FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
47 
the trees should be frequently stirred and 
aerated, and during the winter months 
the grove should be kept as nearly as pos¬ 
sible free from all vegetable matter. 
Fifth. On the lower east coast from 
Ft. Lauderdale south, we find the rocky 
land of Dade County, a vast area that is 
rapidly being developed. That the soil 
is adapted to citrus fruits, especially 
grapefruit, is evidenced by the fine groves 
and superior fruit that is being produced, 
especially in the Redlands section. There 
they have the special advantage of immu¬ 
nity from frost and cold damage. In 
cultivation they have difficulties peculiarly 
their own. In most of the groves it is 
next to impossible to plow and cultivate 
as is done in other sections of the state. 
Mr. Skinner recommended to plow, and 
plow, and plow. Were he located in some 
of the rocky sections of Dade County, he 
would change it to grub, and grub, and 
grub. 
By the use of leguminous crops, velvet 
beans, cow peas, pigeon peas and beggar 
weed to cover and shade the ground and 
keep the weeds and grass in check, and 
the disking, hoeing and grubbing the sur¬ 
face as well as they can during the winter 
and early spring, they are making mag¬ 
nificent groves and fruit, and from the 
character of the homes being built, I think 
they are keeping their pocket books fairly 
well filled. 
Sixth. The recently drained or re¬ 
claimed land in Manatee, Southern De- 
Soto, northern part of Lee and along the 
East Coast, back of the edge bordering 
Indian River, is a vast area that is being 
opened and on which there will be many 
groves planted in the next year or two. 
There are no old groves on such land as 
I refer to, for until drainage was effected 
most of the land was either under water 
a portion of each year or too wet to ad¬ 
mit of grove building. Here, as in the flat 
woods, the high planting of the trees, 
ridging of the land providing of quick 
run off, is imperative. Much of this land 
is naturally fertile, but requires the appli¬ 
cation of lime and is much improved by 
the use of leguminous crops, both before 
planting and during summer cultivation 
while the grove is coming on. 
Seventh. The reclaimed muck lands of 
the Everglades. I do not know to what 
extent that land may be used for fruit 
culture. On some of the older improve¬ 
ments there are fine, promising young 
trees. Again we have before us the mat¬ 
ter of quick and effective mounding or 
ridging up to the trees and drainage, and 
arranging for quick run off by the 
free use of lime and leguminous crops to 
aid in reducing the rich muck and peat to 
loam and get it in condition so the tree 
can get the benefit of the natural fertility 
of the soil. The future problem of grove 
care and culture on this class of land is 
yet to be worked out. We may have our 
theories, but no old groves as a guide. 
In all classes of soil it is especially im¬ 
portant to have your land well prepared 
before the planting. Mr. Skinner touch¬ 
ed on that point. Too many people come 
here, get enthused in grapefruit and 
orange growing, buy a piece of land from 
a real estate agent along about the mid¬ 
dle of January or the first of February, 
want a grove planted before they are 
ready to go north or in about six weeks. 
I have actually known just such cases. 
