238 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 
is in reality a rotation of crops, for the truck crops are always fol¬ 
lowed by corn, which yields, without further application of fer¬ 
tilizers, 50 bushels per acre. After the corn is harvested crab grass, 
crowfoot, and sandspur volunteer and good yields of hay are ob¬ 
tained. Beggarweed, when it has obtained a hold, crowds the 
grasses out, but it gives a heavy yield of hay and in addition is a val¬ 
uable soil improver, for, being a legume, it adds to the store of ni¬ 
trogen. In September, after the hay is harvested, the land is plowed 
again and prepared for either cabbage or tomatoes. 
Beets also do ; well and are grown to some extent upon this soil. 
Onions, while grown only in small patches, yield heavily. Those 
areas of this soil having a rather mucky surface are especially adapt¬ 
ed to onion growing. In the Warm Spring hammock there are 
about 50 acres under irrigation. The overhead system known as 
the Skinner system is used. While this soil, where elevated at all, 
because of its porous nature can absorb much water during wet sea¬ 
sons without becoming excessively moist, it also resists drought well. 
I11 dry seasons, however, it is found that the crops can be hastened 
and the yield greatly increased by irrigation. 
The hammocks southwest of Wildwood and those along Lake 
Panasoffkee are devoted entirely to citrus fruit growing. That near 
Wildwood is the site of the Monarch orange grove, which is said to 
be one of the largest in the world, containing over 500 acres in one 
tract. Other areas of the Parkwood clay loam also support large 
groves. The trees in these groves do not receive any fertilization 
whatever, the soil being strong enough to produce thrifty trees and 
sound fruit. As these hammocks are low and adjoin swamps, the 
trees, as already stated, are planted upon mounds, so that they may 
stand above water during wet seasons. The oranges, grapefruit, 
and tangerines produced in these groves are of the best quality. The 
trees are young, however, the freezes of 1894-95 and 1899 having 
completely destroyed the groves, so that while a large output is ob¬ 
tained at present, the production, provided unfavorable seasons do 
not occur, will be greatly increased as the trees grow older and 
larger. 
The Parkwood clay loam supports a heavy growth of large trees 
with a thick undergrowth, forming in the undisturbed forests an 
almost impenetrable jungle. Live oak, water oak, and white oak, 
hickory, magnolia, sweet gum, black gum, ash, with some cabbage 
palmetto and large slash pine constitute the principal tree growth. 
