FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
43 
the roll called of those present, so that 
we might comply with Mr. Skinner’s sug¬ 
gestion as to how much of a crop of 
oranges we can expect this year. 
Mr. Rolfs—^Suppose you conduct this, 
Mr. Skinner, as you were the one who 
suggested same. 
Mr. Hollingsworth (DeSoto)—For 
the last two or three years I have been 
trying to estimate the orange crop, and 
have missed it so far, and I have said I 
would never make another prediction. I 
think, however, that DeSoto county will 
not have as much as last year. The im¬ 
mediate neighboidiood of Arcadia will 
grow nearer to last year’s crop. Our 
county had between 700,000 and 800,000 
boxes. The county has shipped since 
1898 about 25 or 30 per cent, of the 
state’s entire crop. I think, however, this 
year DeSoto will not have more than half 
a million boxes, if that much. We hope 
the condition for the remainder of the 
season will improve very much, but even 
in that case we will not have much more 
than half a crop. 
I don’t think our grapefruit bloom was 
up to the average. We see now occasion¬ 
al bloom. The bloom is scattered over 
a long period. My estimate would be that 
if the conditions until the time of gather¬ 
ing are favorable, there will be 450,000 
boxes. 
Dr. Phillips—I am not a member of 
this association, but for the last two years 
have made a specialty of oranges. There 
h^s always been a haphazard way to esti¬ 
mate the orange crop. Nine farmers out 
of ten will decide what they are going 
to have, and their expectations are always 
colored by their desires, and they will say, 
“Oh, yes sir; we are going to have a 
magnificent crop.” I know there is a 
long-felt want in this state for definite 
statistics. I know it is of interest to me, 
and I think to everyone else in the state 
that is engaged in the orange industry. 
Mr. Waits (Manatee county)—We 
will have about 10,000 boxes. If it had 
not been for the freeze we expected about 
60,000 or 70,000 boxes. I have not been 
over the whole county. Outside of our 
own groves the trees seem to be setting 
a very good crop. From what I can 
hear, there will be one-half or two-thirds 
of a crop. The grapefruit crop is shy. 
Mr. Brown (Manatee county)—I cap 
not speak for the county, but in our own 
groves we will not have ten per cent, of 
a crop; less than ten per cent, due to the 
freeze and the drought. 
Mr. Hampton—I have been traveling 
around in a good many different sections 
of the state, and I don’t believe there will 
be on an average twenty-five per cent, 
of a crop. That is a very conservative 
estimate, for in many places there will 
not lie ten per cent. 
Mr.—^- (Polk county)—I think 
there will be about ten per cent, of a crop. 
I don’t think I have seen a grove that 
has even ten per cent. Only one or two 
groves have a crop worth mentioning. 
Mr.-Our grove has been very 
late and the fruit is so small it is hard 
to make an estimate. I would say that 
the crop at the end of our grove will 
amount to half a crop; in other words, 
about 12,000 boxes. 
Mr.-(Hillsboro county)—I don’t 
think our crop will be a heavy one, and I 
doubt if the grapefruit will come to half 
a crop. I do not know whether the east¬ 
ern part will have much of a crop or not. 
T have heard that it would be short. 
Mr. Hoard (Orange county)—I think 
