen Richardson, some of one variety every alternate day 
since the middle of January. We also have been enjoying large solid 
heads of crisp Lettuce. Paris White Cos, as large as good sized 
Cabbage, and although it has been so dry (only having had rain 
once) since the Lettuce seed was sown, strange to say nothing is 
suffering, the dews are so heavy that Cabbages are as though 
sprinkled with diamonds or silver frost at six o’clock in the morn¬ 
ing, and the dew can be heard dripping slowly from our shingled 
roofs. A hot and moist atmosphere is seldom experienced 
here.—W., Waldo. 
BUSY TIME IN KITCHEN GARDENS. 
Over-zealous gardeners and inexperienced amateurs are apt 
to make at least two very great blunders, for both of which they are 
almost certain to pay rather dearly. Many err greatly in sowing 
seeds in too great a hurry, and not unfrequently too thickly. We 
have had a comparatively light rainfall this year. I do not re¬ 
member ever seeing clayey soils in such excellent working order 
in February, and had we been so disposed the bulk of the seed 
sowing and Potato planting might have been completed then. But 
instead of being tempted into committing that blunder we pre¬ 
ferred rather to fork over much of the already weU pulverised ground, 
so as to bring what lumps there were underneath to the surface, 
these also being in a finely divided state. Ground thus well pre¬ 
pared will not only be favourable to the germination of seeds 
generally, and well fitted for the reception of the delicate tap 
roots, but it will also stand against either a very wet or very dry 
summer better than would have been the case if we had been 
misled by the state of the surface only. 
The last few days in February and the beginning of March 
were of such a wintry character as to quite damp the ardour of 
many who had made up their minds to commence seed sowing 
in good earnest, and on the whole this sudden burst of exceptionally 
cold weather must be considered as a blessing in disguise. A fine 
seed bed is in all cases desirable, but warmth is a most important 
factor in the strong and even germination of seeds, as well as in the 
rapid growth of tender seedlings. Any in the act of sprouting or 
even further advanced will have fared badly in the late severe 
weather, and it may be desirable to raise plants of several vege¬ 
tables under glass for early crops. Seeds of Broccoli generally. 
Cauliflowers, Savoys, Chou de Burghley, and Borecole, if sown in 
the open late in March or early in April may produce plants large 
enough for putting out long before the ground is ready for their re¬ 
ception, and are practically spoilt accordingly. Better by far defer 
sowing till the end of April or even early in May, and in this 
case there is a much greater likelihood of all being planted before 
they become too tall to move or do well. 
Marrow Peas especially are liable to decay if sown in cold heavy 
soils much before the middle of March, and it is unwise to bury 
many seeds of Kidney Beans before the third week in April, while 
the still more delicate Runner Beans may well be kept out of the 
ground till the first week in May. If either are wanted earlier 
raise the requisite number of plants under glass, transfer to the 
open in due course, and protect from frosts and cold winds. Should 
large Onions or Leeks be needed, sow seed of suitable varieties 
in heat; but an even and serviceable crop of bulbs can best be 
assured by sowing the seed on well-prepared ground at the end of 
March or early in April, in preference to doing so much earlier, or 
when most generally advised. Beet, other than a pinch of Turnip- 
rooted for an early supply (this being sown early in April), ought 
to be kept out of the ground till late in that month or early in 
May, or there is every prospect of the crop being both patchy and 
coarse ; nor, for the same reasons, should the main crop Carrots be 
sown long before the end of April, this also being a good time to 
get in SaTsafy, Scorzonera, and Chicory. Only small quantities of 
early Turnips ought to be sown at one time till July is reached, 
when there is less likelihood of premature seeding taking place. 
We know from experience gained that it is easy to err in 
planting Potatoes too early. In order to obtain an early if light 
crop a few rows of a quick-maturing variety may well be planted 
on a warm border or in any convenient sunny position, the haulm in 
this case be protected in some way ; but the bulk of the early varie¬ 
ties ought to be kept out of the ground till late in April, or even 
