FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
79 
tc rough lemon stock. By banking above 
the bud it is undoubtedly sufficiently 
hardy. We have found a few instances 
where Guatemalan buds on this stock 
seem to make an imperfect union; prov¬ 
ing a point long suspected, namely, that 
we have still many things to learn con¬ 
cerning stock behavior. 
So far the Mexican stock does not ap¬ 
pear suited to this section, because as a 
rule the bud makes slow growth. Some 
may think there is contradiction in this 
statement as many Mexican seedlings 
here are very vigorous growers and bear 
heavily. It is, however, a well known 
horticultural fact that seedling trees, un¬ 
der favorable conditions, will usually 
make a strong growth. But this is by no 
means proof that buds from an appar¬ 
ently vigorous seedling will make satis¬ 
factory trees when propagated. 
In connection with the question of 
stock there is one point which I deem of 
the utmost importance. Do not allow the 
tap root of the stock tree to become in¬ 
jured by being kept in a box or pot which 
will prevent the tap root from going 
where nature intended, namely, straight 
down towards a water supply. I consider 
this the greatest cause of failures with 
Avocados. Germinate the seed in a 
5x5xi2-inch box; and then transplant 
when the tree is some eight inches high. 
The tap root will be longer if you plant 
it where you want your future tree to 
grow and bud later. Handled in this 
manner your tree will prove more vigor¬ 
ous, withstand drought and winds and 
grow better than any root-bound tree can 
possibly do. 
I realize this statement is treading very 
near some nurserymen’s toes, but I wish 
to modify somewhat by saying that I re¬ 
fer to grove planting more particularly 
than to trees in small numbers for home 
grounds, unless one is able to bud them 
himself. Comparatively few have the 
tree knowledge to successfully bud Avo¬ 
cados, but for large plantings where best 
results are wanted the above method is 
entirely practical. 
Would say in this connection that I 
have an Avocado planting where this 
method has been tried out and the trees 
show for themselves. When planted this 
way the tree will put down a deep tap 
root, the result being that it will with¬ 
stand climatic changes much better than 
if shallow rooted. At first thought this 
method of developing groves seems more 
expensive than if handled in nursery 
rows, but it is more than offset by avoid¬ 
ing the shipping and handling of nursery 
trees later. Therefore I am confident 
groves could be developed by this method 
ar less cost and ultimately have better and 
more uniform trees, for the tree is the 
thing we want. If you don’t like its 
fruit, the tree, being vigorous can be top- 
worked to any desired variety and will 
be quite sure to fruit in two or three 
years. 
In addition to the plantings referred to 
there are a number of commercial size in 
this section, perhaps the largest acreages 
being owned by Mr. M. E. Gillett at 
Eloise, Mr. Mackay at Lake Alfred, Mr. 
W. D. Carrier at Crooked Lake, and oth¬ 
ers, totaling perhaps ioo acres. 
In cultivation, one of two methods 
should be followed. Either keep a dust 
