I 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
show just what the fruit will be later. 
I am the only one who has fruited these 
two varieties the Trimble and W.eshart 
and both of them have been earlier in 
former seasons than the ordinary tan¬ 
gerine and of larger size. The fruit has 
been large this year but not quite so early 
as heretofore. It may develop later to be 
an early orange or it may not, we do not 
know, I would advise testing them in a 
small way on different soil. 
Mr. Taber.—I would like to ask again 
what these two varieties are, as condi¬ 
tions were so unsettled we did not get 
them. 
Mr. Hart.—They are Trimble and 
VVeshart, I will give a few buds to any 
one who would like them; they are 
hybrids, crosses between the Parson 
Brown and Dancy Tangerine but are 
practically tangerines. I took it for 
granted that most of the members had 
read of them. As I cannot supply them 
by mail I take this opportunity. 
155 
No. 15. Will some one tell us what 
basic slag is and how much available 
phosphoric acid it contains ? Is it as good 
as lime to sweeten sour soils? 
Mr. Painter.—Basic slag is a by-pro¬ 
duct in the manufacture of iron. It is 
also known as odorless phosphate or 
Thomas slag. It was introduced into 
Florida about fifteen years ago but did 
not become popular. It was then manu¬ 
factured at or near Philadelphia but is no 
longer made there. Basic slag does not 
contain any water soluble phosphoric acid. 
About one-half of the total phosphoric 
acid is soluble in citrate of ammonia, be¬ 
ing tri-calcium phosphate or reverted 
phosphoric acid. It would be impossible 
to have water soluble phosphoric acid 
and lime in the same mixture as the 
lime would at once revert the phosphoric 
acid. Slag is good for sweetening sour 
land but lime is much cheaper. One ton 
of lime, will neutralize about seven times 
as much acid as one ton of slag. 
