FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
57 
rainfall in any one month and a maxi¬ 
mum of 5 3-4 inches. 
Chart No. 3: Shewing the distribution 
of the rainfall in the year of 1908 as the 
best monthly distribution in any one year 
-since 1900. These guagings were taken at 
New Smyrna, Florida. The minimum pre¬ 
cipitation in any one month was .32 of an 
inch; the maximum was 21.49 inches with 
a total rainfall of 63.80 inches for the 
year. 
Chart No. 4: Showing the largest dry 
spell since 1900, coming in the twelve 
months between August 1, 1906 and Au¬ 
gust 1, 1907. Guagings were taken at Or¬ 
lando, Florida, September, October, Nov¬ 
ember and December, 1906, January, Feb¬ 
ruary, March, April and May, 1907, went 
below three inches of rainfall per month. 
In November and December, 1906, and in 
January, February and March, 1907, the 
total rainfall was only .53 of an inch in 
these five months. During this period Riv¬ 
erside, California, was using three inches 
of water per month to mature and set her 
orange crop. During this extreme dry 
period fruit was damaged and in some 
places almost a failure in Florida. 
DISCUSSION. 
Mr. Temple—You state that in Cali¬ 
fornia they supplied three inches by irriga¬ 
tion. Did they put on three inches dur¬ 
ing July, August, etc., or did they vary 
the quantity applied to suit the season? 
The good Lord has varied the rain in 
Florida to suit the seasons and 1 it is during 
the dormant period with us that the dry 
spell comes while in the growing season 
there is plenty of rain, usually. What I 
mean to say is, did they supply the same 
amount of water or did they vary it to 
suit the requirements of the trees? 
Mr. Williams—They do. You may 
know better than I how their orange crop 
comes off with yours. Their trees are 
dormant nearly at the same time yours 
are. The point I wish to bring out is that 
during your dry period here they are sup¬ 
plying three inches of water per month 
to their trees. The condition of your 
trees runs somewhat parallel to those of 
Riverside. 
Mr. Member—Is it necessary for them 
to have three inches every month ? 
Mr. Williams—No, but it is necessary 
to have three inches of rainfall here when 
they are supplying the same amount there. 
Prof. Rolfs—Our trees are dormant a 
little later than their trees I think. It is 
not necessary for us to have three inches 
every month. It is more necessary that we 
have more than three inches this month 
and 1 every month when it is needed. 
Mr. Williams—We have not had time 
to study the conditions of citrus trees 
here, so we use the California irrigation 
as a basis. 
Dr.* Richardson—I think it is a good 
idea to explain to the Society the differ¬ 
ence in the seasons in California and here. 
Their rainfall comes in the winter, while 
with us the rain comes in the summer, and 
the dormant season usually comes in the 
winter. They get their rain during their 
dormant season while we get ours during 
the growing season in the summer. Con¬ 
sequently the conditions are radically dif¬ 
ferent. 
Mr. Bunch—Is three inches all that is 
necessary during any month ? 
Mr. Williams—'Approximately three 
