LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ,% :^^^. §iptjf^..... §n^n0 :|o Shelf ....\'V..^ _ — iggg" UNITED STATES OF AMEEICA. APn 3 1835 -]A n ENiNG IN Florida A TREATISE OX THE VEGETABLES AND TROPIC/L PRODUCTS OF FLORIDA. BY J. N. WHITN EE, A. M., PROPESSOE OF THKORETICAL AND PRACFICAL AGRICULTURE IX THE FLORIDA AGKICULTUKAL COLLEGE, LAKE CITY, FLORIDA, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: €. W. DaCosta, Publisher. Pbintek and Binder, 188 5. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1884, by .T . N . W H I T N E R , In the office olthe Librarian of Congress at Washington. INTRODUCTION TO SECOND EDITION. The first Edition of " Gardening in Florida " being exhausted finother is called for, and with it the fulfillment of the promise given at the outset : that if the " Manual " met with a reasonable amount of encouragement at the hands of the Public, it should be succeeded by a more elaborate and substantial work. The reception accorded the " Manual" was highly satisfactory, and in token of his full appreciation thereof, the Author offers this volume as its pledged successor. Nominally, it is the Second Editi(m of " Gardening in Florida," but in reality, it is a new work — almost entirely so. It has been carefully revised — in most instances, altogether rewritten. Large additions have been made to the list of garden vegetables ; and each article on vegetable culture, new or old, has been prepared with reference to the modifications in previous methods, which longer exper- ience, and more extended and closer observation, made desirable. Besides the cultivation of garden, and marketable vegetables — to which this book is primarily devoted — there is a feature well calculated to enhance its value — I refer to the insertion of short treatises on the most important Tropical fruits. The supply of information relating to this new and attractive horticultural industry of Florida is so scant and difficult of access, as to invest with peculiar interest every hint or sugges- tion having a practical bearing upon this little known subject. Our collection of tropical fruits is quite meagre , and of those we have, the varieties, in very many instances, are considered by Vi INTRODUCTION TO SECOND EDITION. the informed, as of little account. Several new fruits, as is sllo^vn in these pages, may be successfully introduced from other countries and profitably cultivated ; their climatic requirements not materially differing from exotics already established. To the inexperienced — and especially to strangers, those unac- quainted with our soil and climate, this book is respectfully commended. For, notwithstanding the diversity of opinion which prevails among gardeners, in common with every other class, the hints herein contained— founded as they generally are upon actual experiment, or close personal observation — will largely tend to inspire confidence in their first observations. The accompanying analytical tables will be found very useful. From them the specific food, required by each plant, may be readily obtained. By furnishing these constituents in quantities judiciously varied, the intelligent gardener, can, after a few ex- periments, determine for himself, precisely the kind and quan- tity of manure needed to produce any desired crop. And the result will show a great saving in the cost of production, as well as more satisfactory harvest returns. The enlargement of" Gardening in Florida," apparent in this Edition, together with the illustrations, binding, superior paper, etc., has very greatly increased the cost of publication. The additional expense, however, was indispensable to the produc- tion of a book of durable form, and easy comprehension. Yet the price per copy has been fixed at a sum much below that charged for any similar work in the United States. The descriptions, modes of treatment — indeed everything per- taining to tropical fruits, and tropical vegetation generally, has, with few exceptions, been taken from standard works accessible INTRODUCTION TO SECOND EDITION. Vll to me, such as " Firminger's Gardening for India," "American Cycloptedia," "Lindley," " Loudon " and others. Should this little volume, despite its numerous defects, shed even a single ray of encouragement upon the toil of that thrice welcome class of immigrants to our fair land, for whom it was specially prepared — Developers of Homes — it will contribute no little to the happiness of the Author. INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION. Market Gardening in Florida is fast becoming a great indus- try. Its importance to the State is almost incalculable and should receive every reasonable encouragement. It shows how the difficulties of self-support may be overcome by the man of small means while he is endeavoring to j^rovide a home for his family. By its aid orange groves may be secured and the hardy sons of toil look forward to a future period of independence and enjoyment, Avhich they could scarcely hope otherwise to attain. A few years ago, two or three bushels of early vegetables were shipped North from one of the eastern counties, as an experi- ment. The returns being satisfactory, a larger lot Avas sent the following season. Encouraged by these tests, shipments have in- creased from year to year, until now the number of crates annually produced amounts to hundreds ^f thousands ; and yet the business is but in its infancy. Market Gardening is attracting to our state a class of intelli- gent, industrious immigrants, who are rapidly converting the very wilderness into beautiful and valuable homesteads, the products of which are to add to our material wealth and pros- perity. New lines of railway, just completed and in process of con- struction, are bringing vast and fertile areas within convenient reach of the great highways of transportation to the North and West. Freights are reasonable ; and the quick transit from even interior localities, added to the advantages of refrigerators, well ventilated cars and comjxirtments furnished by railroad INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION. IX and steamboat companies, will soon place Florida above the fear of competition from Bermuda, and the West India and Bahama Islands, in supplying our great country with early and choice vegetables. Chiefly for the purpose of offering a few timely hints to the new-comers into our State, who design embarking in vegetable and fruit culture, has this little Manual been prepared. It lays iio claim to originality, but simply aims to present such varieties of products, and such systems of cultivation, as experience has shown to be best adapted to the soil and climate of Florida. Horticultural operations, when directed by intelligence and skill, are much the same the world over ; hence the modus operandi in planting, cultivating, etc., as practiced by Northern and Euro- pean gardeners, is, with some modifications, equally applicable here. We are under obligations to Mr. Peter Henderson, of New York, for valuable hints in treating certain vegetables, ■especially for the present labor-saving or " level " culture of Celery, as opposed to the tedious and troublesome ditch or trench method. We have also profited by the experience of Johnson, Miller, and Knight — names well known in the horticultural world. Prominence is herein given to those vegetables which are deemed most profitable to grow for distant markets ; at the same time brief directions will be found, sufficient to guide the inex- perienced, in the cultivation of most all others which usually pertain to a kitchen garden. Wood-cuts for illustrating vegetables, grounds, implements, etc., are omitted on the score of economy. They are useful, it is irae, but would hare added materially to the cost, and it was INTKODUCTIOX TO FIRST EDITION. decided to dispense with them in this issue. At some future time,, should this Little Bantling be favored with a warrantable degree of success, a more elaborate and complete work on the- marketable fruits and vegetables of Florida will be published. INDEX. Adj utan t-General 240 Akee 136 Alacliua county 241, 242 An Acre, to measure 243 Artesian Wells 27 Artichoke, Burr 34 Artichoke, Jerusalem 31 Asparagus 3-5 Attorney-Genera ' 240 Avocado, or Alligator Pear 137 B Banana 138 Baker county 241, 1'42 Bean, Dwarf or Bush 41 Bean, Eunning or Pole 43 Beet 44 Bermuda Onion, cultivation of 102 Board of Education 241 Board of Internal Improve- ment 241 Board of Pardons 241 Bones, Formula for Dis- ■ solving 12 B orecole 47 Bradford county 241, 242 Bread Fruit 142 B roccol i 48 Brussel Sprouts -50 Budding 224 Bullock's Heart 177 Butter Tree 18a C Cabbage 51 Cacao 144 Calabash Tree 185 Calhoun county 241, 242 Cantaloupe 88 Capitol 220 Carrot 59 Cassava * 61 Cauliflower 63 Clerk of Internal Improve- ment Board 240 Clerk of State Treasurer 240' Cocoanut 147 Cocoa Plum 154 Coifee Tree 187 Columbia county 241 Commissioners of State In- stitutions 241 Xll INDEX. Celery 67 Celeriac 72 Cement 245 Cherimoyer 146 Chinese Yam 132 Clay county 241, 242 Cleft Graftfng 232 Clerk of Comptroller 240 Com ptroller-General Congressional Districts.... Corn Cotton Seed, for Manure, Cress, Garden Crown Grafting C ucumber • Custard Apple 240 241 73 24 85 234 76 155 D Dade county 241, 242 Date and Date Palm 157 Date Plum 207 Durian 159 Durio 159 Duval county 241, 242 E Egg Plant. Endive 81 Escambia county 241, 242 Executive Department 240 F Florida, (Capitol of 240 Franklin county 241, 242 Formula for Bones Dissolving 22 a Gadsden county V4l, Garden Vegetables, a List of.. Garlic Geographical Divisions of State 242 26 80 242 Governor, Term of Office. Grafting Grafting- AVax Guava Gypsum 240 229 229 204 23 Hamilton county 241, Hernando county 241, Plillsborough county 241, H 242 Holmes county 241, 242 242 Horse*Pvadish 88 242 Housewife's Table 244 INDEX. Xlll Inarching 235 Indian Kiver 147 Internal Improvement Board 241 Introduction to 1st Edition... 14 Introduction to 2d Edition 11 Irrigation 24 Irish Potato Ill Ivory Nut, or Vegetable Ivorv 189 Jack Fruit 160 Japan Persimmon, Date Plum 207 Jackson county 241, 242 Japan Plum, Loquat 210 Kohl Rabi Kumquat — Otaheite Orange. K 85 210 Kuronda 162 Lafayette county 221, 222 Lake Worth 152 Layering 236 LeConte Pear 216 Leek 85 Leon county 241, 242 Lettuce 87 Liberty [county 241, 242 Lichee 163 Lieutenant-Governor 240 Loquat 10 M Madison county 241, 242 3Iammee Apple 163 Mammee Sapota 165 Manatee county 241, 242 Mango 165 Mangosteen 168 Manures 19 Marion county ...241, 242 Melon, Musk 88 Melon, Water 89 Monroe county 241, 242 Mushroom 93 Mustard 88 -XIV INDEX. N Nassau county 241, 242 Nutmeg 181 Number of Plants to the Acre 242 Number of Plants to an Ounce of Seed 243 O ■Okra 98 ■Onion 09 One Ounce of Seed 243 Orange county 241, 242 Orange, Sweet 211 Otaheite Orano-e 210 Palms (varieties) — Areca Lutescens 19H Betel Nut 192 Blue Palmetto 191 Bossu 199 •Cabbage 190 Calamus 1 94 Cham^rops 191, 20B •Chusan 203 Cocoanut 200 Coco de*Mer 198 •Coquita 198 Date 157 Doum 197 Draco 19G Dwarf Palmetto 191 Ethiopian 197 Guinea 203 Hardy 203 Inaja 201 Ita 196 Palmetto 190 Palmyra 19G Peach 200 Piassata 202 Kattan 194 Palms (varieties) — Koyal 191 Sago 192 Saw 191 Talipot 199 Toddy 193 Tura 200 Wax 200 Papaw 170 Parsley 107 Parsnip 105 Pear, LeConte 216 Peas 107 Persimmon, Japan 207 Pine Apple 173 Pistachio Nut 182 Plantain 138 Polk county 241, 242 Potatoe, Irish Ill Potatoe, Sweet 116 Potter's, G. W., Article on Cocoanut, etc 152 Preparation of the Soil 17 Private Secretary of Gov'r 240 Propagation 223 Putnam countv 241, 242 INDEX. R XV Radish 118 Kice Paper Tree ]86 Ehubarb 119 S Saddle Grafting 281 Salsify 121 ■St. Johns county 241, 242 Sapodilla 175 Secretary of State 240 Seeds, one ounce will produce 243 Shallot or Eschallot 122 .Sour Sop 176 Spinach 123 Squash 124 Strawberry 221 Sumter county 241, 242 Superintendent of Public Instruction 222, Suwannee county 241, 242 S^eet Sop 177 T Tallahassee 240 Tamarind 178 Tan\ah 125 Tapioca 61 Taylor county 24 1 , 242 Teak Wood 188 Tomato 126 To measure an acre 243 Treasurer of State 222 Tri-facial Orange 288 Tropical Fruits, Trees, etc., a List of 133 Turnip 130 V Vegetable Ivor}', or Ivory Nut 180 Volusia county 241, 242 W AVakulla county 241, 242 Walton county 241, 242 Water Melon 89 Waterproof Glue 246 Wax Grafting 229 What makes a Bushel 243 Yam, Chinese 132 PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. The absolute necessity of providing ample feeding room for the tender rootlets of plants, as well as for the free admission of air and water, should be indolliblv impressed upon the mind of every cultivator of the soil. The small quantity remaining after combustion, the ash, or residuum of the plant, comprises the miiural, or inorganic portion, and which, by the aid of water to assimilate, has been derived from the earth. The larger, or- ganic part, escapes in a gaseous form, and goes off to form new combinatit lis. A considerable amount of plant food comes from the atmosp lere, hcMce the tendency of the roots to approach the surface, and even to crop out, in places where the ground has been suffered to become hard and compact. The preventive will always be found in deep ploughing or trenchiug. Water is another element essential to the life and develop- ment of plants. It not only dissolves and prepares the food im- mediately at hand, but generously gives forth that which had been collected by absorption, and transported from distant store- houses. Besides the inexhaustible supplies of fertilizing material furnished by these elements, air and water, they render import- ant assistance in the work of disintegration. Another advantage from deep ploughing is, the roots of plants during a drouth, can strike down out of the reach of the scorch- ing rays of the sun, and revel in beds made cool and moist by means of capillary attraction — that wonderful and useful appa- ratus of nature for raising water from depths beneath. Again, deeply broken ground will absorb, and economize rain; 18 UAKDSNING IN FLORIDA. Storing the excess below the roots, and thus prevent washing in places where the surface is unev^en. In hilly sections, the land should be broken up into beds parallel to the horizon, known as levelling^ which is in effect a kind of terracing ; and which if 13roperly done would greatly protect the soil and fertilizers from waste. The work of breaking up the ground, it is scarcely necessary *to say, must be done before planting. Indeed, by far the larger and heavier part of the labor in making a crop should be per- formed at the beginning; before the seed is deposited in the ground, and while there are no roots to be disturbed. In small, family gardens, the work may be accomplished by cutting narrow trenches, two or more feet deep, with a spade, observing to place the top and subsoil on opposite sides ; in refill- ing the trench, there should be a sufficient quantity of good ma- nure to take the place of the subsoil, and be thoroughly incorpor- ated with that from the surface. Such a method as the above could not well be used in market gardens ; it is entirely too tedious and expensive. In large areas horse power must be employed. First run a furrow with any good plow that will go down eight or ten inches, and into this fur- row run a long narrow scooter as many more. This will give an average depth of fifteen to eighteen inches, and if the work has been faithfully executed, and the land plentifully fertilized, a^ good crop may be confidently expected, unless the necessary sup- ply of water should be wanting. The subsequent work, whether by horse or hand, whether the implement be cultivator, sweep, rake, or hoe — must be shallow ; just deep enough to break the crust which usually forms at the MANURES. 19 surface — particularly after a shower of raiu — so as to allow free access to the roots by air and water. Frequent stirring of the soil is more needed in dry than in seasonable weather. Subsoiling is hardly required oftener than once in two or three years, except in the very stiff clay lands found in parts of middle Florida. On some tracts about Tallahassee, and possibly in a few other localities, it would doubtless pay to subsoil every year. MANURES. To be able to obtain the proper kind and quantity of fertilizers, in order to secure the very best results for a given crop, is of the utmost importance. If the once prevalent notion of ascertaining the deficiencies of certain elements of food by analyzing the plant, and a few samples here and there of the soil in which it was to grow, were practicable, the task would be an easy one. But a little reflection will show, that so far as soils are con- cerned, it is not. The weight of the soil on an acre of land down to the depth of eight inches, is estimated to be 1,500 tons, or three million pounds. And if this immense mass of matter could be thoroughly mixed and analyzed, the result would still fall short of absolute accuracy. The chemist might force from their prison houses, constituents which had successfully resisted the powers of nature to draw forth. Or he might with the most delicate implements fail to detect the presence of an element which nevertheless formed a component part of the plant, and as 20 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. such, just as necessary to its growth and maturity as one con- tributing twenty-fold more material. For by an invariable law of plant life, no one constituent, however seemingly insignificant, can be dispensed with. In one of the Reports of the Chemist of the Agricultural Bureau it is stated, that an element w^as found in the beet root and also in the tobacco plant, of w hich not even a trace could be detected by the spectroscope in the soils whence those plants were taken. The apjDlication of one hundred pounds of pure Peruvian Guano on an acre of land, would visibly affect the growing crop ; yet its presence would more than likely escape the most searching analysis. Supposing the chemist to be pro- vided with a true average sample of the soil, he must possess wondrous skill and superior im2:>lements indeed, to eliminate and identify the one ounce of fertilizer, which has been mixed with a ton of soil — about the relative proportion of the two. With the analysis of the plant, which is at least proximately correct, the better plan is to note the effect of special fertilizers, and by changes both in quantity and kind, continue experimenting, until the deficiency is ascertained. Some knowledge of veget- able physiology and chemistry, would be of great helf) to the cultivator. The elements of plant food of w^idest application — those ent - inginto the composition of most plants, are Nitrogen, AmmoiJa, Phosphoric Acid, Lime and Potash. These with many others are found in stable or barnyard manure, Avhich by universal consent heads the list. Stable manure is composed of Carbon,. Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbonate and Phosphate of Lime, Carbonate and Sulphate of Soda, Muriate and Sulphate of Potash, Chloride of Sodium, Magnesia, Alumina, Silica, and MANURES. 21 Oxide of Iron. The very limited supply of this valuable fertil- izer, comprising all of the elements of plant nutriment, should lead to its being largely composted with woods soil, cotton seed, well-dried and pulverized muck, or some other material for the purpose of increasing the bulk, as well as of fixing the more vol- atile constituents which otherwise would escape faster than the plant could appropriate them. Nitrogen is furnished to plants chiefly in the form of ammonia obtained from decaying animal matter, and other organic sub- stances. Pure Peruvian Guano is a valuable nitrogenous fertil- izer, and rich also in phosphates. For reasons above given, it too should be combined with good absorbents. Its long con- tinued use by itself, has impressed some farmers with the idea that it is noxious to the soil, and will render it sterile. So it will, unless the elements of nutrition which it does not possess are supplied from some other source, as it is not a complete manure. The same is true of lime, or any other specific fertilizer, as compared with stable manure, which contains everything a plant requires. Lime enters very sparingly into the composition of plants. Its action is more mechanical, hastening the decom- position of organic matter, and, by the aid of water, in preparing the food for ready absorption by the roots. It is also very useful in rendering stiff soils more friable. On lands destitute of veget- able matter, a free application of lime will be attended with positive injury. So too, if mixed with fresh stable or other ammoniacal manures, unless the whole n^ass is covered with charcoal or dry soil to catch and retain the gases liberated by the lime. 22 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. Potash, another valuable fertilizer, may be supplied wheu needed by wood ashes, the ash of the hull of cotton seed, that from the root, or more properly, the trunk of the saw pal- metto, is very rich in potash. Or it may be obtained as an article of commerce in the crude state, as imported from the in- exhaustable beds of Germany. Phosphoric Acid is found in almost all cultivated plants. It is usually applied to the soil combined with lime in all kinds of bones, or in the fossilliferous beds of marine animals, such as have recently been discovered and developed in South Carolina. There are strong reasons for believing that similar beds will be brought to light in this State; thereby starting a new industry, and supplying at reasonable rates, the ever increasing demand of fruit and vegetable growers. When bones are used, they should be ground fine or coarse according to the growing time of the crop. For immediate effect as in the production of early veg- etables, they should be reduced to an impalpable powder, while fruit trees would be more benefitted by the slower decomposition of bone meal or cracked bone. Supported by one or two crops a year of pea-vines turned under, if practicable, or simply decay- ing on the surface, if not; this compound fertilizer will be found one of the safest and best, either for pushing young fruit trees to maturity, or for stimulating and sustaining older ones, in the yield of heavy crops. Formula for Dissolving Bones. Bones to be dissolved should be ground, but where this cannot be done, break them up as fine as possible. Place them in a tub, MANURES. 23 and wet the mass well with water, then pour over it sulphuric acid as taken from the carboy, ee^ual to one-third or one-half the weight of the bone.s. Stir briskly for thirty minutes or so, and set away for two or three days. If at the end of that time all the bones are not dissolved, mix a little more acid with double its weight of water, and pour slowly again over the bones. When dissolved it becomes a soft paste, and has to be dried with char- coal, or wood ashes, before it can be handled and applied in the usual way to bed or field. The composting with charcoal gives it the appearance of a coarse granulated powder. It may be used in a liquid form, by adding water equal to thirty times the hulk of the paste, before mixing with charcoal. About three bushels of the phosphate is thought to be suffi- cient to use ou an acre. A carboy of sulphuric acid wei2;hing one hundred and sixty pounds, and costing but a few dollars, will dissolve from 350 to 500 pounds of bones depending upon their quality, and the degree of comminution effected. Bones may also be dissolved without sulphuric acid. Pack in alternate layers with hard wood ashes, in a barrel, using water freely in packing, and constantly afterwards. The mixture should never be allowed to get dry. This method will require several months. Gypsum or land plaster, when it can be cheaply obtained, may be very profitably used by the producer. Composed of sulphur and lime, it may be applied as a direct fertilizing agent to cer- tain crops, or to collect valuable elements of plant food from the atmosphere and other sources, and give them out as required. Cotton seed is highly esteemed, and deservedly so, as a fertil- 24 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. izer. Composted with stable manure its value is, of course, much enhanced. The cake, or cotton seed meal may be profit- ably applied combined with Gypsum, in the proportion of three of the former to one of the latter. IRRIGATION. The value of water as a fertilizer was well understood by the early Oriental Nations. We learn from sacred history of its use in garden culture many centuries prior to the Christian Era. The Celestials claim to have employed irrigation before the flood. From Egypt, where its existence is probably coeval with agriculture, its use soon ex- tended to neighboring tribes. Besides the magnificent aqueducts of Imperial R(jme, costly works for irrigating purposes have been constructed in other parts of the world. At the present, large sums of money are annually devoted to this object in India, Italy and other European countries, and in many parts of the United States. Notably in California and Colorado. The reported re- sult in every case has been highly satisfactory. Water acts in a two-fold capacity. It is Nature's great solvent, charged with the office of dissolving, and preparing for immedi- ate use, plant food wherever found, as well as to convey it from one place to another. By its well known property of expansion, in passing from the fluid to the solid state, it assists in the opera- tion of reducing, or disintegrating huge masses of fertilizing mat- ter, which it afterwards takes up in solution and carries off. IRRIGATION. 25 The advantages derived from a proper use of water may be named as follows: First. The large increase in the yield, ranging from fifty per cent, to several hundred. Second. The decided improvement in the quality of the prod- uct. Third. The quicker growth, and as a consequence, earlier ma- turity. Fourth. The compartive certainty of the harvest. And lastly, it is found destructive, says the Government En- iomologist, to insect life, whereupon he recommends windmills in places not possessing streams, or other natural facilities. If it be urged that irrigation is only desii'able in warm countries, and in those where rainfall is seldom known, it may be said in reply, that 500 per cent, increase \ield has been obtained by it in Maine. And in the State of New^ York a prominent agricultu- ralist declared that a system of irrigation was the most profitable investment a cultivator could make in a climate subject to such periods of drouth. There is no State of the Union in which irrigation would pay better than Florida. And while from its generally level surface, only a small part can furnish streams, or heads, as in more hilly or rolling countries, yet by means of wind-mills there is no reason why every cultivated acre should not enjoy the incal- .culable benefits which irrigation confers. Water is abundant :and easily reached. If not convenient to lake, river or brook, exhaustless supplies can nevertheless be obtained within a few feet of the surface. And as for the motive power, it would be difficult to find a place where the wind can be so safely and so 26 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. effectually pressed into service as in this favored land. The fu- rious gales, and terrible cyclones, dealing devastation and death in their resistless course, are known to us only through the tales . of horror, and cries of distress, which reach us from our suffer- ing fellow-creatures in other States. No such demon of destruc- tion has ever visited our shores. Our winds are so gentle, so uniform, and so constant " from early Juorn to dewy eve," and from evening till morning again, as to justify the use of the non- patented wind-mill ; but to guard against a possible sudden puff or squall, it might be advisable to use the automatic gear- adjuster. The tank, or tanks, should be conveniently located, and have sufficient elevation above the ground to give a good headway. Hose, troughs, or pipes, will of ccuirse be required to conduct the water where it is wanted. A farmer in California used more than 2{ miles (12,000 feet) of piping to convey the water from a single tank fourteen feet high, over his grounds. In proof of the heavy expense judicious irrigation will bear, the same cultivator could afford to pay $15' to $20 per day just for the fuel (coal) consumed by the engine- employed to do the pumping. It may be confidently affirmed that no one wdio has given artificial irrigation a fair trial, would willingly return to the precarious and unreliable rainfall system, even were there no- other advantage than the reasonable certainty of the reaping- being proportioned to the sowing. An increase of fifty per cent. — the very lowest yield of irrigation known — would make quite a difference in the revenue of the fruit and vegetable grower. What would be thought of the average — 100 or 200 per cent?' If to this be added a corresponding quickened maturity, andi IRRIGATION. 27 an improvement in quality, thereby enhancing the market value of the product, the wonder will be that this powerful co-worker should have been so long neglected. Since the water of wells, streams, etc., is more or less charged with elements of fertility, the saving in the cost of manures alone would soon offset the expense of a windmill outfit. In the culture of fruit of all kinds, and especially of the straw- berry, irrigation will prove equally advantageous. Some years ago an interesting experiment was made with early peaches dur- ing a severe drought, and the result showed a difference of two weeks in favor of irrigation, in the ripening of the same variety. Applied to the orange, there can be no question of obtaining more and better fruit, while the growth of the trees will be greatly accelerated. In the culture of those which delight in a moist soil, such as the banana, guava and others, very decided effects in its favor, will become manifest from a free use of water. Artesian Wells. In connection with the subject of irrigation, a few remarks relating to this method of procuring water will not be amiss. Where not too expensive, nothing could be better. The name. Artesian, is derived from the Latin word Artesium for Artois, a Province in France, where they probably originated. A well of this kind in Artois has been flowing since early in the Twelfth Century, furnishing an abundant supply of water. They are used in almost all parts of the world. In the great African Desert, Sahara, quite a number are now in successful operation •28 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. — thereby literally converting the desert into a garden. The average water discharge from seventy-five of these wells a few years ago, was estimated to be 8,000 gallons each per hour, and their average depth 200 feet. In our own country they are in- creasing in pojDular favor, and their number multiplying every year. There are upwards of 200 in Iroquois county, Illinois, within a radius of twenty miles, and with an average depth of only seventy feet, the daily discharge is said to aggregate the enormous quantity of 53,400,000 gallons. The flow from them which rises several feet above the surface, varies from 20 to 120 gallons per minute. Wherever water can be as cheaply obtained as in the instances above mentioned, private individuals might well afford to irri- gate their market gardens and orchards by this method. And the experiments in the level districts of this State, encourage the hope that Artesian wells may, in the near future, be extensively employed in field and garden. A well at Daytona, 138 feet deep, "throws a jet of water seven feet in the air, and will rise in a three-inch pipe fifteen feet. The flow is estimated at 18,000 gallons per hour." GARDEN VEGETABLES. The subjoined list of vegetables embraces mcs of those usually cultivated in the truck patch for market, or in I e family garden for home consumption, viz : Artichoke (Burr) — Cynara Scolymus. Artichoke (Jerusalem) — Helianthus tuber osus. Asparagus — Asparagus Officinalis. Bean (Dwarf or bush and Pole) — Fhaseolas. Beet — Beta vulgaris. Borecole — Brassica Oleracea finibriata. Broccoli — Brassica Oleracea botrytis. Brussel Sprouts — Brassica Oleracea var. Cabbage — Brassica Oleracea. Carrot — Daucus Carota. Cassava vs. Tapioca. Cauliflower — Brassica Oleracea botrytis. Cress (Garden) — Lepidium Sativum. Celery — Apium graveolens. Corn — Zea Mays. Cucumber — Cucumis Sativus. Egg Plant — Solanum Melongena. Endive — Chicorium Endivia. O VLiLic — Allium Sativum. l^vji^SE Kadisii — Cochlearia, or Nasturtium Armoracia. Kohl Rabi — Brassica Oleracea, var : caulo-rapa. Leek — Allium Porrum. 30 OVllDENINf^ TX FLORIDA. L i^:tt re j^: — Lacti i < a «SV/ fivd. Melon (Musk) — C mtaloupe, CaonmU melo. Melon ( Water) — ('itniJ/n.s vi(,lgari><. Mushroom — Agaricus Campestris. M usTA RD — Sinapis. Ok r a — Hibiscvs EsciUentus. Union — Allium Cepa. Pea — Pisum Sativum. Parsnip — Fadmacea Saliva. Parsley — Petroselinum Sativum. Potato (Irish) — Solannm tuberosum. Potato (Sweet) — Co}iro/rii/ii.s batatas. Ra dish — Raphanus Sat leas. KnuRARR — Rheum. Salsify (or Vegetable Oyster) — Tragopogon porrifoliuH. Shalot — A Ilium Ascolonicum, Si'iNACii — Spinacia, Oleracea. Squash— Ciicurbita. Tan YAH — Calocasia, esculenta. Tomato — Ly coper sic am Solannm. Turnip — Brassica rapa. Yam (Chinese) — Dioseorea batatas. ARTIcnOKE. ARTICHOKE. 31 Cijiiftra Scolymus. Notwithstanding tlie Artich(3ke claims for its home a region of country (South of Europe) whose clim- ate is not unlike ours, I doubt there bein«^ lialf a dozen gardens in the State wherein it is culti- vated. The explan- ation for ^vhich ne- glect lies probably in the vast number of vegetables within our reach, and which are far more highly esteemed. In appearance the plant resembles a huge Scotch thistle, and without the usual condiments, about as palatable. Fortunately there is as much diversity of taste as there are objects for its exercise, and surely a land with so many ardent lovers of the fruit aptly called sour sop, should be at no loss for admirers of .artichoke. Although propagated both by seed and suckers, or shoots from the old plant, the former method is generally preferred, on account of its yielding, as claimed, hardier and more durable plants. 32 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. The analysis shows a large per cent, each of phosphoric acid and potash, and next of lime. To supply which, use ashes and bone meal, or superphosphates as special fertilizers. Fresh barn- yard manure is particularly hurtlul to this vegetable. ANALYSIS. Potassa 24.04 Soda 5.52 Lime 9.56 Magnesia 4.14 Sulphuric Acid 5.18 Silicic Acid 7.02 Phosphoric A cid 30.83 Phosphate of Iron 4.74 Chloride of Sodium 3.57 100.00 After well fertilizing and thoroughly breaking and pulverizing the ground, lay off the rows for a seed bed about a foot apart, and sow the seed the latter part of January or first of February. If a large number of plants is desired, leave a walk every four feet. When the plants are six inches high, thin out to the dis- tance of ten or twelve inches. In this seed or nursery bed they remain until fall — receiving meanwhile all needed attention in the way of work and watering. During the winter transplant to the permanent bed in row's four feet by three. The soil should be exceedingly rich and moist. Salt and forest leaves will tend to promote moisture, and prove valuable additions to the manure heap. In propagating by suckers, begin quite early in the spring to remove the shoots from the old plant. Select those from six to ten inches high, sound but not woody. Remove the brown, hard part next to the old stem. If that is tender and crisj) in cutting ARTICHOKES. 33 the plaDt is good, but if tough and stringy it is worthless. It is advisable in preparing them for planting, to remove the large outside leaves so low that the heart shall appear above them. The frequent stirring of the soil should not be neglected. Heads may be expected the same year from June to October, afterwards from April to July. The bed should receive a liberal supply of suitable manure every winter, which must be thoroughly forked in. At the beginning of early spring remove all except two or three of the straightest and most vigorous shoots or suckers from the old parent plant, being careful to select from those under the stock. After the head has been cut for use, break the stem do\\n to the root, to encourage the growth of suckers. There is said to be two varieties of this vegetable, yet they do not differ essentially. One having a round, and the other a coni- cal head. The edible qualities are about the same. After the fourth or fifth year the old plants, notwithstanding their perennial quality, fail to produce good heads, and must give way to fresh ones, obtained as already described. In preparing for the table " the whole head before the bloom begins to appear, is boiled ; the pod leaves are pulled off, one or two at a time, and eaten by dipping in butter with a little pepper and salt — removing only the mealy j^art with the teeth. The bottom, when all the leaves are disposed of, is eaten with the knife and fork." The well known fondness of the French for salads is also exhibited in their use of this vegetable. They are said to gather the heads Avhen no larger than a dollar, and eat the lower ends of the leaves raw, dipping them first in oil, vinegar, salt and j)epper. 84 ' GAKDENING IN FLORIDA. As an article of food, tlie artichoke is considered wholesome, though possessing very little nutriment. The flowers are said to curdle milk after the manner of rennet. ARTICHOKE— JERUSAL EM. (Helianthus tuberosiis.) The orio-in of the word Jerusalem in the above name is as- cribed to the English corruption of the Italian word Glrasole, Sun Flower, of which it is a species. It is grown for the tuber, by which it is propagated. It is a little less nutricious, but far more productive than the Irish po- tato, especially on thin lands. And this should coiiMnend it to the swine and cattle raisers of the State. " Sandy soil of fair quality is said to yield from 1,200 to 1,500 bushels per acre." * * * *' The tops cured in autumn form an excellent hay, yielding five or six tons per acre." The tubers are planted and cultivated very similar to the po- tato. It is hardier, and will w'ithstand much more cold. A pleas- ant crisp pickle is made from the tuber. ASPARAGUS. Asparagus — Officinalis. ANALYSIS. Potassa 6.01 Soda 34 21 Lime 4.39 Magnesia •* 3.03 Sulphuric Acid' 4.13 Silicic Acid 13.49 Phosphoric Acid 18.51 Phosphate of Iron 3.41 Chloride of Sodium 12.94 ASPARAGUS. 35 From the Greek derivation of the word Asparagus, which means a young shoot before it expands, it is supposed to have originated with the Greeks as an edible vegetable. Be that as it may, it is cer- tainly known to have been employed and enjoyed as a culinary herb for many cen- turies. It is found in a wild state in Europe and also in Asia but of course destitute of the qualities which render it so popular on our tables and which have been wrought by the mag- ic touch of cultivation. This vegetable may be profitably grown for the general mar- ket as it seldom fails to command remunerative prices when prop- erly grown. The culture of Asparagus is commonly believed to require more work than any other garden plant. But this is scarcely •correct, considering the duration of the bed — ten or more years — the average amount of labor per annum required is not more than is bestowed on many other and much less j^rofitable vege- tables. The best soil for Asparagus is a sandy loam, deeply trenched and made as rich as possible. Without these conditions it is use- Jess to attempt to grow this vegetable for profit. A rich loam-—' 36 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. made so by a liberal application of manure — will insure moisture in localities naturally dry. If the subsoil is inclined to be wet^ the use of loose stones, or brick-bats, rubbish, at the bottom of the trench will serve a good purpose as a drain. The trench should be from twenty to thirty inches deep. The design is both to loosen the ground to that depth, and to provide by this means a plentiful supply of food for the plants. The stock of fertilizers should be abundant, for as long as the bed lasts, all subsequent applications of manure must be made in the form of top dressings. and cannot be worked down to any depth without injury to the young and tender sprouts. Cracked cotton seed composted with good stable manure, and used with the top soil of rich dry ham- mock land in alternate layers, wdll prove an excellent filling for the trenches. Remote -from the sea-shore common salt, c/iloride of sodium, will be found very beneficial, as it enters largely into the composition of Asparagus. As much as two and a half pounds per square yard has been used to very decided advan- tage. It may be sprinkled over the layers of fertilizing matter in filling the trenches, afterward as a top dressing in early spring. The old plan of trenching with the spade will be restricted to the family garden, being considered too tedious, and too expen- sive for market crops. The next best method is by the subsoil immediately following whatever other plow will give the deepest open furrow.; the subsoiler not to turn over the soil. The beds may be of any convenient length — but not more than five feet wide, except where very large areas are planted — with an alley or walk two feet wide. The rows should be from fifteen inches to three feet apart — depending upon the extent of the crop — the greatest distance for field culture. Drop two or three seeds at ASPARAGUS. 87 intervals of nine or ten inches in the drill, one inch deep and press the earth compactly about them. This plan of sowing the seeds where the plants are to grow, is recommended by gardeners who have been successful in raising Asparagus. It dispenses with the tedious work of transplanting, and involves no risk in this climate. In garden culture, where the rows are only fifteen inches apart, it will be necessary to use the line in laying off rows, and meas- uring intervening distances. The seeds may be sown at any fa- vorable time in January or first of February. In three or four weeks the plants will show above ground, when the less promis- ing must be removed, leaving but one to a place. The summer work consists in carefully loosening the soil between the plants with a prong hoe, and keeping the beds free from weeds, which the use of salt will greatly facilitate, as its effect is as noxious to weeds as it is salutary to this in common with other saline plants. In the fall, when the stems are withered, they should be cut down close to the ground, and the bed put in order for the an- nual spring dressing, consisting of well rotted barnyard manure, •or superphosphate of lime, and salt, if in the interior. If super- phosphates are used, let the quantity be at the rate of 3j pounds to the square rod, or between 500 and 600 pounds per acre ; if stable manure, the ground should be covered with it to the depth of two or three inches. Sea weed, if attainable, could be very advantageously used in the cultivation of this vegetable, being rich in soda, of which Asparagus is largely composed. In its ab- sence we must look to wood ashes, or something else, to supply the required per cent, of alkali, and confide in the assurance of scientists, that plants do not seem to object to the substitution of one alkali for another. 38 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. Just before the buds start forth is the time to apply the ma- nure. If done in the fall, as recommended for higher localities. not half the benefit will be derived, for which there is no excuse in this climate. Use 'the Asparagus fork. This job of working in every spring, the supply of manure, is a nice one, and requires a skillful manipulation of the fork, or prong hoe, to do the work thoroughly, and at the same time avoid bruising the young sprouts that may be pushing up. If the conditions of soil, preparation, etc., have been fully complied with, some shoots may be gathered this season. The size and vigor of them will decide. In gathering, let the earth be removed down to the bottom of the stalk, and with a pointed knife cut off the shoot in a slanting direction. As new shoots are constantly putting forth from the same stool, great care must be used to guard against injuring the smaller ones. Select the largest when they have attained the height of three to five inches, and the heads comj^act. The gathering season must not be too long protracted, nor the draft on the bed exces- sive, especially during the first years of growth. Since the bed can never be thoroughly broken up any more after once set with plants, the importance of protecting it from being trodden upon, becomes obvious. Judicious watering in dry weather is desirable during the summer months. Do not cut down the stems in autumn before they are withered. If this work has been prema- ture, while the plant is still green and growing, the consequence will be to induce an immediate growth of shoots at a time when they could scarcely come to anything, even if favored by one of our exceptionally mild winters. As vegetables no less than animals require periods of rest, even in the tropics, undisturbed ASPARAGUS. 39 by fear of winter's cold embrace. The plants would also suffer from the loss of their customary yearly supply of stimulating food, and present sickly, attenuated stems, in place of those usually so robust and tempting. The object in having the rows as near as fifteen inches — as in small plats, is not so much to economise ground, as it is to utilize the manure, of which the supply must be most liberal — some may think excessive, yet it is indispensable to success, even where the land is naturally good. Some gardeners prefer the seed bed and transplanting method. It may be well to give both a trial. The same deep trenching and thorough manuring is required alike for seed aud j^ermau- ent beds. On the seed bed the diills need not be over twelve inches apart, and the seeds dibbled along, and carefully covered with an inch or so of soil. After they are up above ground, they should be thinned to a good gi owing distance. Keep the ground stirred and otherwise treated, as already described, through the summer. The time for transplanting to the permanent bed, which nuist be determined by inspecting the root — is when the bud has commenced to grow, about the first of February — as- suming that the permanent bed has been thoroughly prepared, dig up the plants with the roots as little mutilated as possible, which must be carefully spread out in drill or trench opened to receive them, and which should be deep enough to give the crown a covering of two inches of earth when the trench is filled up. Probably eight inches or a little less, depending upon the size of the plants. It will be found convenient to cut one side of the trench vertical, so that the plants may be supported against it while manipulating the roots. Set the plants about 40 GARDENING IX FLORIDA. ten inches apart, and use water freely in the operation and for several evenings thereafter if the weather is dry. Too much stress can scarcely be laid upon the importance of using great care in handling the roots. They should not be bruised nor suffered to become dry. The duration of an Asparagus bed varies from ten to twenty years, determined by the treatment received. One fruitful source of injury is excessive gathering. Shoots must be left to induce the growth of roots for future supply. The first indication of exhaustion should be heeded. VARIETIES. There seems to be a doubt, and very generally entertained, as to there being more than one variety of this vegetable, the Colossal. Mr. Gregory, of Marblehead, Mass., however, offers what he calls a new and superior variety, called Defiance. SEED FOR AX ACRE. One ounce of seed will plant about sixty feet of drill. One pound will produce 3,000 plants, and six to seven pounds w^ill be required for an acre. PREPARATION FOR MARKET. The shoots are tied up in round bunches of twenty to thirty shoots each with bass matting. PROFITS. That this may be made a very profitable crop, a single obser- vation will suffice to show. Taking the minimum number of plants estimated to an acre of land, and allowing but two shoots to the plant gives 30,000 shoots, then with the maximum number of shoots to the bunch, we should have 1,000 bunches, for which the quotations in the New York market range from 75 cents to BEAN. 41 $2.00 per dozen bimches, or from $750 to 82,000 gross per acre. Certainly an attractive exhibit of its possibilities. And not an illusive one with the advantages offered by the soil and climate of Florida, especially if assisted by artificial irrigation. BEAN. Phaseolus. ANALYSIS. Potassa 36.83 Lime 7.75 Sulphuric Acid 3.96 Phosphoric Acid 1 4.60 Silicic Acid 4.09 Chloride of Sodium 2.80 Soda 18.40 Magnesia 6.33 Phosphate of Iron 5.24 The Bean is of Eastern origin, and is said to be found grow- ing wild in Persia at the present day. It has been cultivated in the earliest ages of which we have any record. The Greeks and Komans held it in high esteem, and accorded it a prominent place in their most important feasts. As an article of food " for man and beast " it is of great value, containing ten per cent, more nutriment than wheat. Yet, not- withstanding this, and the fact of its superiority to corn for horse feed, it is never cultivated for that purpose in the Southern -States. The Bean is grown on every variety of soil not too wet, and in 42 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. all portions of the State. For market, earliness is an object, the deep soils of the elevated sections abounding with alkalies are best, since crops planted on hill tops are less liable to be nipped by late frosts. Wood ashes are beneficial as a fertilizer, and so are cotton seed, which should be passed through a mill to crack them, and applied to the land a month before planting time. Bone flour is another good manure, and old and thoroughly de- composed stable manure. If the soil is light and siwidy, fresh barn- yard manure and guano should not be used. Frequent watering in dry weather by some appliance for irrigation, would greatly enhance the value of this crop — as it would intleed of all others. Break up the land deep and close, and iifter the manure is ap- plied and plowed in, lay off the field into rows thirty inches apart. Then with a seed drill let the seed be deposited along this row with two or three inches between. The machine of course does its own covering. If without a seed planter — a misfortune truly, and one to which no market gardener can long submit — the seed must be dropped along continuously, or two or three seeds in a place, at intervals of live or six inches ond covered with the foot. The seed must be planted two inches deep. Where manuring in the drill is preferred, the seeds are first dropped and tht^ manure distributed over them ; for which purpose the " lay off" furrows must be larger and deeper. Of course this method could not be practiced with fertilizers whose contact with the seed would be hurtful. In such cases it would become necessary to interpose a layer of earth between the manure and seed, or drills for the fer- tilizer may be made on either side, and parallel to the seed drill. It will be better in the end to adopt broad cast manuring, as the roots of the plants very soon leave the drill. BEAN. 43 DWARF OR BUSH BEAN. Early Mohawk is largely planted for the first crop by mar- ket gardeners, being considered less liable to injury from late spring frosts. Golden Wax, a very choice variety, of a beautiful waxy ap- pearance, with round pods, stringless, and very productive. This Bean is highly esteemed as a snap for its rich flavor and remark- able tenderness. It is said to be an excellent shelled bean also. Black Wax is another of the "wax" family of beans. This is a good variety, but not quite as early as the the Golden Wax. Red and White Valentine and Long Yellow Six Weeks are also early and productive varieties ; round pods. Of the Running or Pole Snap Beau, the Giant Wax is per- haps as good a variety as any, and as a shelled bean. For winter use, Dreer's Improved Lima is not excelled. CULTURE. As soon as the Bush Beans will bear work, after coming up, run lightly through the alleys with a cultivator to break the crust on the surface of the ground, and destroy any embryo crop of grass or weeds that may be springing forth. Later on, the plants will require to have the earth drawn carefully up to the stems with the hoe. And if the land was properly prepared before planting, no other work will be needed. Beans must never be worked while the leaves are wet — whether from dew^ or rain — the dirt ©n the leaves occasioned thereby will cause the plants to rust. Pole Beans should be planted about three and a half feet each way. As soon as the bed has been broken up and fertilized — the same as for bush beans — set up the poles and plant half a dozen bepns around each about two inches deep. The poles may 44 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. l)c driven in first and the numure scattered around and chopped in. Very little after work is needed except to keep down grass and weeds. SEED rOK AN ACRE. To plant one acre witli Bush J^eaus will take from one and a hall' to one and three-quarter bushels. One quart will plant 100 feet of drill. Half a bushel of seed will plant an acre with Running or Pole Beans. The Bean is regarded as one of the staple vegetables of Florida. Not .so j)rofitable as some others, but it is easily grown, and in ihose sections where it is chiefly cultivated, easily harvested. BEET. Beta Vulgaris. ANALYSIS. Potassa 10.51 Soda 21.12 Lime 3.25 Magnesia •. G.96 J^esqni-Oxido of Iron 0.09 k5ul})liuric Aeid 2.4G Carbonie Acid 29.10 Ph..s})li,.rie Aeid 2.39 Chloride ofSodinin 2.35 Snnd and Silieie Aeid 14.11 This valuable esculent is said to have obtained its name from a fancied resemblance of its seed to the second letter of the Greek alphabet. It is a native of the seashore, and grows wild along BEET. 45 the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The best soil is a deep sandy loam, thoroughly enriched with ashes, salt, cotton seedy and old stable manure. SeaAveed, plowed under some time before planting, would serve an excellent purpose. This is a profitable vegetable to grow for market if early enough. Our ordinary winters are sufficiently mild to permit its open air culture with safety. Occasionally, however, they are "nipped" by a December or early January freeze in the north- ern districts of the State. This is especially the case when it is planted in valleys where the soil is much more suitable — aside from its greater fertility. On the hill tops the crop is much more likely to escape injury from cold. If the crop is to be worked by hand, the rows need not be more than twelve to fifteen inches apart, but if horse-power is to be employed — greater distance must be given — from two to three feet. When the saving in seed — which are costly — the better work, and greater dispatch are duly considered, no market grower of this vegetable can afford to be without a good seed drill. The seed should be dropped along at short intervals of an inch or two to insure a stand in drills three inches deep. They should not be thinned to a stand the first going over, as they are liable to be destroyed by cut worms. When finally reduced to a stand, they should be about six inches apart where the rows are close, and four inches in the wider rows. If the Aveather is dry at the time of sowing the seed, the earth should be well pressed down, either with a roller or by walking on the planted row. The seed will vegetate sooner by being soaked the night before in water. The young plants removed in the operation of thinning, may be used in extending the plat by transplanting. It 46 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. is one of the very best vegetables for successful transplanting we have. On account of which, the sowings, for. a family garden are frequently made in a box, relying entirely on transplanting. As to the labor, it is no greater than thinning, and almost as ex- peditious. And the per cent, of loss in transplanting beets is quite small, scarcely appreciable. VARIETIES. Egyptian Turnip — The earliest and perhaps the best — deep crimson, sweet, and of delicate flavor. Early Blood Turnip — This w^as the standard among our truck farmers, before the introduction of the Egyptian, which" is claimed to be earlier. Early Yellow Turnip — Similar, except in color, to the Early Blood Turnip. Pine Apple — An English variety of superior quality. The above are. cultivated for the table. For feeding stock and especially milch cows, a larger variety of the Beet family, Man- gel WuRZEL, is extensively raised by Northern farmers. There is the Long Ked, and Long Yellow Mangel Wurzel. The immense yield of this vegetable — exceeding that of the Sweedish or Ruta Baga turnip, makes it the cheapest for stock knoAvn. The White or Sugar Beet is largely grown in Europe and in parts of the United States for sugar making. It can never compete with the sugar cane, however, as a sugar-yielding product. Beet growers for Northern and Western markets should begin to ship by the time the beets are half grown. Crop off the top within two or three inches of the base. BORECOLE. 47 Sow the seed about the first of November. The quantity will of course be determined by the distance between rows, and close- ness in the drill — varying from four to eight pounds per acre. When sold by the hundred it is best to ship in barrels. BORECOLE. Brassica Oleracea Fimbriata. This vegetable, known also as " Kale," and " G e r m a n Greens," is one of the hardi- est, and at the same time, one of the most delicate, for table use, of the cabbage tribe. It is extensively cultivated in l^all European countries, and ^ also in some of the Northern States of the Union, where it is raised, though not largely, for market. The most popular market variety is Dwarf German Greens or Sprouts. It is slightly tinged with a bluish green color, sim- ilar to the Rutabaga turnip. Green Curled Scotch, a dwarfish variety as to height — generally about eighteen inches — but spreads to a diameter of three feet. The leaves curl up handsomely and make an attrac- tive bed. This is considered the hardiest variety — not affected 48 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. by any degree of cold above zero, except to be made more ten- der and palatable. Purple Borecole is the favorite variety with the Germans. The English prefer a dwarf variety known as " Cottager's Kale." "It is about twelve inches high, double curled, and feathered al- most to the ground." Borecole has a large, loose open head, of agreeable flavor, requiring no protection"from frosts, such as visit Florida, and the wonder is that it is so entirely overlooked. The culture is similar^to that of the cabbage, which is minute- ly described under that head, and so of the preparation of the soil, fertilizers, etc. It must, hoAvever, have more space than that fixed upon as an average. In rich soil the plants should not be set nearer together than two and a half by three feet. Sow the seed in narrow beds about first November and trans- plant when the plants have four leaves. Or the seed may be sown, three or four to a hill, where the plants are to grow. It is important to "earth up" the soil around the base of the stem to guard against the upsetting of the plant by the wind, after the leaves are pretty well grown. The tops become quite .heavy. This should be done before the leaves have become too large for manipulating with the hoe, without breaking or bruising them. BROCCOLI, Brassica Oleracea Botrytis. There is no doubt that this vegetable is intimately allied to the Cauliflower. Indeed some gardeners object to their separa- BROCCOLI. 49 tion. Although not as delicate of flavor as Cauliflower, yet it possesses advantages which s h o u 1 d connnend it to the attention of market gardeners. Broccoli is a a hardier plant than Cauliflower, and is therefore safer to plant in Northern Florida, where the Cauliflower is frequently killed. It is said to be able to resist a degree of cold as severe as 25^ above zero, and sells for only three per cent, less than Cauliflower. Another advantage over that vegetable, as a market product, consists in its standing shipping better. Like the Cauliflower, it is a gross feeder — requiring the land to be made exceedingly rich — and can be much more successful- ly grown on moist, than it can on dry land. The White Cape is perhaps the surest, of the different sorts, to head. The heads-r-of only medium size — are of a creamy white, and compact. Purple Cape differs from the preceediug in little else than color, which is of a greenish purple. It is thought to be a little hardier than the white, but commands less price on account of its color. Early Walcheren makes the earliest heads, yet not as com- pact as some of the others. See Cauliflower for directions respecting cultivation, etc. Sow the seed first of November. 50 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. BRUSSEL SPROUTS. Brassiea Oleracea. This is aiiotlier "Greens " l)earin2: ve2!:etal)le. It is much esteemed in England, Avhere it is extensively grown ; but it is very little cultivated in this country. Being delicate, and quite sensitive to cold, the Northern winters are too severe, while here at the South where it may be grown it is seldom seen. By some it is thought to be a vai-iety of the Savoy fiimily of cabbages, tender and of delicate flavor. Its appearance is peculiar. Grow- ing to the height of four feet under favorable conditions, and the stalk covered with little green cabbage heads, about the size of walnuts, which spring from the base of the leaves. The leaves drop off and the little buds or heads are left sticking closely around the stalk. The top leaves — comprising the crown, may be cut off and boiled like cabbage, but the buds around the main stalk are mostly prized and eaten. The sprouts are good all winter, cultivate the same as Cab- bages, setting the plants two feet each way. CABBAGE. 51 CABBAGE. Brassica Oleracea. ANALYSIS. Silicic Acid 0.06 Sulphuric Acid 1.12 Phosphoric Acid •■ 1.27 Phosphate of Lime 0.12 Lime 0.29 3Iagnasia 0. 35 Potash 2.09 Soda 3.02 Chlorine 0.08 This is one of the most valuable of vegetables to the Florida market gardener for the following reasons : 1. It can be grown through the winter months, to meet the early spring demand in higher latitudes. . 2. The limited area in which this immunity is enjoyed, will always insure remunerative j^rices. >). The bulk of the crop may be shipped at a season of the year Avhen the delay of a day or two will not materially affect its market value. * 4. It is easily cultivated ; is liable to fewer casualties in pro- duction and therefore surer ; and will bear without injury a con- siderable amount of rough handling in transportation. VARIETIES. The varieties of the Cabbage — ^judging from seed catalogues are quite numerous ; but there is little doubt that in many cases the same Cabbage bears as many names as there are or have been seedsmen — the differences claimed being either imaginary or due to the modifying effects of climate, soil and culture^ h'l GARDENING IN FLORIDA. Among those most successfully cultivated by market gardeners^ may be mentioned : Early Jersey Wakefield : Is an early and very popular variety in the Northern market. Here it does not attain much size. Early AVinningstadt : An excellent kind of good shipping size when properly cultivated, and a sure header. It grows well on any kind of land. The heads are conical and very firm. Fottler's Improved Early Brunswick : Is one of the- best varieties for the general market. Heads of medium to large size ; they are flat on top, and very handsome. It is largely planted. Early Giant Bleichfield : This is the earliest of the large heading varieties. Of recent introduction and not much known^ but as far as tried has given great satisfliction. CABBAGE. 53 Flat Dutch : An old standard sort, and favorably regarded everywhere. Has a short stalk and fine, large, flat head. Henderson's Early SuMxMer : This is a good cabbage for ^varm weather, has a head of medium size. Improved American Savoy : The Savoy Cabbages are more delicately flavored than any others, and should always be grown for home use. They are also planted for shipping, but the heads nre Hot so firm as most of the other kinds. QUANTITY of SEED FOR AN ACRE. One ounce of Cabbage seed will ordinarily produce 2,000 plants. So to plant an acre two feet each way, thus allotting four square feet to a plant would require 10,890 plants in exact figures; the product of about five and a half ounces, but eight ounces — half a pound — will not be too many to provide. As the sowing of seed should begin the latter part of Septem- ber, when the heat of the sun is intense the greater part of the day — a cool shaded spot in the garden should be selected for seed beds. But it will not do to rely upon trees for protection, 54 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. for violent rain-storms and the drip from trees are about as fatal to young plants as the sun's rays. It will therefore be better to provide a moveable shelter of cheap cotton cloth, one that can be quickly and easily adjusted for sudden emergencies. With sucli an arrangement, which need cost but a trifle, the plants can be exposed to sunshine or not as may be desired. Sowing in boxes, when practicable, will be found of advantage, both on account of the greater facility in sheltering the tender plants, and the better protection from insects. The boxes should be raised from the ground two feet or more. If beds are adopted, make them four feet broad with walks two feet wide for convenience in sow- ing, weeding, thinning, watering, transplanting, etc. The soil should be only moderately rich, but light and well pulverized — very rapid growth makes the young plants too deli- cate. Sow the seed in drills one inch deep and four inches apart, and avoid the common error of sowing too thick. Lay a board over each drill after covering and press down firmly. For a seed bed a plank laid over the covered drill and walked upon answers every purpose. Should the plants, in spite of every effort to the contrary, be crowded, as is very apt to be the case, remove them to other beds or boxes, as soon as they have four leaves, and give them a distance of two by four inches each. Begin seed sowing about the 20th of September, and continue with intervals of a week until 1st December. The object for ex- tending the period of sow^ing through so many weeks is to multi- ply the chances of the young phmts escaping the ravages of in- sects, and the better to iiisure favorable seasons for at least a por- tion of the crop. Be sure to have an ample supply of plants. Beginners frequently make a serious, and sometimes an irrepara- CABBAGE. 55 ble mistake iu this matter. Better have a surplus, and submit to the loss of a few cents or dimes, than incur the risk of a good i«tand. In those sections of the State where insects — particularly the cut worm — are troublesome, twice as many plants should be provided as the area to be planted calls for. Fine specimens of cabbage heads, large and firm, have been produced all over this State, and upon almost every kind of land. Cabbages grown on oyster shell land near the coast, are said to have escaped ''clubfoot" during an experience of fifty years. Lime in some form is essential, and must be applied to soils in which it is deficient. Bone flour — phosphate of lime — is an ex- cellent fertilizer, and so is stable manure, or pure guano com- bined with gypsum — which is the sulphate of lime. Common salt will furnish soda,. and ashes potash. Cotton seed is another good manure. They should, however, be cracked and applied some little time in advance. If the cake is used mix it with gyp- sum. The quantity of fertilizing substances required for an acre of ground will depend upon the character and condition of the soil. Each cultivator must decide for himself. Market garden- ers in the vicinity of New York make an annual application of from 75 to 100 tons of stable manure, or 1,200 pounds of Peru" vian guano, or one ton of Bone flour. This heavy manuring, it is true, is for heavy cropping, lapping one crop over another. But will our climate not admit of raising as many crops in a sea- son as that of New York ? This is just the point. Our intensive system must advance a few steps. We need more liberal fertiliz- ing, and better cultivation, in order to realize the rich harvests which Providence, under these favoring skies, has placed within our reach. As long as the cost of seed, the value of land, and 56 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. expense of cultivation are as great in poor as good tillage, so long will it be false economy to restrict the plants to an inade- quate supply of food. In general terms, the land, to bring a good crop of cabbages, should be rich enough to produce sixty bushels of corn. It is scarcely necessary to add that cow-pen lands are admira- bly adapted to this, as they are to almost every other crop, espe- cially if the surface is turned under two or three times while be- ing trodden by cattle. With the ground closely and deeply ploughed — subsoiled, if needed — and well fertilized, the next step is to "lay off," Some of the early varieties of cabbage are planted as close as 1^x2 feet, while the "Marblehead Mammoth" requires nearly double the distance. Two feet each way is a fair average for the general crop. This allows four square feet to the plant, and will give 10,890 plants to the acre. Or in round numbers, 10,000, making a liberal discount for casualties, imperfect stand, fiulure to head, etc. If the land is ajDproximately level, it may be checked off with a plow. If so hilly as to require horizontal rows, the dis- tance along the rows may be rapidly and accurately marked by a spacer. As the plants in the seed bed or boxes arrive at the ^oroper size commence transplanting. Should a rainy day happen along when everything is in readi- ness, improve every moment of it. But do not wait for such a spell to the probable detriment of the plants. The transplanting can be accomplished just as successfully without as with a rain. Its absence only imposts a little more labor, and diminishes the number that might be put out at one time. For if the weather is CABBAGE. 57 svarm, the work had better l)e done late iu the afternoon. The seed bed should be softened with water beforehand so that the j^lants may be taken up without injuring the roots. Place them ;as fast as they are gathered with the aid of a trowel or wooden paddle into a shallow vessel containing enough water to keep the roots wet, and just before planting dip the roots into a sort of thin mortar, previously prepared of cow dung, clay and water. This operation is called puddling the plants ; the effect of which is to keep the roots moist, thereby inducing a quicker growth. Set the plants deep into the ground and be careful to press the earth well up to the roots, finishing the job with a little water, ^vhich settles the soil between and around the roots still more -effectually. The fall and winter plantings will rarely require any other attention, until it becomes evident they have taken root, when with a prong hoe, the soil immediately around the plant must be loosened, especially in clay lands, where it gets very hard from 4he process of transplanting. The tap-root should be pinched oft' if not broken by the act of ■digging up ; the reason for which is, its alleged interference in ;Sorae unaccounable way with the heading of the plant. It is a well-established fact, that Cabbages planted where they are to j remain permanently, do not produce as many nor as firm heads is the transplants, and this would seem to favor the tap-root theory. Some years since the experiment was tried in one of \he most intelligent communities in this State by a number of mtlemen, and resulted in favor of transplanting. It will pay ii the end to subject the plants to close inspection and reject all iuit are deficient in fibrous roots. They rarely come to much. 58 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. For at least a fortnight after the bed or field has been planted,, supply all missing places, caused by worms or otherwise, as fast as they occur. Frequent stirring of the soil is universally conceded to be of great advantage to the Cabbage crop, which not only promotes its more rapid growth, but its tendency to head — since heading is one of the wonders wrought by cultivation — and never seen in the wild plant. The idea of working the Cabbage bed "early in the morning, while the Jeaves are wet with dew," quoted by every old farmer, originated, probably, from the supposed destruction to insects which would result from the adhesion of soil to the leaves. The cool portions of the day is always best for working tender garden plants, after hot weather has set in. To prevent the' heads from bursting after reaching maturity, lean the plant over to one side thereby breaking some of the roots and thus dimini;-h the number of its feeding organs. In gathering for shipping, cut the heads in the cool part of the day, and spread in the shade several hours before packing in barrels. Strip the head of all outer leaves except two or three to protect from bruises, and pack very closely in the barrel, in which should be a number of holes for ventilation, and if canvass is used for top heading, fill the barrel until the heads project above the staves so as to insure a full package. After the land has been thoroughly prepared, the subsequent culture is light and can be performed with the aidofimpl'e ments by hand. The garden plow and hand cultivator make t possible to dispense with the use of the horse in several of oir market crops, this among tliem, and gain thereby. Such a declaration may sound like taking a step backward, but it is ("ARROT. 59' nevertheless true. Broadcast fertilizing will eventually be adopt- ed by vegetable growers, so that it will be desirable to plant with an eye to obtaining as much as possible from a given area, no matter how cheap land may be. Where horse power is employed wider rows are required — and consequently there will be fewer plants than where the field or patch is worked by hand, i. e., man power. To illustrate. An acre in Cabbages for instance, which is to be cultivated by horse power, must have the rows three feet apart, while for hand cul- ture they may be two feet or even less, to grow the same size Cabbage, a gain of thirty-three and a third per cent. To use figures, the three feet rows will contain 7,260 plants to the acre, and those having but two feet distance foot up 10,890, the dis- tance in the drill to be the same in both — two feet. A difference of 3,630 in favor of close planting and hand cultivation, without estimating for those trodden dow^i and otherwise injured by the horse, or the space to be left at the ends of the rows for turning. CARROT. Dauciis Carota. This vegetable, even for stock, is not grown to any extent in this State. In the garden, a row or two, for flavoring soups, is sometimes seen. It is very valuable root for feeding to stock of all kinds, either in the cooked or raw state. Combined in equal parts with oats, it is better horse feed than all oats. Besides, it so GARDENING IN FLORIDA. Is easily cultiv^ated through our mild winters — requiring less fer- tility of soil than similar plants — and very productive. In Kew England, 600 bushels per acre is an ordinary crop. Smaller plots have been made to yield at the rate of 1,000 bushels per acre. The varieties of Carrot, of which there are many, arg divided into two families — 1st. Those with a regular fusiform root, which are named Long Carrots. 2nd. Those having one root nearly cylindrical, abruptly ter- minating, but continuing with a long, slender tap root, which are denominated Horn Carrots. The second kinds are preferred for their flavor, and for shal- low soils, while the first is generally used for the main crop. VARIETIES. Half Long Red (stump-rooted), Danvers, and Long Or- ange Improved. Analysis of the root of the Carrot gives the following result: ANALYSIS. Potassa 37.55 Soda 12.63 Lime 9.76 Magnesia 3.78 Sesqu ioxide of Iron 0. 74 Sulphuric Acid 6.34 Silica 0.76 Carbonic Aci d 15.15 Phosphoric Acid 8.37 Chloride of Sodiuni 4.91 Ashes, charcoal, lime, superphosphates, salt and gypsum are :the special manures, nearly all of which stable manure will sup* CASSAVA. 61 ply. It is best, after fertilizing the land, to plant some other crop — so it is not a root crop — and let Carrots succeed that. If the ground is made very rich from recent manuring, the plant will make top rather than root. For field culture, sow in rows two feet apart — about eighteen inches in gardens — and thin out to three or four inches apart in the drill. As the seed are very minute, mix fine sand with them in sowing. They germinate slowly, and unless care is taken with the preparation of the soil, it will be overrun with weeds before the young Carrots appear. In the clay region of Middle Flor- ida, this will be found an excellent vegetable for the dairyman, and stock-raiser. CASSAVA vs. TAPIOCA. Many persons are of the opinion that Cassava belongs to an entirely different genus from Tapioca, whereas the first is the name of the " meal, or the bread made from it, obtained from the roots of several species of the genus Manihot (from the In- dian Manioc) — plants of the family of the Euphorbiaeece, which grow in the West Indies, South America and Africa." And the second, the Tapioca of commerce — sometimes called Brazilian Arrowroot — is the name for a delicate and nearly pure starch deposited from the juice of the same vegetable species as that which produces the meal or bread, as above stated, and called Cassava. From the genus Manihot came the three species, Manihot util- 62 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. i.myna, M. Aipl, and 31. Janipha. " The first is the bitter Cas- sava, indigenous to Brazil, and cultivated in other parrs of South America. It is a shrub six to eight feet high, with a large tu- berous root which sometimes weighs thirty pounds. This root contains a large proportion of starch, which is associated with a poisonous, milky juice containing hydrocyanic acid, and a bitter acrid principle. The other two species do not possess this poison- ous principle. All are used in the prepartion of the meal,'^ of which Cassava is the true name. " The root is well washed, then scraped or grated to a pulp, and this, when of the poisonous kind, is thoroughly pressed in order to remove the juice ; but even if some of this is left in the meal, it escapes by its volatility in the process of baking or drying the cakes upon a hot iron plate. Afterward Mried in the sun, the Cassava is kept as food to be mixed with water and baked like flour in large thin cakes." ^ ^ " Its nourishing qualities consist in the starch of which it is principally composed." The manifest object in these operations is the production of bread, and not starch. In a process adopted to insure the thor- ough expurgation of every vestige of poison, starch has been ac- cidentally produced. Starch is made by first cleansing the vegetable to be used of dirt; then it is scraped or grated by hand or machinery; after this grated pulp has been steeped for hours in pure cold water, the water is slowly drawn off from the top, and the precipitate or re- siduum is starch. The following directions as to the soil for the Cassava or Tapi- £)ca, together with hints for cultivation, propagation, etc., etc., CAULIFLOWER. 6-> are by J. P. Langlois, Esq., in the English Agricultural Society of India. Soil. — This plant will thrive in any soil, although a sandy loam is the best. Cultivation. — It requires no cultivation whatever, and is oc ■casionally met with in Aurakan growing wild in the jungle. Propagation — By cutting, care being taken to use the stronger branches. The cuttino; must be from two to three fe-^t lono; : to be placed in the ground in an upright position, and in rows four feet apart. Preparation. — Twelve months after planting, the roots are fit to be dug up. They must then be well washed and put into a trough with water, in which they are allowed to remain six hours, when the outer bark will be easily removed, and then follows the grating of the roots, steeping in water for eight hours, which is but a minute account of making starch. CAULIFLOWER. Brassiea Oleracea Botrytis. Of all the Brassiea family Cauliflower is perhaps most highly esteemed wherever its good qualities are well known. By Northern market gardeners it is considered one of the most prof- ta])le crops raised by them. It is, as has been already observed, nearly allied to Brocoli ; so closely, indeed, that a distinction between them can be scarcely maintained. 64 GARDENING IN FLOKIDA. As au article of food it is much more deli- cate and digestible than Cabbages. Hence per- sons of sedentary habits, whom experience has- taught to refrain in toto' from cooked Cabbage,, can partake of this sav- ory vegetable with im- punity. The cultivation of Cauliflower is as yet quite limited in Flor- ida, but there is no good reason why it should not become a 'profitable market crop. It cannot endure any great degree of heat, on account of which it should be planted so that the crop may come off before hot weather. There is probably no veget- able grown for market that would derive more substantial benefit from artificial irrigation than this. Delighting in a moist soil, the efifect of irrigation would be to insure its profitable culture. According to Peter Henderson, whose opinions in all horticul- tural matters are entitled to the highest respect, "Any soil that will grow early Cabbages, will grow Cauliflowers, as their re- quirements are almost similar." And, continuing the subject in his admirable work on ''Gardening for Profit," Mr. H. remarks: "But as the product is more valuable, extra manuring and preparation of the soil will be well repaid." Our own experience confirms this, except that Cabbages can be successfully produced on land too dry to perfect the Cauli- flower, and that this difi^erence in their requirements is not CAULIFLOWER. 65 peculiar to this climate. Mr. Henderson further adds: "In sit- uations where irrigation could be practiced, it would be of great benefit in dry weather. We have occasionally found, when our beds were convenient to water, that even watering by hand has been of advantage. But few or no other crops of our garden will repay that labor." C. W. Johnson likewise recommends that in dry weather during summer, " a cup-like bowl be formed around each plant and filled with water at least twice a week, but as soon as the flower makes its appearance, it must be applied every other day." Which we cordially endorse, with the word "other, '^ near the close of the last sentence, ^omitted, making it EVERY DAY. We here insert an analysis of the Cauliflower : ANALYSIS. Potassn 34.39 Soda 14.79 Lime 2.96 Magnesia 2.38 Sulphuric Acid 11.16 Sillicic Acid 1.92 Phosphoric Acid 25. 84 Phosphate of Irou 3.67 Chloride of Sodium 2.78 By comparing the constituents of stable manure already given with this table, it will be seen how important a fertilizer it is in this, as it is in nearly every crop grown. The same is true of cotton see4, more especially after the oil has been expressed. Of the above special manures, we would recommend ashes, bone- flour, gypsum and salt. In this State, most every truck farmer has some low, rich spot of bottom, lake or river margin, suitable for the production of 5 ^6 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. the Cauliflower. It must, however, be well drained land, and no matter how fertile it may seem to be naturally, a liberal sup- ply of manure will more certainly insure handsome flower heads to the plants, and profitable returns to the planter. Of the dozen or more varieties grown in the United States, the three following are recommended as well adapted to our soil and climate, viz : Early Snowball. — It is early ; has large heads ; a sure header; dwarf as to stalk, having short leaves which admits of being planted closer than other varieties. Extra Early Paris. — A superior variety, with fine white heads. Extra Early Dwarf Erfurt. — A favorite market variety; heads large and compact. Sow the seed in boxes as you would Cabbages, using every precaution to avoid having them too thick, as the seed are too costly to waste ; besides, when crowded, they become spindling and feeble. The soil in the boxes should be rich, finely pulver- ized and damp. Protect from beating rains, and for two or three hours during the heat of the day, if sown before the middle of October. The planting season may extend from September to Decem- ber, though the main crop should be planted by or before the 1st of November. The ground for Cauliflower, especially in stiff lands, can scarcely be too deeply broken up and pulverized. Being a deli- cate plant, great care is required in the process of working, to avoid coming in contact with the leaves, which can only be accomplished by light or surface culture. Hence the necessity CELERY. 67 o'! doing all heavy work previous to transplanting. Manure more heavily than for Cabbages ; the returns will fully warrant it. As the plants, ^^ith similar treatment, attain a larger growth here than in the Northern States, they should have more ilistance. Therefore, with ample ground, the rows should be three feet apart, and the plants two feet in the row. Work early .and often, drawing a little earth up to the plants each time. For late-planted crops, which head after warm weather has set in, in the Spring, break off some of the outer leaves to protect the heads after they have matured. It is advisable to do this before maturity, where exposed to hot sunshine, as it tends to darken the snowy flowers, and thereby Aliminish their market value. CELERY. Apium Graveolens. ANALYSIS. Potassa 22.07 Lime 13.11 Magnesia 5.82 Oxide of Manganese 1.92 Sulphuric Acid 5.58 Silicic Acid 3. 85 Phosphoric Acid 1 1 . 58 Phosphate of Iron 2.66 Chloride of Potassium 33.41 Contrary to the opinion prevalent among most of the market gardeners in this State, Celery is one of the easiest and surest .crops we can grow. It may also be made one of the most profit- 68 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. able. To do this, however,- it is important, in addition to the essential require- ments of soil and culture^ so to time the planting, as to have the crop ready for market a month or six weeks earlier than the usual period. In other words, arrange the time of planting so that the shipments may begin in January instead of March as heretofore. This being the maximum period of visitors to our State, when vegetables are scarce and costly, a large home trade would spring up, and in addition to Northern markets, profitable shipments may be made to Savannah, Charleston, Macon, Augusta and Atlanta. The seeds are tardy in germinating, and the growth of the young plants is very slow ; so that ample time must be allowed. It will require about three months from the time of the sowing of the seed for the plants to attaiu sufficient size and vigor fur transplanting, and as much longer to become ready for market. Therefore for a January crop the seeds should be planted in Au- gust. Prepare boxes or narrow seed-beds as in Cabbage and Cauliflower, and protect against sun and rain when necessary. One ounce of seed will plant twenty feet of drill and six ounces will furnish enough plants for an acre, but it will be safe to pro- vide one pound. They scarcely require covering, gently patting them in with the back of a spade will answer the purpose. It will be useless to attempt to grow Celery for market on CELERY. 69 iiny other but moist grouDd. To plant it on high, dry land— whether clay or sand — and depend upon watering, would be a fail- ure. Near the sea coast there is no scarcity of land well suited to its growth. Indeed, this is its home. Wild Celery or Small- age Parsely — an acrid, and to some extent poisonous plant- whence our delightful and wholesome vegetable w^as originally obtained and improved by the Italians — is a native of salt marshes. Yet this fact does not prohibit its culture away from the sea, provided salt is used freely with the manure. Alluvial bottoms, lake magins, and reclaimed swamp lands not iinfre- quently afford soils in which it thrives well. Supposing a plot of damp, level land, with a ric/i soil to have lieen secured — it must be very thoroughly broken up with plow or spade, and free from everything calculated to interfere with clean, nice cultivation. If inclined to lumps or clods, use a har- row, horse or hand rake, or prong hoe, according to the area or nature of the ground. Where necessary to use salt — and it will be necessary in all interior localities — it may either be sown broadcast previous to breaking up, or afterwards in the drill .along with the manure. Lay off the rows oi feet apart — running twice in the same fur- row. Into this furrow — which should be broad as well as deep — \ \% \ \ It IS nicreasing m popular tavor X \ \^\W^very year; and, having already been N^ successfully grown for Northern mar- kets, may very properly be classed among the profitable vegetables of Florida gardens. ANALYSIS. Carbonic Acid 28S9 Silicic Acid 1038 Sulphuric Acid 2898 Phosphoric Acid 1.7595 Peroxide of Iron 1.759o Lime -0046 Magnesia 0828 Potash 1.2496 Soda 1-2595 Sodium 0686 Chlorine 1057 Organic Acids 1341 The soil for this vegetable must be of great fertility and thor- oughly prepared by deep plowing or spading. Vegetable matter composted with stable manure and cotton seed, bone phosphate, bone flour, cotton seed cake mixed with gypsum, hard wood ashes, are good fertilizers, the quantity to be determined by the quality of the land. Kemember not to mix lime or ashes with stable, or any other strong smelling, ammoni- a^al substance, without dry soil, gypsum, or other absorbent sur- 80 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. •rounding the m]'x:ure, to prevent the escape of valuable gaseous constituents. New York Improved seems to be the most popular market variety, and is large and productive, of a pale purple color, near- ly sph,irical in shape, with sharp spines on the stalk and leaves. The Black Pekin. — This is rather a new variety, about the same size and shape as the preceding, but of a dark, polished, glos- sy exterior, presenting a handsome appearance. With us it proved <|uite as early and as productive as the New York Improved. Scarlet Fruited — Grown more for ornament than culinary use, of a deep scarlet color and about the size of a goose egg. White Fruited differs from the preceding only in color. In the Northern part of the IState glass, for forcing this vege- table, is indispensable. It cannot be grown in the open air with any certainty of realizing good prices. There is no })r()(liict cul- tivated for distant markets more easily affected by cold. It i;^ often so stunted by cold winds, even where thoroughly sheltered from frosts, as to require the work of sowing to be repeated. In extreme Southern Florida the crop is sent to market a month or more before that of Northern Florida, and commands about double the price. W'^hen the plants are ready to be transferred to the bed or field treat them as directed for Cabbage plants, and plant in checks three feet each way, which gives 4840 plants to the acre. One ounce of seed will produce 1000 plants, but to allow for casualties, half a pound should be provided for each acre. In gathering, clip the stems with pruning shears, wrap each Egg in paper the same as tomatoes, and, in packing in barrels place the stem end down, over the interstices, to avoid bruising. ENDIVE. 81 ENDIVE. Chicorium Endivia. verted into a palatable salad. This plant is a na- tive of the East — China probably. In its natural state it is bitter and disagreea- ble to the taste ; but by e t i o 1 a t i n — blanching — is c o n - Served in that form, and also boiled or stewed it is a favorite with most Europeans. Away from the large cities and centers of foreign travel and immigra- tion, it is scarcely known at all in the United States as a garden vegetable. Endive requires a very rich soil, light and deep. If practi- cable it is better to sow the seed where the plants are to grow, say in checks about fifteen inches each way — as they are not easily transplanted. Sow the seed the latter part of October, dropping a few in a place at distances as above given. And when five or six inches high thin out to one plant. The surplus plants may be used for extending the bed if desired. In about three months from the time of sowing the seed, the plants will be ready for blanching. There are several methods for accomplishing this, but the most effectual is as follows : Fold the leaves around the heart as much in the order of natural growth as possible, and after binding with a shred of bass mat- ting, heap up the earth — sand or ashes would be better — around 6 82 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. in a conical form, and leave the surface compact and smooth to shed excessive rainfall as in Celery. A simpler way, and the one practised in India, is merely to tie the leaves around the heart in the shape of a cone as al- ready described, using for the bandage the leaf fibre of a plant- ain or banana in lieu of bass. A second ligature may become necessary to keep the heart leaves from bursting out. VARIETIES. The two varieties in use ai'e : Green Curled, which besides being the most hardy, makes a crisp tender salad ; and on account of its attractive appearance is used in garniture. Broad Leaved Bat avian is the kind which is blanched by the second method giveti. It has large, loose growing heads pre- ferred in soups and stews. GARLIC. Allium Sativum. The species of this vegetable cultivated in this country, and known as English Garlic, is a native of Sicily. It is a very hardy plant, and will grow with little cultivation, other than keeping free from grass and w^eds. From the following analysis of the bulb, it would seem to re- quire a soil abounding in potash and phosphate of lime, which wood ashes and bone meal will afford ; GARLIC. 83 ANALYSIS. SoluLle iiuittor, Cui-bonic Acid 12.17 Sulphuric Acid 4.82 Phosphoric Acid 2 18 Potassa 35.13 Soda trace Chloride of Sodium 2.75 Insoluble matter, Carbonate of Lime 5.74 Carbonate of Magnesia 6.89 Phosphate of Lime 30.09 Phosphate of Magnesia trace Phosphate of Iron trace Silica 0.22 The ground should be prepared as for Onions, with three or four rows eighteen inches apart, and then a space for a walk. Around each bulb are six or eight smaller bulbs, called cloves, v/hich are used in propagating. Plant these two inches apart in the drill early in October. As soon as the leaves wither and turn yellow, the crop may be gathered. Do not allow the stalks to go to seed ; every effort to do so must be prevented by breaking down the seed-stalk. Except, perhaps, for medicinal purposes, Americans have little use for Garlic. HORSE RADISH. Cochlearia or Nasturtium Armoracia. This vegetable is profitably grown by gardeners in the vicinity of New York City, and, doubtless, in many other | laces ; but 84 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. mostly as a second crop. It is cultivated in connection with early cabbage or beets. The land must be exceedingly rich nat- • iirally, or made so by liberal and long-con- tinued fertilizing. It thrives best on moist land. Where all the conditions of growth are favorable, five tons is the estimated yield per acre, which has sold for the handsome price of $200 per ton. It is propagated by rootlets from the main root or marketable portion. These rootlets are cut into pieces five or six inches long and stuck in a hole made for the purpose by a sharpened stick in rows two feet apart and about sixteen inches in the drill. Be careful to press the earth firmly around. Where it is t<» share the plat with some other vegetable, Cabbage, for instance, the top of the plant is pushed down two inches below the sur- face, to retard its growth, so as to allow the cabbage crop to be harvested before the Horse Radish gets a start. Its growth is very rapid, and it soon gains the ascendency over every thing else. It may be planted any time in the fall. Small roots for plant- ing cost about one dollar per hundred ; freights to be added. As a condiment it is much esteemed by many, and thought to be useful in promoting digestion. LEEK. 85 KOHL-RABL Brassiea Oleracea var : caulo-rapa. This vegetable, also known as Turnip- rooted Cabbage, is a curious combination of turnip and cabbage. In appearance it in- clines to the turnip, and may be treated in a similar way. Sow the seeds in drills eighteen inches apart, and thin out to ten inches in the drill. The seed are sometimes sown on beds like cabbages, but as the plants are not easily transplanted, experienced gardeners usually sow in the permanent bed, preferring the increased cost of seed to the risk of removal. Two pounds of seed will plant an acre, where the seed bed and transplanting method is adopted ; but it is not likely that this vegetable will ever be grown on any such scale in this State. A single paper will, doubtless, furnish plants enough to satisfy the claims of variety and novelty. LEEK. Allium Porrum. This vegetable has never been grown in this State for distant markets; but reduced freights may cause it to be entered on the list of such products. At any rate, as it is much esteemed by some persons, a few words respecting its culture, &c., will not be amiss. 86 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. ANALYSIS, BULB. STEM. Potassa 32.35 32.98 Soda 8.04 14.43 Lime 12.66 25.10 Magn esia 2. 70 trace. Sulphuric Acid ; 8.34 16.50 Silicic Acid 3.04 19.77 Phosphoric Acid 1 5.09 Phosphate of Lime 13.39 10.06 Chloride of Sodium 4.49 trace. The Leek requires very rich soil, aud it must be thoroughly broken up and pulverized by harrowing. The best fertilizers- are ashes, ground bones, or bone flour, gypsum, and old stable manure. The seed-beds should be prepared similar to those for cabbages, etc., about four feet wide: make the drills an inch deep and six or eight inches apart. Keep the beds free of grass aud weeds, and when the plants are six inches high, transplant to the permanent beds. These beds should also be narrow. Lay off rows about ten to tweve inches apart, and set the plants ten inches from each other in the drills. To facilitate the transplanting make the holes pre- viously with a dibbler and let them be deep enough to receive the stems nearly up to the leaves. This will blanch the stems — making them more tender and better flavored. It is a mistake to grow them without transplanting. It increases the size. To increase the size of the neck, the tops should be cut two or three times during the growing season — about once a month. Use water copiously in transplanting, and in very dry weather' Large American Flag is said to be the best market va- riety. They are put up for market in bunches of six to eight, having LETTUCE. ST previously cut off the top ten or twelve inches above the root, and clipped the remaining leaves. The number of plants grown on an acre is estimated to be 85,- 000, or about 1,000 bunches. ' Last of September is a good time to sow the seed, by which Leeks are solely propagated. LETTUCE. Lactuca Sativa. The Florida market gardener does not grow this plant, except for his own use, unless his location near a large town affords him a home market. Even then, except on a small scale, its profita- bleness is questionable. Although it is so easily and extensively cultivated, the inferior quality of by far the greater part offered for sale is a matter of surprise. The bunches, (rarely the heads) commonly sold in our market, could not be disposed of in New York at remunerative prices were the transportation free. There are of course exceptions to this. As fine Lettuce can be grown in our State as in any country. The fault is usually in sowing the seed too thick, and thinning them out only as they are con- sumed, which results in compelling the plants to do most of their growing in an overcrowded state. When quite young, they should be transferred to where they are to head and given a space of one foot each way. Or drop a few seed in checks the above distance apart, and thin out to one plant as soon as it may be safely done. Green Fringed is specially recommended for its ornamental appearance. 88 GARDENING IN FLOKIDA. Black Seeded Simpson is a new and very clioice variety. All the Year Round is a hardy, compact and valuable kind, producing hard but not very^ large heads. ANALYSIS. Potassa 22.87 Soda 18.50 Lime 10.43 Magnesia 5.()8 Sesquioxide of Iron 2.82 Se.squioxiclo of Manganese trace Sulphuric Acid 3 So Silicic Acid 11.80 Ph o.sph oi-i c Acid 3.39 Chloride of Sodium 15.09 A sandy loam, richly supplied with well decayed stable ma- nure, lime and salt is just the soil this vegetable prefers. Lettuce may be planted at almost any time of the year in this climate ; but in hot weather it must be sheltered from the sun at midday. Plants which are suffered to remain on the seed- bed make finer and earlier heads than transplants. Hence the importance, when practicable, of sowing the seed where the plants are to grow. MELON— MUSK; CANTATOUPE. Cncumls Melo. ANALYSIS. Carbonic Acid • 11 . 55 Silicic Acid 2.20 Phosphoric Acid 25.40 Sulphuric Acid 3.90 Pliosph ate of Iron 2. 30 MELON. 89 Lime 5.85 Magnesia 0.60 Potash 8.35 Soda 34.35 Chlorine 5.20 The soil, fertilizers and culture of this crop are similar to the •requirements of the Watermelon. Less potash or ashes, and more ibone dust, are indicated by the analysis. Common salt, applied broadcast and plowed in, would be advantageous both to this and the Watermelon. About five feet each way is a good distance for the hills. To insure a stand, plant eight or ten seed, finally removing all but three plants. The small and medium sized netted varieties are best. MELON— WATER. Citrullas Vulgaris. ANALYSIS. Carbonic Acid 11.42 .Silicic Acid 1.21 Phosphoric Acid 14.93 Sulphuric Acid 1.03 Phospl) ate of I ron 4. 52 Lime 7.32 Magnesia ■. 1.31 Potash 23.95 Soda 30.03 Chlorine 1.81 Per cent, of Water 94.898. This is a valuable crop to the market gardeners of Florida, and with more care in the selection of seed, preparation, and cul- 90 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. tivation of the ground, may be made oue of great profit. Almost every one has a theory of his own for producing this fruit ; and the success generally attending the efforts of the various pro- ducers is proof of its easy culture. A light sandy loam is the best soil, and ashes and bone flour, together with a liberal supply of stable manure, or a compost of stable manure and cotton seed applied in the hill, will furnish^ the plants with necessary food. SCALY BARK MELON. The region of country about Augusta, Georgia, has for a great many years been noted for the superior Watermelons produced there. Poor pine hills, with scarcely enough fertility to ))ring five bushels of corn to the acre. The fact of the excellence of sandy land for growing this crop is confirmed by universal expe- rience. It is best also to use new^ land, and to avoid planting the same field more than two years in succession when practicable. In planting new ground in Watermelons, the vigor and luxuri- MELON. i)l ance of the vines close to where a log heap was burned is very apparent. Hence, a liberal supply of ashes is very desirable. Ten feet each way is the usual distance of planting, but eight by ten has been adopted with good success. Only the early mel- ons are marketable ; a greater number of which will be given by the closer distance, besides covering the ground sooner and sav- ing work. Over-fruiting may be corrected by pinching off all over three or four to the vine. After the ground has been well broken up and laid off, holes three and a half feet in diameter and two feet deep should be dug, and filled with manures mixed with the top soil even with the surface, except in land where the water is liable to stand awhile after heavy rains. In that case make the hills two or three inches above the surface of the ground. The plan suggested for forcing Cucumbers may be successfully used with Watermelons. Open air planting may be begun in January in many parts oi the State. One object in having large hills is to give a large planting sur- face directly over the manure. Continue planting the same hills every week until all danger of frosts is past. By which a week's time may be saved at a season when it is of great value. Thin out to two or three plants to a hill. The vines should under no circumstances be moved. Pin them to the ground with forked sticks, or by throwing a spadeful of earth on them, to prevent their being blown about by the wind. Two light ploughings and one hoeing will generally make the crop. If practicable let the last ploughing be at right angles to the first. d'2 (iAKDENING IN FLORIDA. It is best to plant but one variety of seed, and in making the selection do not choose one with a very thin rind ; it will be much more liable to injury in transporting to distant markets. The first large, well developed melon should be saved for seed. If this is done every season for several years, those very desirable qualities, earliness and size, will be surprisingly improved. Plant your choice seed in the same field with the general crop. Watermelons will " mix " in.side of one hundred yards, the pol- len being carried by bees. Hence the importance of keeping dif- ferent kinds of melons, also gourd and pumpkin vines, at a safe distance. The subject of improving seed is worthy of attention. A good plan would be to prepare a place every year large enough for experimenting, and looking to continued improvement. Varieties : For several years what is known as the " Rat- tlesnake " Melon — white, with broad green stripes — has been advertised and extensively cultivated at the South as the leading market variety. This distinction it has never deserved. Its want of uniformity in quality, in the same field, and under pre- cisely similar methods of culture, has often been remarked in cer- tain sections. Perhaps the " Scaly Bark " is the peer, if not the superior of the new aspirants for popular favor. Its table excellencies are only equalled by its shipping qualities. A single melon is said to have sustained the concentrated pressure of one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds without apparent injury. A severe test, considering its remarkably thin rind. MUSHROOM. 93 MUSHROOM, Agaricus, Campedris, This fungus is esteemed by every one with any pre- tension to epicurean deli- cacy. Yet it is shunned by many, who might soon learn to love it, for fear of confounding the edible, and innoxious, with the poisonous. The vegetable Mushroom, according to Loudon, " springs up in open pastures in August and September. " It is most readily distinguished when of middle size by its pink, or flesh-colored, gills and pleasant smell. In a more ad- vanced stage the gills become of a chocolate color, and then it is more apt to be confounded with other kinds of dubious quality. But the species which most nearly resembles it is slimy to the touch, having a rather disagreeable smell ; further, the noxious kind grows in woods, or in the margin of woods ; while the true Mushroom springs up chiefly in open pastures, and should be gathered only in such places." Dr. Christison gives the following directions for distinguishing the Esculent from the poisonous kinds : " It appears that most fungi which have a warty cap, more es- pecially fragments of membrane adhering to their upper surface^ are poisonous. Heavy fungi, which have an unpleasant odor, es- pecially if they emerge from a vulva or bag, are also generally hurtful. Those which grow in woods and shady places, are rare- ly esculent, but most are unwholesome; and if they are moist on the surface, they should be avoided. All those which grow in 94 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. tufts or clusters from the stumps of trees ought likewise to be shunned. A sure test of a poisonous fungus is an astringent styptic taste, and perhaps also a disagreeable, but certainly a pungent odor. Those, the substance of which becomes blue soon after being cut, are invariably poisonous." Agarics of an orange, or rose-red color, and boleti, which are coriaceous or corky in texture, or which have a membranous col- lar round the stem, are also unsafe. These rules for knowing deleterious fungi seem to rest on fact and experience ; but they will not enable the collector to recognize every poisonous spe- cies. A simple and reliable test is to insert a silver spoon or silver coin into the vessel in which Mushrooms are boiling, and if on taking either out they assume a blueish-black or dark-discolored appearance, throw them away, there is " death in the pot," but if, on the other hand, the metal retains its natural appearance, they may be regarded as wholsesome and eaten with impunity. This curious vegetable is one of the connecting links between the animal and vegetable kingdoms. It does not produce seed, but may be propagated by a white fibrous substance in broken threads, called spawn ; and this spawn may be preserved for years in horse manure, formed first into a sort of mortar with garden mold, and pressed into brick. The process is thus de- scribed, and it may be remarked that if the lovers of this escu- lent would confine their use to the kind thus produced, there would be no startling announcements of fatal consequences from ^eating the wrong variety : ■" Take a quantity of fresh manure from high-fed horses, mixed ^yith short litter ; add one-third cow's dung, and a good portion MUSHROOM. 95 •of loamy mould ; incorporate them thoroughly, mixing them with the drainings of a dung heap, and beat them until the whole becomes the consistency of thick mortar. Spread the mixture on the level floor of an open shed, and beat it flat with a spade ; when it becomes dried to the proper consistency, cut it into bricks about eight inches square ; set them on edge, and turn frequent- ly until half dry ; then dibble two holes about half through each brick, and when perfectly dry insert in each hole a piece of good :spawn ; then somewhere under cover place a bottom of dry horse dung six inches thick, and place the bricks, spawn side up, one upon another ; the pile may be made three feet high ; cover it with warm horse dung sufficient to diffuse a gentle glow of heat through the whole ; the heat should not be over seventy degrees, and the pile should be examined the second day to see that it does not overheat ; when the spaw^n is diffused entirely through the bricks, the process is finished. The bricks should then be laid separately in a dry place, and, if kept perfectly d7y, will re- tain their vegetative power for many years. One bushel of spawn will plant a bed four feet by twelve." " Beds for Mushrooms may l)e made anyw^here in a dry situa- tion under cover. Make them four feet wide and from ten to fif- teen feet long, according to the wants of the family. A small shed might be erected for the purpose, but the back of a green- house is a very good situation, as they do not need much light. * jji * " " A sufficient quantity of the droppings of horses, pretty free from litter, must be obtained, which, while collecting, must be kept dry, and spread out thinly, and turned frequently to pre- vent violent heating. When the rank steam has escaped, the bed 96 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. may be built. The site should be dry. Dig out the earth six inches deep the size of the bed, and if good lay it aside for use. Fill this trench with good fresh dung for the bottom, and lay on this the prepared dung, until the whole is six inches thick above the surface ; beat it down firmly with the back of the fork, and build up the sides with a slight, but regular sloj^e. Let the bed slope downwards towards the walk ; lay over it three inches of good clayey loam ; place another layer ten or twelve inches thick of prepared dung, and in the same manner continue until the bed is two and a half or three feet thick. Cover the bed with clean litter to prevent drying and the escape of the gasses, and let it remain ten days, or until the temperature becomes mild and regular ; about sixty degrees, and certainly not less than fifty de- grees, is the proper degree of warmth." If the manure has a brown color, and is so loose and mellow that when pressed it will yield no water, but has a fat unctuons feel, without any smell of fresh dung, the bed is in a right state. If it is dry and hard, or sloppy and liquid, it is not in the proper condition. In the first case, moderate watering may restore it ; but in the latter, the superabundance of w'ater will probably spoil it, and it is better to commence anew. When the bed is ready, break the bricks of spawn into lumps the size of a walnut, which plant regularly six inches apart over the surface of the bed, including its sides and ends, just beneath the surface of the manure. Level the surface by gently smoothing with the back of the spade. Fine, rich loam, rather light than otherwise, is then put on two inches thick. Lastly, a covering of straw from six to twelve inches, according to the temperature. If the bed gets too hot take of most of the covering*. When the bed ap- MUSHROOM. 97 pears dry, sprinkle it gently with soft tepid water in the morning. The water should be poured through the nose of a watering pot upon a layer of straw laid on for the purpose, and when the earth becomes a little moistened, the straw should be removed, and the dry covering replaced. In warm weather it will need frequent sprinkling, but in winter very little. " In four or five weeks after spawning the bed should' begin to produce, and if kept dry and warm will last several months. A gathering may take place two or three times a week, according to the productiveness. If it should not come in two or three months, a little more warmth, or a sprinkling of water will gen- erally bring it into plentiful bearing, unless the spawn has been destroyed by over-heating or too much moisture. In gathering detach them with a gentle twist, an I fill the cavity with mould; do not use a knife, as the stumps left in the ground become the nurseries of maggots, which are liable to infest the succeeding crop. Gather before they become flat, when half an inch or more in diameter, while compact and firm." Mushrooms are used in various ways, boiled, stewed or broiled, in catsups, pickles, and made into rich sauces. To Steiv : " Cut off the part of the stem that grows in the earth ; wash carefully, and take off the skin from the top; place in a stew^-pan with salt, without water; stew slowly, shaking the pan occasionally until tender ; then thicken with a spoonful ^^of browned flour, and one of butter; add spices and wine if pre- ferred." And to Broil: " Prepare as above, and lay on a small grid- iron over bright coals, stalk uppermost ; broil quickly, and sea- son with butter, salt and pepper. ' 98 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. MUSTARD. Sinapis. There are two species of Mustard usually cultivated, S. Alba and S. Nigra. The former kind is used for early salads, but both in the manufacture of Mustard. The soil for Mustard should be rich, and well pulverized, a sandy loam with moisture is preferred. White Mustard may be sown almost any time during the cool months ; for salad the leaves must be used before they become rough ; after that stage they are only fit for greens. Sow thickly in drills eighteen to twenty inches apart, and gradually thin out to eight inches in the drill. In this State, where there are so many vegetables far superior to this for salad or greens, its cultivation is presumably for the table condiment, made therefrom, or the flour, which is largely used in every family. The flour made of the Black Mustard is most esteemed. It is ground in an ordinary spice mill, or crushed by a roller on a table. The superiority of French Mustard is due to their not separating the husk after grinding, as is done in this country. This imparts to the flour a brownish color, but it is more powerful, besides being more palatable. OKRA. Hibiscu'^ Esculentus. This vegetable is pretty generally conceded to be a native of the West Indies, yet there are a few who persist in assigning it to East India. ONION. 99 Be .that as it may, what we are more interested in knowing is, that, while for a long time, the taste for, as well as the cultivation of this grand old soup vegetable was re- stricted to the latitude of the cot- ton plant ; it is becoming every year more poupular with our friends of the North, West and East, as they become better acquainted with it. It has for several seasons been DWARF OKBA. iucludcd amoug the marketable veg- etables of Florida, and with good results. The time for planting, distance, etc., except where forcing is .contemplated, is very much the same as for cotton. There are two varieties, Giant and Dwarf. The latter is preferred by most cultivators. Plant rows three and a half feet apart and thin to two feet in the row. Let the land be moder- ately rich, and be sure to gather the pods as they reach the proper size, whether used or not. If they are permittted to re- jtnain on the stalk it will seriously interrupt continuous bearing, ONION. Allium Cepa. ANALYSIS. Potash 29.21 Soda 9.41 Lime 11.48 100 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. • Magnesia 2.44 Phosphate of Iron 12.00 Phosphoric Acid 13.02 Sulphuric Acid , 7.53 Chlorine 2.46 Silicic Acid 2.76 Sand-Charcoal 4.75 Carbonic Acid 4.33 Northern market gaideners regard this as one of their rn^st profitable crops, but sell it chiefly in its green 0: unripe state,-: and there is no reason why our own gardeners should not pro.4t by the hint, and supply Northern markets with fresh gretir Onions at a season when only they could do it. The Onion grown for the mature bulb is a profitable crop in Florida whenever the conditions of soil are properly complied with. Failures, when they do occur, are mainly due to insufii- cient fertilizing. The ground must be made exceedingly rich. Seventy-five tons of " short, well-rotted manure " is used by those who succeed best. Ashes and ground bone, or, rather, bone flour, in sufiicient quantities, may be used to advantage — not less than 1,000 to 1,500 pounds bone flour per acre scattered broadcast and plowed in. Deep plowing and thorough pulverization are indispensablcj whatever implements are employed to effect it. Onions are grown best herefrom the seed. Sets from the pre- vious year do not succeed well; even if they did, the labor and expense of a biennial crop would exclude it from the list of profit- able vegetables. It is best to divide up the plot of ground which has been pre- pared for Onions into beds three to four feet wide, and leave a narrow walk between. On these beds, mark oflf shallow drills ONION. 101 about ten inches apart, in ^vhich drop the seed an inch or two apart, and cover with finely pulverized soil, completing the oper- ation with a garden roller to press the earth compactly about them. A "seed drill,"which every market gardener should have, will do this job more expeditiously, economically and effectually than it is possible to do it by hand. If a seed drill is used, four pounds of seed will be sufficient to plant an acre, but it will require more to sow them by hand. The seed should be sown the 1st of September, and the plants ^vill be ready to set out the 1st of December, or earlier. Have the rows, as before mentioned, ten inches apart, and set the plants eight to ten inches from each other. If the beds are laid off exactly three and one-half feet wide, the drills ten inches apart and six inches from the walk to the -first drill, there will be four rows on a bed, and if the sets are placed nine inches from each other in the drill, there will be ^sixteen plants to every three linear feet of bed, or five and one- -third plants to one foot of bed. Allowing eighteen inches for the •width of the walks between the beds, an acre of ground laid off in this way would give 46,464 plants or sets to the acre ; from which any one can make an approximate estimate of the yield per acre. As a general rule the white or silver skinned varieties succeed best. An exception to this rule, however, must be made in favor ..of the Giant RoccA, a magnificent brown skinned kind lately introduced from Naples. It is globular in shape, large in size, mild and of very agreeable flavor. New Queen, is of medium size, t^^/ii^e skinned, a rapid grower, SLwd keeps well. 102 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. New Neapolitan Marzajola: a white skinned Italian variety, claimed to be the earliest Onion in cultivation, except- ing, perhaps The Bermuda, a large, flat, white ekinned Onion,. grown on the Island of Bermuda for the New York market. It has been successfully cultivated in several sections of this State,, particularly in Orange county. The difficulty until recently of procuring reliable seed has been a bar to more extensive culture of this popular Onion. Aware of the wide spread interest in Bermuda Onion grow- ing in Florida, Judge J. WofFord Tucker, of Sanford, kindly consented to prepare the subjoined treatise on the subject. No citizen of Florida need be told that Judge Tucker is an in- teresting writer. His residence of several years in Bermuda afforded him ample opportunity to collect facts, difficult if not impossible to obtain in any other way ; and he has in his u.sual comprehensive style and felicitous expression, recorded them for the benefit of all Floridians in general, and Florida gardeners in particular. Cultivation of the Bermuda Onion. By Judge J. W. Tucker, of Sanford, Florida. Of all the Onion family, that which is known as the Bermuda is the most esteemed for its mildness of flavor, its size, beauty,, shipping qualities, and early development. So much is this va- riety valued, and so difficult has it been to obtain genuine seed,. that several spurious varieties have been offered and, to some ex- tent, sold in the Southern market. At the solicitation of the market gardeners of this section, I have perfected arrangements for procuring an early supply of the ONION. 103 WHITE BERMUDA ONIOX. genuine seed, through an old and reliable London mercantile firm. Having had opportunil'es, through several years of resi- dence in Bermuda, to observe the method of culture there of this important vegetable, and having observed repeated ex- periments made in Florida, which have proved very suc- cessful, I submit v^ith great confidence these specifications: 1. Sow any time from the first of October to the first of February, the earlier period for the earlier spring harvests. It is entirely practicable to have a succession of crops. 2. Prepare the seed-beds by deep and careful culture and fer- tilization. Any good fertilizer which would be suitable for any other seed-bevith intact coats on the :Surface and fully exposed to view, would speedily enrich the inventor. The plow should do ail the work of digging, and the ground subsequently gone carefully over with the rake or prong hoe. As fast as dug the potatoes should be conveyed to the barn or shed and spread out to dry. They are then assorted, divided into at least three shipping grades, forcibly packed into second hand potato barrels or new ones if to be had, of the same dimen- sions, and the heads securely fastened and held in place by nail- ing the head hoops all around. Plenty of holes for ventilation should be made. Imperfectly filled packages has been frequently .assigned as the cause of unsatisfactory sales. Hence every effort must be made to get them full enough to allow for some shrink- age. Have the barrels repeatedly shaken while filling, and the standard of measure such a height as to require the weight of a man to press the head into the chine grooves. In assorting, let the invariable rule be perfect uniformity in the package as to size, color and general condition. Avoid the mistake of trying to improve the price of a lot of inferior pota- toes by mixing a few choice with them. Half a barrel of No. 116 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. 1 mixed with a like quantity of No. 3, will not command the' price of a barrel of 2's — the natural average. It will bring no* more than if the barrel had been filled with 3's at first. Such experiments only entail loss upon the producer, and are not apt to be repeated by the same individuals. As to variety, it is difficult to advise. Chili Red, or Garnet Chili is the kind grown on the Island of Bermuda for the early Northern market. It is also preferred by some of our owp market gardeners. POTATO— SWEET. Convolvulus batatas. ANALYSIS. Starch 184.23^ Albumen 54.47 Coagiilable Al bumcMi 1 9.40 Caseine 9. 70 Sugar and Extract 53.49 Dextrine and Gum 6.93 Fibre 17.09^ Gum R e s i n 2.07 Water 64L72 Silicic Acid 0.24 Sulphuric Acid 0.16 Phosphate.? of Lime and Magnesia 2.78 Lime 0.08 Magnesia 0.07 Potash 6.30 Soda 0.60 Chlorine 54 Starch is a compound of 42.8 carbon ; 6.35 hydrogen, and 50.85 oxygen in 100 parts — 100 parts of albumen is composed of POTATO — SWEET. 117 ^ fraction over 52.8 of carbon ; 23.8 of oxygen ; 7.5 of hydrogen, ^ncl 15.7 of azote, or nitrogen. Caseine is the basis of cheese. Dextrine is the gummy matter into which the interior substance -of starch globules is converted. This vegetable is introduced only for the purpose of showing its constituent parts ; which will be found of interest, notwith- standing the fact that the humblest colored farmer in the State would consider himself insulted were it even hinted that he could "be instructed in the culture of this staff of his life. It may be well to state that the Seminole Indians cultivate a variety of Sweet Potato of great excellence, which should be extended over the State. Within the last two or three years, our truck gardeners have realized in some instances handsome returns from the shipment 'Of Sweet Potatoes to Northern markets. Successful experi- ments have been made with the Nansemond Potato, the favor- tte with Northern consumers, but which we think inferior to •several Southern varieties. To make Sweet Potato raising profitable, arrangements ■must be made for getting sprouts or slips from tubers, early enough to plant out in the open air as soon as the danger of -frosts is passed. Kidges are thrown up four feet apart, and the slips cut into lengths of fifteen to twenty inches, and dropped at intervals of ■ten to twelve inches, are caught in the middle with a stick hav- ing a notch or fork above the end, and pushed down five or six Inches into the ridge. Do this after a rain. 118 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. RADISH. Raphamis Sativu'^. ANALYSIS. ROOT. LEAVE!?' Potassa 21. If") 5.05 Soda 11.09 Lime .». 8.78 2790 Magnesia 3.58 7.08 Sulphuric Acid 7.71 9.64: Silicic Acid 8 17 8.22 Phosphoric Acid 40.09 6.07 Phosphate of Lime 2.19 16.45 Chloride of Potassium 1.29 Chloride of Sodium 7.07 8.50 The Radish does best on sandy soil ou which some other crop has grown or which has been previously enriched. Ground bones, ashes, and salt will supply the special manures. It does- not require the ground to be as rich as many other vegetables. If too rich, much of its substance is wasted in forming fibrous^ roots. This is an important garden product at the North ; but it is- grown with Cabbages, Cauliflowers, etc. Planted between the rows of even the earliest of these vegetables, it comes off in so short a time, as not to be in the way at all. The mildness of our climate would allow of its being grown throughout the winter season. So that it might be produced at any time to supply the Northern demand. So far as known it has not been cultivated to any extent for shipping purposes. There are several varieties, both of the fusiform or spindle shape, and turnip root. The Long Scarlet Short Top is very generally grown as a market varietv. RHUBARB. 119 Scarlet Turnip and White Tipped Scarlet Turnip, are also good varieties. Yellow Summer Turnip. A good variety for summer. One ounce of seed will plant one hundred feet of drill. RHUBARB. Rh e urn Rh apon t icu m. This species of Rhubarb in common with all others is a hardy perennial plant, and since ifs introduciion into En 2:1 and more than three hundred years ago, has con- tinued to increase in popular .^ favor, for the many purpose^ in the household economy to which it it is adapted, but chiefly as a pie plant. It is a native of Asia and Southern Russia, and the leaves were used at an early period of its cultivation, as a substitute for spinach. The leaves are very large, supported by petioles — the parts used in cooking — which in the finer varieties are from one to two inches in diameter. Rhubarb culture in the United States, although now number- ing a good many years is almost exclusively confined to the Northern States. The rapidly grown stalks contain but little woody fibre, and 120 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. are readily cooked to a i)ulp^ which, with sugar, is used for pies, tarts, etc. The acidity is due partly to oxalic, but more largely to malic acid, both acids being in combination with potash as acid-salts. VARIETIES. Myatt's Linn^us is rated a superior variety, very early, of medium size, but tender and of excellent flavor. ■ Buist's Early Red : With stalks three feet long and quite early, is esteemed by some as better suited for our climate than most European varieties, on account of its standing the heat better. ANALYSIS. LE.\.F- LEAF- CONSTITUEXTS. BOOT. STALK. BLADE. Silicic Acid 4. GO 1.55 8.93 Phosphates 3179 24.70 22.79 Lime 5 41 2.75 6.74 Magnesia 3.37 0.23 1.86 Pota.sh 8.30 5.88 9.25 Soda 28.60 37.02 32.14 Sodium 0.17 1.83 2.48 Chlorine 0.26 2.80 3.78 Sulphuric Acid 5.96 5.87 5.02 Organic matter thrown down b}' Nitrate of Silver 8.49 17.37 7.51 100.00 100.00 100.00 Showing that Rhubarb abounds in soda and the phosphates, and suggesting as specific manures, ground bones, guano (mixed with gypsum) and seaweed, if attainable, or, in its absence, crude soda. The ground for it can hardly be made too rich, if moisture sufficient is also ensured. In our latitude it would be decidedly better to get roots from seedsmen, and after proper sub-division • SALSIFY. 121 get them out in the fall in checks two and a half to three and a half feet each way. About two years from the root, or three years from the seed is the time required for it to reach maturity. Rhubarb is not unfrequently raised in the gardens of Europe for ornament, and the general utility of its large handsome leaves. " The finest species is said to be the Himalayan, discovered by Dr. J. D. Hooker, it forms a pyramid a yard and more high, ihe base of which is of shining green leaves, with red petioles find plumes, and the upper parts of delicate straw colored bracts Avith pink edges." As a medicinal plant, Rhubarb was known to the Chinese ^vorld as claimed by a Celestial writer on herbs, as far back as to about 2,700 years before Christ, which was during the lifetime of Noah, probably while he was a spruce young man of only a 4?entury or two old. SALSIFY. Tragopogon porrifolius. This plant is more commonly known in the country as Veg- etable Oyster, on account of the resemblance in flavor to the oyster. In this State it is little known, and rarely seen, yet from its remarkable hardiness it may be grown all through the winter with perfect safety. The cultivation of Salsify is similar to that of the Carrot, ^nd like that vegetable is largely used fq/- flavoring soups. Its 122 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. long tap root after being lightly scraped, is boiled, buttered, and served as Asparagus, for which it is a very acceptible substitute. For a mock oyster dish, the roots are cooked as above and then chopped up and seasoned with pepper, salt, vinegar, etc. Salsify is not likely to be much in re- quest for its oyster taste, in a section wliere that delicious bivalve is so superior and plentiful as in this State. Like all tap-rooted plants, the soil for this vegetable should be very deep and mellow from liberal fertilizing. Sow the seed pret- ty thick in drills a foot apart, and when an inch or two high commence thining and continue until the young plants are finally left about six inches apart in the drill. Plant so as to use before hot weather sets in. SHALLOT, or ESCHALLOL Allium Ascalonicum. A species of Onion which many prefer both for eating in it& natural state, and for the various culinary purposes in which the Onion is employed. It seems rather anomalous, that, while it possesses a stronger flavor than the Onion it does not hold on to the palate with such pQ^-tinacity. SPINACH. 125 Each offset of the root will increase if planted in a similar manner as its parent. The soil should be made light and friable, but need not be so rich as for the Onion proper, nor does the Shalot like as much moisture. Throw the land into beds four feet w^ide, and mark the drills about twelve inches apart and one inch deep. Plant the sets or cloves about six inches asunder in the drill, leaving the apex of the clove just even with the ground. Do not draw the earth to the stalk as in Leek culture. The smallest offset& are preferred for the alleged reason that they will not mould in the ground. The first of October is the best time for planting in this climate. This vegetable is a native of Syria, and derives its botanical * name from Ascalon; where it grows wild. SPINACH. Spinacea Oleracea. ANALYSIS. Potassa 9.09* Soda 34. 9& Lime 13.11 Magnesia 5.29' Sulphuric Acid 9 30 Phosphoric Acid 7.89 Silicic Acid 3.16 Phosphate of Iron 8. 67 Chloride of Sodium 7.98^ 124 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. > This plant is a Da- tive of Southern Eu- rope, and also of AVestern Asia. Its name is derived from the Latin word spina J a thorn, on account of the prickly seed >of one of the varieties. It is a hardy vegetable, and prized in •cold countries for the " greens " it furnishes at a time when there is not much choice. In this State where nature is more prodigal with her winter bounties, Spinach is rarely seen. If cultivated at all it must be mainly as a curiosity, since the same outlay of time and money ^vould procure very superior vegetables at the same season. The Improved Round Leaved is the best kind for this ^climate. Have the ground to be planted rich, including a liberal appli- •cation of lime and salt. Sow the seeds the last of October, in drills an inch deep and twelve inches apart, after the plants are well up thin out to .about eight inches in the drill. AVater freely if the weather is dry. SQUASH. Cucurhita. This is another vegetable that is grown in this State for the ut it is believed that the TOMATO. 127 fault was in i^^jithcring them too j^rcon. The shij)per I'elied upon tlie To.MA roKs I'ipeiiiiig on the wiiy, as iisuiil. Jiiit tlie marked (liflereiiee in olimate at tliat season not only i-etarded — it wholly Arrested the i)roeess of rij)ening, mid (K'eay ensued. ANALYSIS. Curboiiio Acid 3817 Si lien 0000 Siilpluiric Acid 0011 l*li(>s]»li()ric Acid and I'croxidc of Iron H401 Lime 0020 Magiiessiu 0540 Potasli 7101 Soda 8808 Sodium 0952 Cliloriiio 1472 Ori;-aiiic Acid 1570 For an early erop, light, sandy soil, moderately enriched with bone flour and wood ashes, oi- leaves comj)ostcd with stable ma- nure is best. On l)lack meadow or bottom land the Tomato will continue longer in bearing, and ])ro(luce largei- fi'uit, but these advantages will be purchased at the cost of earliness. It is of course more economical to numurc; in the hill — aiul may be done just before transplanting. The distance adoi)te(l by a ma- jority of the market gardeners is five by three. Kows five feet apart and plants three feet in the row. It is claimed by some that if planted nearer, four by three for instance, or even three by three, the first shipment will be ready several days earlier. This is worth lookinjr into. o Tomato land may be broken uj) into beds of the width the rows are to be, and then run a central fui'row for the plants ; or use the water furrow (which is the one left between the beds, in the operation oi' '' lehUnrj '' as it is called,) the wav corn is 128 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. sometimes planted. AVith the fertilizer iu a sack swung arc^iuul his neck, one man can drop it at intervals of say three feet, fol- lowed by another with a hoe to mix the manure with the soil, and, as the finishing act at each hill, to make a hole to receive the plant. A third operator drops the plants from a bucket con- taining sufficient water to cover the roots well, and a fourth sets them out. Or, the work may all be done by one or two, if necessary, but of course with less dispatch. In the above direc- tions for transplanting, it is assumed that the work is performed during or immediately after a good shower. Should the ground be dry, apply water freely after the opera- tion. It is important to set the plants deep if inclined to be spindling. Assuming the land to have been thoroughly broken in the previous preparation, the after work will be light. Fre- quent stirring of the soil with a cultivator or sweep, especially after a rain, ^viil be beneficial. On much of the old hammock lands of JNIiddle Florida,, though worn by long, and in most instances ruinous cultivation, no fertilizer will be required for growing Tomatoes. In old gardens, without any special fertilization stakes six feet above ground are used as supports. And this staking has been found necessary in some Tomato market farms near Tallahassee. On new lands Tomatoes will bear longer and yield more in a given season. But where earliness is so essential to profitable culture, no effort should be spared to produce the largest quan- tity of good, marketable fruit, in the shortest time. Well drained sandy soils are w'armest. They absorb heat quicker and part with it more slowly than clay soils, because of greater porosity. And the absorptive quality is afi'ected by TOMATO. 129 color. Dark shades possessing it in a greater degree than light. Altitude, within certain limits, is also favorable to warmth. So that hill sides with southern exposure, and hill-tops are less liable to injurious cold than bottoms, or valleys, or plains in the same latitude. The modifying effect of large bodies of water upon cold cur- rents of air is well known and may be secured by a situation on the southeast side of one of our large lakes, where the otherwise fatal northwest wind would, in its passage over the water, be robbed of its death dealing power. These facts are important in selecting a situation for a market garden, and should be thoughtfully considered. The advantages of soil and location are not confined to any one section, but are pretty evenly distributed throughout the State. For instance the cultivator of the level lands of the South can utilize the clear water lake bordering his farm, while the resident of Northern Florida, or more properly Middle Florida, can resort to his beautiful hills, and find an almost equal degree of immunity from cold. Tomatoes should be transplanted at least once before their final removal to the field, as it makes them more stocky and self supporting. Besides, the seeds are generally sown too thick, and unless " pricked out " early and given more distance the plants grow up spindling and weak. Therefore, as soon as the young- plants are two inches high, thin out to three inches in the drill, and remove to other beds or boxes. VARIETIES. Acme is a very handsome, solid, smooth variety, Avith a slight purple tinge. 9 i;>() OAKDENINO IN I'l.Olil DA. Hatiiaway's 10x(^rls[(>k : An tiirly, smooth, solid variety, wliich, with tlio Acmk, is hirucly ^lown hy tlie market gardeners of Florida. To slice up I'oi- the tal)le, the best Tomato grown, although not very salable on aeeount of'eolor, is (Joldkn Troimiv, a large yellow Tomato, of unifoi in ripeness, yolld and with a llavor more like that of some finit, especially if served with sugar instead of vinegar. TURNIP. J>ritss!('a J\aj)a. ANALYSIS OK I'll K SWi;!)!-: AND COMMON WIIIIK I'llKMI*. MilllVlNo's (OM.MONT SWKDK. WIUTK. h'oo/. Lfdi'i-s. /i*()(;/. Lcnrcff. PotMSMH ;l(i.l(i 'JO.;Ui 48.6(1 12.08 Nnlil •l.i»!) Liiuo II.:5(; '2;\.W (;.T;5 'JH.78 Mno-nosia '2.1\ L'.!»ii l>.L>(i 'J.85 Ses(iuioxiilo t>r Trctii O.L'S I.'.IO O.CC, O.SO Sulphuric Acid 1 I.I'd (i.AO rj.Sd 7.8;J Siiicii !.(;;{ 'i.ii ().!)(•. i>,()r) Curboiiic Acid O.-VI C.K; It. 82 I I ill Phosphoric Acid 12.51 (1.54 7.('»5 IMT) C!hl(iri(lo of Potiis.^iiiin !».77 15.50 Cnilcridc of Sodium •».77 17. OD 5.11 1().(;7 This is einphalieaily a lield crop, and of sueh importanee in England as to call forth the statement that " England eould better give up lu'r navy than her turnip eroj)." It is largely grown all over the United States, for the use of man and beast, aud its cultivation well untlerstood. We in.scrt the analysis to TiiLNir. 131 assist tlio iii('\'|)('rl(Mi('('(l tiller of llic soil to |)r(*pare his 1)cm1 or ** l>jitcli " Jro MS to ixiiili/e tiiu best results, " ('ow-pciiniiig " is tlu! best mode ol' eiii'iciiiiiL;' the soil I'or TuitNirH. Next, iishes, i;i'oiiii(i hones, with stable mniiiire {ind vc<^otable matter scattered in the drill after tliorouglj plowing. Lay off the drills two feet apart, and sow as thiidy as yon can. One onnce of seed will sow over one hnndreanana is waiiiiiiL,^ on (lie Plantain. There are those donhth'ss who will ohjcu't to my classifying the Banana with troj)ieaI I'rnils, because of their being grown in as liigli latitudes as the ()i-ang(>. It is, however, nont; the less (rue that only the coarse Horse iianana can be relied upon above the tropical region. The root of the ]5anana is i*arely if ever killed in any part of Florida, and the appearance of large trunks — the growth of oidy a fcnv months in rich soil — ^is no guarantee of fruit niatui'ing trees. For no IJanana plant can spring from the root and perfect its fruit in oiu; season. Yet there are winters in which even this delicate j)lant is not affected by the cold anywhere in the State. The soil for the Banana shouhl be exceeduH/fij I'ich and moist, but there must be no stagnant water within reach of the roots. It is a very gross feeder, and if plentifully supj)rh(l with water which will induce a rapid and surprisingly vigorous growth, it may be fed with fresh, strong manures, and in large quantities. It is considered a very exhausting (;roj) in India; so nuich so as to make it advisable to change the land (ivery few years. This statement appears unreasonable in the face of the very small ])()rtion of the tree lost to the soil, together with the dense shade of its broad leaves. Generally the pulp is fi-ee from seeds, but th(!re is said to be a kind growing at Akyab, and along tli(; (!oast of Arracan, full of rough, black seeds, as large as those of the cotton plant, and like them enveloped in a fd)r()us coat. The Spaniards at one time supposed the l^anana to be the forbidden fruit, and from some fancied resend)lance to a cross, of 140 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. the marks on a transverse section, claimed that in eating it Adam had a glimpse of the mystery of redemption by the cross. The Banana is propagated solely by suckers or shoots which spring from the root. They are separated therefrom with a sharp narrow spade, taking care to preserve as many roots with them iis possible. Set these shoots six feet apart each way in trenches three feet ^vide and twelve to eighteen inches deep, and fill up with good barn yard manure or guano composted with muck. Use water freely in the operation. Remove all over an average of two shoots, exclusive of the main stem, for a succession, unless it is desired to grow them for extending the area. About nine months after the shoots are planted, the large, heart-shaped bloom bud enclosed in a purple case shoots up from the center of the stalk, and bending over starts downward, un- folding as it grows, disclosing a number of beautiful waxy yellow flowers around the stem. The female flowers come first, then the male nearer the end of the stem, which wither away as the others developop into fruit. VARIETIES. Among the choicest varieties may be mentioned : 1st. Chumpa, which is represented as possessing a remarkable delicacy of flavor. The stem of the leaf is tinged with red, which increases to a deep, well-defined red along the central leaf rib Fruit is of a pale straw color when ripe, and about six inches long. 2d. Daccae. Another superior variety. Fruit smaller than above, averaging about four by two inches, flavor delicious. The red stripe on the foot stalk is broad, and a quantity of lime- BANANA — rLANTAIN. 141 like powder coating tlie stem aiul under side of the leaf. 3d. MusA Chinkn8is Cavkn- ^ , .^ Disiiir. This variety is a dwarf as to the height of the tree only. The trunk, leaves and size of bunch being cjuite equal to the taller kinds. Indeed the bunches are enormous, having been known to weigh two hundred pounds. It has been cultivated in this State for twelve years or more and is highly esteemed r For transporting long distances it is objected to for the reason that the fruit decays very speed- ^ ily after arriving at maturity^ MusACAVEXDisHiT. gi^^l yct uulikc most other varie- ties, the fruit from prematurely gathered bunches is said to be utterly worthless. 4th. Brazil Banana. The tree attains a height of twenty feet ; fruit yellow and very fine with a vinous flavor. 5th. Tahitian. Somewhat similar to the preceding, but not so tall, fruit yellow, turning black when ripe ; slightly acid taste. There are also other, and perhaps sub- varieties, of the above in cultivation in this State, known by the common names Lady Finger, French, Horse or Hog, a very hardy but coarse kind, •growing all through the northern part of the State. Although the bunches of most Bananas hang down — reaching to the ground in the dwarf varieties — there is one found on the 142 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. Society Islands with very large bunches of deep orange colored fruit, which stand up erect forming ornamental rather than use- ful objects, for their taste even when cooked is acrid and dis- agreeable. The natives of India have a curious way of securing two kinds of fruit on the same bunch. They dig up a sucker each of two different varieties — having the suckers of the same size and age- These they split in half with a sharp knife, then bind together ^lose and firmly a half of each kind, and then plant out and cultivate in the ordinary way. Bananas constitute the chief article of food of many Mexican tribes. They may be fried with butter or baked with the skins on. For permanent use they are cut into strips and dried in the sun, or pounded and made into a paste. They are very wholesome and nutritious. Humboldt affirmed that a surface which would bring wheat enough to feed but one rman, will produce in Bananas, food sufficient for twenty-five men. BREAD FRUIT. Artocarpus incisus. There are several species of Tropical Trees, whose product has frequently but incorrectly been designated Bread Fruit. One of these is the Carica Papaya, or Tropical Papaw. Another is the Jack or Yack Fruit tree, Atrocarpus integrijolius, quite com- mon in British India, and described in another place. But there is little doubt that the one now under consideration, viz : Arto- BREAD FRUIT. 143 carpus iiicisus, a native of the Pacific Islands, and which fur- nishes such an excellent and popular article of farinaceous food, is best entitled to the name. The Bread Fruit tree is described as exceedingly ornamental, which, added to its fine timber qualities, would independently of its fruit, render it a valuable acquisition to our lawns and parks. Its maximum height is stated to be about forty feet, but this, if deemed an objection, may be materially modified by dwarfing. As it ig; its foliage, with large (ten by twelve inches) deeply in- cised leaves, of dark green color, and polished upper surface, presents an imposing appearance. The flowers are monoecious or unisexual, and the female por- tion grows into a round green fruit, from six to eight inches or more in diameter. The fruit is oval in form, and about the size of a Cantaloupe, The exterior of the seedless variety is very little if at all muri- cated, i. e., covered with small cones or tubercles, like the Pine Apple or Sugar Apple, but is reticulated with " slightly prom- inent areolae." The process of prep'aring the fruit of the seedless variety for -eating is thus described : " The ovaries become thickened, and when nearly ripe, the receptacle is gathered and baked by prefer- ence, in the ground. The crust is then removed to the depth of half an inch, and the farinaceous pulp eaten fresh, when it much resembles bread made with eggs. Or it is mashed and packed in bundles, and buried in the earth for future consumption. A slight fermentation takes place and then ceases, and the pasty mass will keep for years. If suffered to remain on the tree until fully ripe the fruit becomes sweet, and resembles clammy cake 144 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. rather than bread, Avith an unpleasant odor." An English resi- dent of India was so well pleased with his first venture in prepar- ing and eating Bread Fruit, as to record it for the encourage- ment of novices. * * " Sliced and fried it seems to me, a& well as to all who partook, to be hardly distinguishable from an excellent batter pudding." Mixed with Cocoanut milk the pulp is said to make a delicious pudding. The above variety being without seed, can of course be propa- gated only by layering, cuttiugs, etc., and this will necessarily operate unfavorably to its introduction into this State. Still, we need not despair. For if we can interest our consuls in the mat- ter, we may through their influence, favored perhaps by English friends, perfect such arrangements as will result in the safe trans- portation to our shores of this much admired exotic. In the other varieties — those that pi^oduce, seeds, the nuts, or seeds — which comprise the only edible po/tioi**^-^are contained within the large fruit or melon. They are roasted and eaten like chesnuts, having much the same flavor, and are said to be quite palatable. On the exterior of this kind, the conical marks, are deeper indented. They are propagated from the seed. CACAO. Theohroma. The beans of this tree furnish the Cocoa of commerce. " It is called by the Mexicans chocolat from which comes the English word chocolate." It is found in most tropical countries CACAO. 145 extending as far as 25° on either side of the equator, though it is said to flourish best between the loth parallels. This tree " is an evergreen, producing fruit and flowers throughout the year. If unchecked it attains a height of about thirty feet, and resembles in size and shape a black heart cherry tree. The leaves are smooth and oblong, terminating in a sharp point. The flowers, which are small, appear in clusters. * * The fruit resembles a short thick cucumber, five or six inches long, and three and a half inches in diameter. It varies in color according to the season, from bright yellow to red and purple, and contains from twenty to forty beans. These are arranged in a pulp of a pinkish white color, in five rows. Their size is about that of a sweet almond, but thicker. In this respect, however, there is a great ditference in the trees of diflferent countries. In Central America the fruit is much larger, being from seven to nine inches in length and three to four inches in diameter, and contain from forty to fifty seeds. In the West India Islands and in Demerara, it is so small as to contain only from six to fifteen seeds. The rind of the fruit is smooth, thick, tough and tasteless. The pulp which encloses the bean is a sw^eet, slightly acid sub- stance, something like that ol the Watermelon, and is used for food. The fruit matures for gathering in June and Dacember. The beans when separated from the pulp and dried in the sun are ready for market." In some countries the fruit is placed in a tub, covered over and fermentation induced, by which some of its acrid, bitter qualities are removed. " The shell is of a dark brown color, and furnishes the Cocoa 10 146 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. shells of commerce. The seeds yield by expression an oil that is very nutritions, and acts as an anodyne." The above interesting description of this valuable tree is taken from the American Cyclopaedia. It is highly probable the Cacao will succeed in Tropical Florida. CHERIMOYER. Anona Cherimolia. The Cherimoyer is a native of Peru. The fruit is described as about " the size and form of the Sour Sop, and of a light green color." It is also assigned to " a middle place between the Sw^eet Sop and Custard Apple, being subsquamous like the former, and reticulated like the latter." Perfect specimens are found in Jamaica, but only in mountain- ous localities. So extravagant are the praises bestowed upon this fruit and the Mangosteen by all who venture upon a description, that one may well be at a loss, unaided by the senses, to conceive of — much less to subscribe to — the existence of such transcendent excellence in any fruit accessible to man. Mr. Markham discourses thus : " They have most of the other kinds of Anonas in India, but the Cherimoyer fruit, the most exquisite of all has yet to be raised. He who has not tasted the Cherimoyer has yet to learn what fruit is." And Dr. Seemann avers that : " The Pine Apple, the Mango- steen and the Cherimoyer are considered the finest fruits in the world. I have tasted them in those localities in which thev are COCOANUT. 147 supposed to attain their highest perfection — the Pine Apple in Guayaquil, the Mangosteen in the Indian Archipelago, and the Cherimoyer on the slopes of the Andes — and if I were called upon to act the part of a Paris, I would without hesitation assign the apple to the Cherimoyer. Its taste, indeed, surpasses that of every other fruit, and Hsenke was quite right when he ^called it the master-piece of nature." After such a grandiloquent tribute, how does the following brief declaration of Dr. Lindley sound ? " Fenelle says one European Pear or Plum is worth all the Cherimoyers in Peru !" What a hurried descent from the sublime to the ridiculous, or, possibly, from the ideal to reality. This famous fruit it now growing on Indian Eiver in this State, but has not to my knowledge borne as yet, although those en- gaged in its cultivation speak favorably of its withstanding the x3old of last winter, 1883-4, an unusually severe one. The plants were distributed, I learn, by the United States Commissioner of Agriculture. COCOANUT. Cocos Nucifera. Strictly speaking, the Cocoanut should be classed among the .edible Nuts, where it properly belongs, but in this State it is cus- tomary to speak of it as a Tropical Fruit, and since it is a matter of little consequence, I will conform to the usage. From authentic information at hand, it ma}'' be safely predic- ted, that within the next ten or twelve years, large areas will be 148 GARDENING IN FLORIDA, devoted to CocoaDiit cul- ture, and the fruit or nut will become one of the leading exports of Florida* Already have many thousands been planted along both coasts — Atlantic and Gulf — of the Southern Peninsula ; and many- additions are made every season to the number of Cocoanut gro\Yers. True, its successful cultivation — on account of its exceeding sensitiveness to cold — is restricted to rather narrow limits, never- theless there are hundreds of acres on the numerous keys and on the main, well adapted to the purpose. It w^ould be well for those who contemplate engaging in the business to note the follow^ing facts : "The farther the Cocoanut Palm is removed from the shore and influences of the sea, the more its growth is diminished and the less abundant its fruit." If taken far into the interior it become a languishing, dwarfed tree. It will grow and even bloom in a higher latitude than it will fruit. The American Cyclopaedia states that the Cocoanut grows as far north in India as 26° 50', but does not bear fruit. No mention is made as to its flowering in that latitude. The precise limit of its cultivation in Florida can from existing data, be pretty accurately determined. The latitude of Lake Worthy COCOANUT. 149 on the Atlantic coast, where the Cocoanut grows well and bears full crops, appears to be about 26° 20', and Fort Pierce, on St. Lucie Sound, near which the author saw in 1871, a flourishing tree, which he was told had never borne, although old enough, is on the parallel of about 27° 10' to 1-7 K latitude. These esti- mates of fractions of a degree are guesses, but are sufficiently correct to indicate the method of reliable investigation. Now if the tree growing on the shores of St. Lucie Sound, was, as w^as positively affirmed, prevented by the cold from fruiting, the ex- treme northern boundary of the maturity of this nut is some- where between these points, whose difference in latitude cannot exceed two-thirds of a degree. Lake Worth lies parallel to the Ocean, and distant only a few rods with a sand ridge between. Originally the water was fresh, but some years ago a ditch connecting it with the Ocean was cut by an old sailor. This was soon widened and deepened by tidal currents into a channel four or five feet deep perhaps, and thirty to forty feet wide, constituting the Lake Worth Inlet of the present day. The Gulf Stream, as is well known, passes quite near the shore line, bordering the noted Lake Worth section of Dade county, and it is probable that this admitted meteorological modifier has extended the limit for the maturity of tender vegetation further north than the latitude alone would justify. Proximity to the Ocean, that great storehouse of solar heat and generator of aqueous vapor, is always favorable to the cultivation of tropical plants. But suitable provision must be made to guard against disturbing winds and salt spray, to many of which they are fatal. 150 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. The common Cocoanut tree attains a height of "sixty to one hundred feet, and a diameter of one to two feet." Each tree has twelve to fifteen leaves, eighteen to twenty feet long, one half of which are renewed annually. The old leaves dropping off leave scars on the trunk which are rather ornamental. The flowers come on the axils of the leaves, enclosed in a thick tough spathe. In favorable places thes3 clusters c^me every sis weeks during the rainy season common to tropical countries, and each one ripens from five to fifteen nuts. Each tree has a suc- cession of fruit throughout the year, yielding from eighty to two hundred nuts. It is said to require a whole year to bring the fruit from the first appearance of the flower to maturity. In planting, some persons, after removing the husk, bury the nut a few inches under ground, being careful to place the end containing the three black spots — the monkey face — uppermost. The stem will rise from one of these, but very irregular as to time. In some instances germination is protracted to six months or even a year, in others, the sprout appears while the husk is still green. This want of uniformity in the germinating period of the nuts taken promiscuously, has led observant cultivators to adopt the plan of sprouting them before planting; decidedly the better way for obvious reasons. The husk is not removed by all growers, by some the nut is planted just as it drops from the tree. In India the following method is practised: During the month of April the ripe nuts are laid down on the ground and covered an inch deep with sand and seaweed, or soft mud from the salt marsh and watered every day until they germinate. In September those that have sprouted are set in holes three feet COCOANUT. 151 deep, and twenty to thirty feet apart. It is recommended to bed the young plants with mud and seaweed previous to plant- ing. For two years after planting they should be regularly and freely watered ; it would also be well to protect the young plants from the glare of the sun by shading them with palm leaves. The growth the first two years is very slow, but after that, if treated as directed they make rapid progress. The time for coming into bearing varies from four to seven years from germination ; and they continue to bear for seventy years or more. So far as known to the author, only the common Cocoanut Palm has as yet been introduced into Florida. There are, how- ever, many other varieties of this useful tree, several of which growing in British India, and described, by English horticultur- ists, we might profit by importing. The two mentioned below it' equal in bearing and other good qualities to the one we have, would seem to be desirable if only for the greater facility in gathering nuts in the jelly state, on account of the dwarfish nature of the tree, viz : The King Cocoanut is said to be " very handsome, of a golden orange color, and never attains to more than fifteen to twenty feet in height." This is a very choice kind, a native of Ceylon, where on account of its being confined to the gardens of the higher Cingalese, and a few European gentlemen, it is difii- cult to procure. Dwarf Cocoanut is likewise represented to possess superior qualities. In Ceylon it is in much request, growing to be only fifteen feet high. So numerous are the uses to which the diflferent parts of this 152 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. most valuable tree are or may be applied, Eastern nations allege that a description of them all would fill a book. Not an im- probable assertion, since the tree furnishes food, clothing, shelter, medicines, implements of war, luxury, household economy, etc. The oil obtained from the nut, is after all, doubtless, the most remunerative item of manufacture, and that which gives the prin- cipal value to the nut, when grown not too distant for export in that shape. Owing to the very crude appliances employed in the manufac- ture of oil by the natives cf East India and Polynesia, there is very great waste. For while containing more than twenty- eight per cent, of oil, from ten to twenty nuts are allowed to the production of one quart. The best is used in cooking, or for annointing the body in hot climates, and the inferior kinds for illumination. Of that imported into England and the United States, the greater part is used in the manufacture of soap and candles, some in pharmacy in place of lard, and* some in med- icine as a substitute for cod liver oil. The following brief but interesting and instructive account of the cultivation ot the Cocoanut, and other tropical plants, was written by Dr. G. W. Potter, of Lake Worth, Dade county ; and will be prized by all those in quest of information concern- ing that rapidly growing portion of Tropical Florida. " The cultivation of the Cocoanut is assuming large propor- tions in South Florida. Several hundred thousand have been set out within the last two or three years along the Atlantic coast, which, owing to the proximity of the Gulf Stream, is the portion of that section most favorable to the growth of this palm. COCOANUT. 153 " On Lake Worth alone twenty thousand nuts or more have been set out, or are in nurseries soon to be transplanted. The usual method is to place the unhusked nut in nurseries, and after the sprout appears — which will be in three to six months — trans- plant. The sprouted nut is planted fifteen to twenty feet apart, in right angled row^s, or in quincux, the latter plan being best adapted to breaking the force of the wind. " On Lake Worth fruit has appeared in the sixth year from planting the sprouted nut, which is the average time in land suited to its growth. The Cocoauut does not get into full bear- ing for a year after the fruit first appears, and then produces an average of two hundred nuts yearly, giving twenty thousand at least to the acre. So^ue palms have been known to drop a nut daily, but this is exceptional. " The cultivation of the Cocoanut should be very shallow, and only enough to kill out weeds. The trees should have plenty of sun, and be well mulched, except in low swampy places. The nearer salt water they are planted, the better they will thrive : frequently growing and bearing, standing in salt water at ordin- ary tides. " The advantages that the cultivation of the Cocoanut offers, are the slight attention required after setting out the nuts ; its freedom from all diseases, no die-back or bugs attack it ; and the fact that the nuts after picking can be stored until it is con- venient or profitable to transport them to a market. Probably in a dry, dark place the nuts would remain sweet for a year ; certainly for six or eight months." On the culture of Pine Apples, Dr. Potter has this to say : " Pine Apples are planted about ten thousand or more to the 154 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. acre, according to the ideas of individuals, and bear in two years- from the slips, and in five to eight months from the suckers. " The common Spanish Pine is the only variety cultivated to any extent on Lake Worth." Of other fruits he writes : " Mangos, Mammee Apples, Alligator Pears, Sappadillos and Sugar Apples are grown on the Lake. All except the two last named require from six to ten years to bear. Sugar Apples bear in two years or less in good soil, but owing to their delicacy can only be transported short distances. "These are all set out at the i-ate of one hundred to one hun- dred and twenty-five to the acre." COCOA PLUM. C/wysobalanus Icaco. This fruit, also called Spanish Nectarine by some writers, is generally assigned to the West Indies as its native country. It grows so abundantly on the Southern Atlan'.ic Coast in this State as to warrant the belief of its being indigenous. On the fresh water streams flowing into Biscayne Bay, and likely in other similar situations, it is found in great quantity and of lux- uriant growth. The tree, or more properlv bush, is from ten to twenty feet high, and bears a fruit the size of a large plum, of red or purple color. The white pulp has a very pleasant flavor and adheres firmly to the stone, which is disproportioned in size to that of the plum. CUSTARD APPLE. 15.5- There is another kind which grows along the beach on an in- significant looking shrub similar to that of the common Papaw of the northern counties, or the Buckeye of this State. The size is about equal to the first described, but the flavor is superior.^ Both might doubtless be greatly improved by cultivation. CUSTARD APPLE. Anona Squamosa. The Custard Apple is indigenous to most if not all the Tropical countries of the world. But the same species, from all ac- counts, possess very differ- ent qualities in different places. Of this fact I am satisfied after comparing Firminger's estimate of "the delicate and delicious flavor of the custard-like substance" of the Asiatic fruit with Dr. Macfadyen's report of the same species in the West Indies, and the remark that he had " never met wdth a European who was partial to it." From Avhich Firminger concludes with this very appropriate remark : "This would seem to apply that the fruit produced in India where it is so universally approved of, must be vastly superior to that grown in what as been assigned as its native country." And this fully accords with my own test of the disgusting 156 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. • specimens of so-called Custard Apple growing wild in the south- ern part of Dade county. The resemblance to the edible fruit applied only to the size and shape. The trees on which it grew were large and small — high and low. The tree in India is small and well adapted to orchard cul- ture. Flowers large and of greenish yellow color. The fruit is said to be equal in size to the largest apple, and when fully ripe is liable to burst and fall to pieces in handling. It is such a favorite with birds and squirrels as to require to be covered with a net during the bearing season, for protection. Another method of preserving the fruit from the depredations of the denizens of the forest, is to wrap each one up in a piece of muslin when about the size of a hen's egg. Only a fruit of rare excellence could justify so much care and trouble. To market this delicate fruit, it is gathered long before it is ripe and matured in straw. " This tree," says General Jenkins, " grows in the highest per- fection, in the most rocky and barren parts of the country, and spontaneously out of crevices of rocks, and old walls, and a^^par- ently wild. " Plants are propagated from seed, and are of very rapid growth, coming into bearing in two or three years time. A supply of old cow manure applied to their roots during the cold months is of great benefit to them." A judicious system of pruning is recommended. The addition of this to our collection of tropical fruits is greatly to be desired, and it is to be hoped that the importation of seed from India will be made through the action of our State Legislature at no distant day. DATE PALM. 157 DATE PALM. Flucnix Dactylifera. 5 There^is probably no tree on the globe, the sight of Avhich has so revived and re- joiced the heart of the de- spairing traveller as the Date Palm. To the fainting, dying pilgrim of the trackless desert, it is indeed the harbinger of life itself, and it is pleasant to know that this tree has be- come a habitant of our own sunny land, and is destined to rank high among its fruit products. The Date Palm has quite a rough trunk made by the scars of fallen leaves. It is more erect than the Cocoanut, and is said to attain the height of eighty feet, though it is a slow grower. The leaves, of a pale pink color, are pinnat- iscet, bearing linear leaflets conduplicate at the base, and the lower leaflets often assume the form of spines. The flower spathes formed in the axils of the leaves, like the Cocoanut, are woody and contain spadices with many flamens ; more than eleven thousand have been counted on a single male spadix. As the flowers are dioecious, the impregnation of the 158 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. female blossiom by tlie male is, of course, indispensable. To in- sure a full crop this is done artificially thus : (Hit offthespadices of the male ^vhcn the pollen is ripe, and carefully shake over those of the female. Propagation is effected both from seeds and by offshoots from the root. At eight years old it bears a full crop of fruit, which, depending upon the quality of the soil, varies from one hundred to four hundred dates. In the East the date ripens in August, and when dry is buried in the sand, where it will keep for years. According to the ex- perience of some Florida JJate growers, it is better to gather the fruit before it is quite ripe, and expose it to the sun for several days, which is said to mellow and sweeten it. The late A. J. xVdams of this State evinced an enthusiastic interest in the horticultural progress of Florida. Through his influence with the Bureau of Agriculture at AYashington, valu- able contributions were made to the tropical fruits of the State. In an article on the Date Palm written ten or twelve yef.rs ago, Mr. Adams stated that he had growing on his i)lace, near the Southern Gulf Coast, " about one hundred trees of the Bus- SORAH, AssoNAt), Mi^NCHiCK, KiuoN and KosETTA varieties, which, although small, are making good and promising growth, and are not affected by either droughts, floods or Northers." Of the numerous varieties of this fruit, amounting to nearly a hundred, Mr. Adams considered the Yellow Rosetta among the choicest. " Preserved in layers like Muscated Raisins, it is sold at a high price in London and Paris, and also in the princi- pal American cities under the name of Sugar Dates." The crushed dark colored Dates usually sold at village stores Dl'lilAN, ]r)9 jil. M low |)ii('(', arc tluMJrdiiiary lii.ACK or (Jomaii I )a'I'io, iiml which are prepared for tlie niarkel as I'ollows: " Lar«]:e vats hohlini;' ahoiil, one l.oii (>a('li are ^n-achially filled with (Viiit., which is trochh'ii down by men and wotiieii, water l)ein<^ added IVoiii tiiiu^ to liine to soften tiie fruit. 'VUv. siir{)lllS juice or syrup is then di'aiucd ° N. lat. — Author.] seems now pretty well decided to be impracticable." We cannot hope to grow it in Florida without protection. Hence the assertion that it has been raised here unprotected, must be unfounded. It is not improbable that the fruit referred to is another member of the Garcinia family, viz: Garclnia Coiva, or Cowa Mangosteen and not Garcinia Mangostana. The CoWA Mangosteen belongs naturally to a much higher latitude. It is described as a very handsome tree, with luxuriant foliage of large laurel shaped leaves. The fruit, which, but for its contain- ing two much acid to suit most palates, would likewise be pro- 170 GAKDENING IN FLORIDA. iioimced delicious, resembles the Mangosteen proper in form, but smaller, and is ofa russet apricot color. It makes an excellent preserve. PAPAW. Carica papaya. The Papaw is said to be a native of Tropi- cal America. Itiseasily naturalized so that once becoming' established it is not easily eradicated. There is in the southern "^Ife^ i)()rtion of this State a / N' Wild variety, growmgnt the forests, in some places so thick as to constitute a grove, PAPAW. which most likely orig- inated from the imported or edible sort, if so be it is an exotic. The trees attain to the height of twenty to thirty feet, with a diameter of a foot or so at the ground, but tapers upwards con- siderably. Is has no branches, and its foliage consists of a crown of leaves at the top whose petioles are so long as to supply the place of limbs in the proportional symmetry of the tree. The flow'ers are dioecious and appear in long racemes ; the males with funnel-shaped corollas, and the females with live dis- tinct petals. *kti/j^'^ ^m PAPAW. 171 The fruit is a huge berry, as large as a good sized Musk Melon, to which, from its ribbed exterior and dull orange color, it bears a striking resemblance. It has a thick fleshy rind, and numerous small black wrinkled seed arranged in five longitudi- nal lines along the central cavity. The Papaw is eaten in a number of different ways ; but, from my experience the palate of most recruits should receive more or less schooling before any one of them is properly appreciated. Nevertheless, lovers of this fruit, either naturally or from ac- quired taste, are by no means wanting. Some persons prefer to eat it raw with pepper and sugar as you would a Cantaloupe, while others pluck the young fruit, boil it, and after adding sugar and lime juice make it into a sort of sauce similar to Ap'ple sauce. The tree is a prolific bearer, the upper part covered with flowers, and the lower showing large well matured fruit, all at the same time. Those who have tried thinning out the fruit to a limited num- ber, observing to do this when the Papaws are small, and drenching the trees with water from then until the fruit is fully ripe commend this plan very highly. The flavor, it is afiirmed, is improved to a marked degree, and the size increased to that of well grown Watermelons. The Papaw is propagated by seed, and comes into bearing within a year, during which time it reaches the height of ten to twelve feet. It is a pretty tree in the earlier stages of its growth, but an old tree is by no means attractive. This tree is much prized for qualities peculiar to it alone. It 172 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. abounds with a milky, bitter juice, which contains fibrine, a prin- ciple with this sole known exception, belongs to the animal kingdom. A few drops of this juice mixed with water, will, in a few minutes, it is said, render tough meat very tender. The same effect is produced by wrapping the meat up in a leaf, and keeping it so over night. It is likcAvise claimed to make tender the flesh of old animals, poultry, etc., fed upon the leaves. The juice of the ripe fruit used as a cosmetic will remove freckles, and that of the green fruit is an efficient vermifuge. In the French West Indies the leaves are used for soap in washing linen. While several writers of authority ordinarily concur in attrib- uting the above extraordinary properties to the Papaw, Dr. Davy alleges, that after careful experiment, to ascertain the truth or falsity of the above statements, he failed to discover any such peculiarities. The tropical tree and fruit as described in the foregoing, should not be confounded with another genus, Asimina Trilo- ba, of the Custard Apple family, or anonacece, and common to the Middle States of the Union. In some localities this last named Papaw grows on a bush or shrub, in others — in the Southwestern States, notably in moun- tainous districts — the tree reaches thirty or more feet in height. The fruit is three to four inches long, and about two inches thick, with a tender yellow skin when ripe which encloses a soft .custard-like pulp, very sweet, seed large and flat. t'INE APPLE. PINE APPLE. 173 Ananassa Sativa. This delicious fruit is of South American origin, the plant being a native, probably, of Brazil. Its generic name comes from the aboriginal " nanas," from which the Portugese derived " ananas" and this is now retained in most European languages. PINE APPLE. Pine Apples are grown in several counties of this State, ex- tending so far north as to require full protection nearly every winter. Where this extra care is essential, their profitableness as a market crop may well be questioned, unless prices could be obtained similar to those realized for the products of English conservatories. Pine Apples grown under glass in England are esteemed to be of far greater excellence than any others, and command, as raised by market gardeners, from three to six 174 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. shillings a pound, while the entire apple — imported from the West Indies — only brings half a crown, or two and a half shil- lings. Considering the enormous size to which these hot house apples attain, the largest on record being fourteen pounds twelve ounces, it would seem to be a paying business. Allowing even eight pounds for the weight of the apple, and four shillings as the price per pound would foot up $7.76 in our currency for a single specimen of this Hesperidean fruit. Contrasted with Florida prices, it may be stated that individual pines have not unfrequently sold for seventy-five cents in the interior, and when several years ago the owner of the largest Pine Apple field in the State sold an entire ship's cargo at an average of fifteen cents round, it was considered an admirable sale. The cultivation of this fruit in the southern counties, notably on the keys and along the shores of Indian River, is increasing in extent every year, and said to be remunerative. Its flavor is so very much improved by ripening on the bush, and rendered so universally acceptable to the palate, that every fruit grower might well afibrd a little extra labor to furnish such a luxury to his family. The Pine Apple is a biennial, with the habit of the Aloe, but has thinner leaves. It rarely produces seed except in the wild state. Yet it is by means of the seed that new varieties are pro- duced. It is propagated, like the Banana, by suckers springing from the roots, and also by slips from the sides, as well as the crown bud from the top. The suckers, or shoots from the root, bear fruit soonest ; in Dade county six to eight months is the usual time ; the slips in at least eighteen months, and the crown still longer. SAPODILIA. 175 They are usually put out iu rows three feet apart, and two feet in the row, during the rainy season, in August. From the time of flowering, January to March, until the harvest, June to August, the plants — leaves and all, should be freely watered every day, and in arid districts the water is puddled around the roots. A sandy loam, well exposed to the sun and thoroughly en- riched with ground bones, is the most suitable soil. Among the choicer varieties are, Ceylox, said to be the finest flavored of all. Fruit rather large, greenish when young and of an orange color when ripe. Sylhet, or KoOMLAH, is a small fruit, compact in form, and of high reputation. The fruit is black when young, but turns to a bright yellow color when ripe. It is peculiar for the larj^e size of its eyes of which there are not more than seven or eio-ht. Dacca, very fine , remarkable for the smoothness of its rind and the white color of its eyes. Cayenne, a highly esteemed variety, largely cultivated in Europe. There are, besides the above, Queen, Rothschild, Prince Albert, etc., each with special endorsers of excellence. Cultivators of this fruit in India, earnestly recommend the frequent change of grounds, the same as in Banana culture, claiming as the result a very marked improvement both in the -quality and quantity of the fruit. Where a choice is offered jiew land is always preferred. SAPODILLA. Achras Sajiota. This tree is a native of Jamaica, but grows to perfection on 17(5 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. the Island of Key West and other islands and many places on the main land in Florida. The tree has very rich and attractive foliage, and is much prized as a garden ornament. Its jOiowers are small and unattrac- tive. The fruit is round, from two to three inches in diameter, with a rusty brown, but thin and tender rind. The interior consists of a pale brown juicy pulp, surrounding black, almond-shaped seeds, with a flavor considered by some persons as exquisite ; while others pronounce it too sweet to be agreeable. There is said to be another variety which differs from the above only in the fruit's having the form of an egg instead of an orange. The tree is raised readily from the seed, and comes into bear- ing in about six years from planting. Like most tropical fruits, the Sapodilla is difficult to transport, unless prematurely gath- ered, Avhich impairs its flavor. It is frequently seen in the Jack- sonville market. SOUR SOP. A)ioiia Marleata. The nativity of this fruit is assigned to the West Indies, although grown in several Eastern countries. The tree is described as " small and shrubby, with dark green shining laurel-like leaves, of a pungent odor, somewhat similar to that of the Black Currant ; and a vei'y ornamental object when bearing its fine, large heart-shaped fruit." Of the fruit in the AVest Indies Mr. Gosse writes most favor- SWEET SOP. 177 ably ; representing it as " lusciously sweet and of a delightful acidity ; often larger than a child's head ; covered with prickles." Very unlike the above description does the same fruit appear to East India growers, where most persons ascribe to it such "a harsh and unpleasant flavor as to be quite uneatable." As in the two named species of Anonacea?, " its form is like that of a bullock's heart, but rather prolonged. . The seed are scattered throughout a soft woolly pulp, intermixed with a juicy mucilage of a strong, rather vinous flavor, somewhat like that of the Pine Apple ; but it is wanting in sweetness, and has a cer- tain degree of rankness that causes it to be disliked by most per- sons who have not acquired a taste for it." It conies readily from the seed. BULLOCK'S HEART—SWEET SOP. Anona Reticulata. This is another fruit common to all tropical countries. In the southern part of this State, on both the eastern and western coasts, where it is cultivated and bearing abundantly, it is called Sugar Apple. The fruit looks much like a Raspberry would of the same size, with its depressions as if quilted. It sometimes grows to be as large as a man's two fists, of a dark brown exterior. The pulp is of a reddish yellow color, about the consistence of custard, and exceedingly sweet. To some palates the Sugar Apple is very acceptable, while others object to it as being too sweet ; " a sick- ening sweet." 12 178 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. The tree resembles somewhat our Bhick Haw, aod is })ropa- gated from the seed. The fruit is entirely too delicate to bear transportation except very short distances, and even then the utmost care must be used. It is not likely to be cultivated to any great extent, unless on account of its ripening at a sort of odd time, when there is scarcely any other fruit. TAMARIND. Tamarui(his Imlica. The Tamarind is a large leguminous tree, six- ty to eighty feet high, and Indigenous to many parts of Africa and India. It has been long naturalized in Tropical America, very common in Key West — growing in the streets as a shade tree — and other portions of Southern Florida. Botanists assign but one species to the genus, and in this country there is only one variety that I can hear of, though there are three mentioned as belonging to India, viz : The SouR Fruited, the Sw^eet, or Sw^eetish Fruited, and the Red Fruited ; and while the use of all is confined to preserving, the last mentioned, whose pulp is of a rose color, is much preferred for the purpose. The leaves are compound, with ten to twenty pairs of small oblong leaflets, which form a dense shade. TAMARIND. 179 The flowers are borne in racemes, and are fragrant ; they are white at first, l)ut soon turn yellow, with purple and brown stamens. '' The fruit is a legume or pod three to six inches long, straight or curved, thick, and with a hard, brittle exterior shell. The pods are indehiscent — do not break open when ripe. The seeds, ranging in number from four to twelve, are each surrounded by a tough, papery membrane, outside of which, and between it and the shell is a firm, juicy, very acid pulp — at least in the common kind, traversed by strong woody fibres, which start from the fruit-stalk, and run through, throwing off branches, to the opposite end of the pod." The common Tamarind is prepared for market by first select- ing fruit thoroughly ripe, which may be known by the increased l)rittleness of the shell ; the shells are removed, they are packed in a cask and boiling syrup is poured over them until the cask is full ; after becoming cool the cask is headed up, and is then ready for shipment. This is the common method practised in the AVest Indies. But a more desirable plan is to pack the fruit, freed from the shells, with alternate layers of sugar in stone jars. Fruit put up according to the last method, is mostly done for private use, and rarely found for sale. A drink is prepared by pouring boiling water over the shelled fruit, which is esteemed in tropical countries as a wholesome refrigerant, used in fevers ; it also possesses a laxative property. By boiling the preserved fruit with a small quantity of water .and straining, the pulp is obtained pure, and is used in that form .as an article of diet. The Tamarind is raised easily from the seed. 180 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. IVORY NUT, or VEGETABLE IVORY. Phytelephas Macrocarpa. From the resemblance of this plant to some of the Palms in the general appear- ance and growth of its leaves, it was at one time classed by- botanists as a member of the palmuceae family, but on ac- count of an essential difference in the structure of the flower, -^^^^^^^a^^-^^^m^^^^s:?— -^ -g j^^^^, assigned to a separ- ate order. It is a habitat of moist localities along the borders of water courses, in northern South America, and possibly in Ceii- tral America and the West Indies. I have seen the nut strewed along the beach between Jupiter Inlet and Cape Florida, carried there by ocean currents from more southerly shores. In its native lands it is found in thick groves to the exclusion, commonly of all other trees and shrubs. Its habits of growth are not unlike those of the Saw Palmetto in wet places. The trunk or stem " creeps along the ground for twenty feet or more, and then ascends, the upright portion being seldom over four to six feet high, and terminated by a crown of twelve or more pin- natified leaves, eighteen to twenty feet long. " The flowers are dioecious, the male plant taller and more robust than the female, and its flowers in pendulous spikes five or six feet long ; the female flowers are in bundles of six or seven, on short, thick erect peduncles, both kinds emit a penetrating almond-like perfume very attractive to bees. NUTMEG. 181 The fruit is a collection of six or seven drupes (stones), each containing seven to nine seeds ; these drupes are aggregated in a mass something like a rounded cone, its exterior being formed of the crustaceous covering of the drupes, which is rough, with woody protuberances. " Each mass weighs about twenty-five pounds, and there are six to eight to each tree ; these are called by the South Americans cabezas de negro, or negro heads. " The ovoid nut is about as large as a hen's egg, with a blunt prominence at one side showing the point of attachment, and often more or less flattened and angled by mutual compression ; the testa or outer covering of the seed is hard and brittle, and within is the copious, white, ivory-like albumen. In their earlier state the seeds are filled with a clear, tasteless liquid, which after a time becomes milky and sweet, and gradually acquires greater consistency, until at length it is 'nearly as hard as ivory." Animals and birds are very fond of it while soft. It is exported in large quantities to this country and to Eng- land, and used in the manufacture of cane heads, buttons, etc. NUTMEG. Myrisiica Fragrans. The tree producing Nutmeg is from twenty to thirty feet high, and is thought to resemble a Pear tree. It is found most plenti- fully in the islands of Asia, though it is also indigenous to Trop- ical America. The leaves are " petioled, and alternate, five or six inches loug, oblong, acute at the apex, entire, dark green, somewhat shining above and whitish beneath." 182 (JARDENTNG IN FLORIDA. "The tree is dioecious, but exce})t when in lluwcr, the two sexes are not distinguishal)le." The fruit is pear-shaped, or nearly spherical, about the size of the peach, and consists of a fleshy j)ericarp or ca{)sule, which at maturity breaks open into two nearly e<]ual valves, and exposes the contained seed and its appendages ; this exterior portion of the fruit is about half an inch thick, of a yellowish l)rown color, and has an astringent juice ; in collecting the crop this is thrown away as useless, but in its young state it is sometimes made into a sweetmeat with brandy and sugar. The tree bears in eight years from the seed, reaches its maxi- mum in fifteen, and continues to bear for seventy to eighty years. The average yield per tree is live pounds of nutmegs and one and a half pounds of Mace — the substance enveloping the seed and also a valuable export. So desirable an exoticshould have a trial in our State. PISTACHIO NUT. Pistachia vera. The Pistachio tree is '* a native of Western Asia, and is gen- erally cultivated in Southern Europe," It is usually " twenty to thirty feet high, its leaves with three or HveleaHets ; the small flowers are dioecious, the males in close clusters, and the females in a loose raceme; the fruit is a sort of dry drupe about the size an^i«5i^V 188 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. ightcl leaves present a most beautiful appearance. By pruning, the Coffee plant is somewhat dwarfed, restricted to a height of eight to twelve feet, sometimes though it reaches fifteen feet or more. The fruit resembles a cherry, of a red color when ripe, and^he flesh surrounding the two seed usually found — having their flat surfaces opposite — is said to he sweet and palatable. When for some cause one of the seed fails the other becomes entirely round. "As the fruit dries, the pulp forms a sort of shell or pod, which is removed by a process of curing in order to prepare the seed for market. In the West Indies the fruit is picked by hand at intervals during the season of harvest, but in Arabia, where no rains prevail which Avould beat it from the trees, it is allowed to remain until ready to fall, and is then shaken off upon cloths spread upon the ground." This is sup- posed to give to the famous Mocha Coffee, which is considered to be the very best, its chief excellence. Coffee sufficient at least for home use may be grown in the southern portion of our Peninsula, and for this purpose seed of the Mocha, which is small, and of a dark yellow color, should be procured from the Province of Yemen in Arabia, its home. As an ornamental evergreen, the Coffee tree would be an acquisition to any grounds. The natives of Africa prefer using the roasted leaves in lieu of the berry. TEAK. Tectona Grandis. This East Indian tree is remarkable in several particulars; and is worthy of a place, should its introduction be practicable, among our most useful timber trees. PALM. 18!) It is represented as one of the most magni'^cent of trees ; at- taining the great altitude of two hundred feet, grand and stately in its symmetrical proportions. The leaves are elliptical in shape, measuring from twelve to twenty-four inches in length, and so rough as to be a fair substi- tute for emery, in polishing wood. The flowers are " small, white, and fragrant," they appear in terminal panicles, having the structure of the family verbenacece, to which the Teak belongs. For ship building it is said to have no superior in the world, not even excepting our own highly-prized Live Oak. The wood is very hard, and consequently heavy, and of unequalled strength and durability ; instances of its having been in use for a century without decay are recorded. The tools employed in working it soon become dull from the large amount of silex it contains- The wood is of a brownish color, permeated by an oil which even in a green state prevents the iron nails or bolts from rusting, thus dispensing with the necessity of using the more costly copper nail>. A cubi^ f)ot of the wood waighs from f^rty-two to fift}'- two pounds. PALM. Palma. Of all the trees or shrubs capable of production in this invit- ing land of health and beauty, the Palmacecc, or Palm family stand pre-eminent, both for ornament and utility ; for general use- fulness they are ranked next to the grasses. There are, it is said, nearly one thousand species of Palms 190 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. belonging to fifty genera, and these are grouped into five well marked tribes, or sub-families, according to their affinities. Under the name Palmetto are four S2)ecies of Palm indigen- ous to two or three Southern States. The tall or Cabbage Palmetto, Sabal Palmetto, is the largest species, attaining in this State, as is well known, to the height of sixty to eighty CABBAGE PAL3I. PALMETTO. feet, and a diameter of twelve to fifteen inches. The terminal bud furnishes the vegetable which gives the species the name Cabbage. Boiling for three or four hours, changing the water ;several times, and then fried in butter with crumbs of bread, it is a very palatable dish, yet the sacrifice of so noble a tree for a savory dish can scarcely be justified, unless demanded by neces- PALM. 191 sity, or when tlie tree is required to yield its place to something better. The second species is the Saw Palmetto, Sahal Serridata, "*' 60 called on account of the sharp spiny teeth along the edges of the petiole, having a creeping stem (usually called the root, but really the trunk) from four to ten feet long, from which arise leaves two to four feet high." The third species is the Dwarf Palmetto, Sabal Andersonii, "has its short stem wholly underground, and leaves two to three feet high." And there is the Blue Palmetto, Chamwrops hystrlx. " This has a creeping stem with somewhat glancous leaves, three to four feet high ; at the bases of the leaves are numerous erect strono- sjiines, like porcupine quills, which serve to distinguish it from the other Palmettos. It prefers a richer soil than the preceding and is often found in moist shady woods, and on the margin of swamps." Besides these species, common to every section of the State — though the Cabbage is confined to the coast region in the northern and western counties — is another, found only in the ex- treme south, and called Royal Palm. Never plentiful, it has been so much sought after for making walking canes, etc., that but few are left. This Palm, from even an unsatisfactory view of a single specimen as it towered aloft in its native swampy fast- ness, near the shores of Biscayne Bay, surpassed in majestic beauty anything of the kind I had ever seen. The exterior of the trunk of this endogen is similar to the Cabbage or Cocoanut Palm, and the length of the leaves is about the same as the latter, 5even to ten feet or more, but in the Royal Palm from the center 192 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. rib, the leaf is split into ribbons as if with a foi'k, ami the long? silvery-green fringe, waving gracefully to the gentlest breeze, presents a scene of rare loveliness. The Sago Palm as seen in green-house collections — or in this State in flower gardens — Cycas rcvohda — although possessing considerable starch, does not produce the sago of commerce. There are two distinct species of the true Sago Palm — Sagus laevis, the Smooth, and Sagus Rumphii, the Prickly ; both natives of the Indian Archipelago. "The smooth species grows from twenty-five to fifty feet high, while the other, which differs mainly in having its leaf-stalks and the spathe or sheath to the flower cluster armed with sharp prickles, is rarely over thirty feet. Both have graceful crowns of large pinnate leaves, and a one-seeded fruit an inch and a half in diameter, covered with shining reversed scales. Left to themselves the trees attain their full growth in fifteen years, flower, produce their fruit, which i& about three years in coming to perfection, and then die." •' The Betel Nut Vw.^i,' Areca Catechu, also known as Areca '^'' Nut, and Catechu Palm, and called Plnavg by Mthe Malays, is a large tree growing tn India, C-eylon, and the ^loluc- FRuiT AND NUT OF BETEL PALM. cas. It luis vcry fra- grant flowers which are used in Borneo for decorating, and a drupe-like nut about the size of a hen's egg, with a fibrous rind half an inch thick ; the seed is about the size of a nutmeg, which PALM. 19S it also resembles iu the mottled appearance of its albumen. The nuts are very astringent ; by boiling in water and evaporating the decoction, a form of catechu is obtained." i The species Areca luteseens is a pretty specimen of the Areca family, adapted to pot culture. From the early de- cay of the primary roots, and the compact mass of second- ary, the plant seems to be supported by props. "Several species of the ^^^^''X^s^X'^?^ South American genus ceno- m ^^^^^^^t carpus have fruits with an &\. , 3 ^'>]f t^Jli r ^ ^- ly flggi^^ ^^^ t j^e (^il obtained from them is used for cooking and for lamps. It is said to be mixed with olive oil in Para as an adulteration. The stiff nerves of the leaves of these Palms furnish the In- dians with arrows for their blow guns, which are made by bor- ing the leaf stalks of other Palms of this tribe. The Toddy Palm, Caryota urens, a native of India, derives its name from the wine and sugar made from the flower spikes. The tree is said to be large and very beautiful ; from the leaves is obtained a fibre of great strength, called kittul, out of which mats and ropes are made. The trunk also yields sago. " The species of this genus are favorites in cultivation, as this 13 194 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. is oue of the few with bi-pinnate leaves. When the tree has com- pleted its growth the flowers are produced in drooping tassels ; a flower cluster is produced at the base of the uppermost leaf, then one appears at the next lower leaf, and so on, until the lower- most leaf has produced a cluster from its base, when the plant dies." " The Wax Palm of Colombia, Ceroxylon Andicola, is a lofty tree growing in elevated regions. TODDY PALM. It Is rcmarkablc for its swollen trunk, which is larger in the middle than it is above or below, and is covered with a whitish wax-like substance, which is col- lected by felling the tree, and scraping. The product of each tree is about twenty-five pounds. It consists of a resin and a wax, and though too inflammable to be used by itself, it makes gooti candles when mixed with tallow." Of the smallest Palms is the Calamus tribe, Calamew, con- sisting of " Sarmentos, or runner-like plants, and some trees ; the pinnate or fan-like leaves are often terminated by a long appen- dage which is furnished with hooks." * * " They are known as Rattan and Cane Palms, the stems of several being found in commerce under these names. Some are low bushes, while others, with stems seldom over an inch thick, climb to a great distance over trees to which they cling by means PALM. 195 of the hooked spines upon their leaf stalks. * ^^ Rumphin's statement that they grow from 1,200 to 1,800 feet long has not been verified, though it is not rare to find them 300 feet long." The strength of the stems of these Palms is said to be remarkable, which quality, combined with their great length, renders them useful for ropes for catching elephants, %^ cables for vessels, etc. " In the Himalayas, the stems are used for building suspension ^^^-^ bridges." p- The flowers are " rose-colored, or green- RATTAN FALM. ig}j^ ^nd ' comc III loug, branching spikes. The fruit consists of a single seed, surrounded by an edible pulp, which is enclosed by a covering of slimy scales." " The Rattans of commerce are aftbrded by Calamus rotang, Calamus verus, Calamus rudentum and others, they are cut twelve or sixteen feet in length, once doubled and made into bundles of one hundred each ; immense numbers of these canes are imported into Europe and America, and as new uses are con- stantly found for them, the consumption rapidly increases ; the ease with which they are split, and the strength of very small splints, adapts them to a great variety of wares." They are used in making articles of furniture, settees, sofas, lounges, chairs, in bottoming chairs ; carriage and buggy bodies are also constructed of Rattan. Malacca canes, so highly es- teemed for walking sticks, are the stems of Calamus Scifionum ; the joints are so far apart that a good cane may be made from a 196 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. single internode. The rich reddish brown color is due to their being smoked and varnished with the bark on. Calamus Draco, a species which some botanists place in the genus dceinonorops, is said to furnish a portion of the resinous drug known as dragon's blood. " The remaining genus of this group, valuable for its products, is Mauritia, the Moriche or Ita Palm of tropical South America. 31. flexuoso, especially abundant on the Amazon and other rivers, supplies nearly all the wants of the natives ; during the great inundations they even suspend their dwellings from the trunks, the skin of the young leaves is spun into cords for making hammocks, the trunk supplies sugar in abundance, and both the sap and the fruit are converted into beverages. ^Another family of the Palms is the Borassine.^, " The principal genus consists of only two species, one of which, borossus flahelliformis, is the magnificent Palmyra Palm, found throughout tropical Asia, and celebrated for the great number of its useful products. Its trunk, from sixty to eighty and even one hundred feet high, bears a magnificent crown of leaves of a circular fan shape, which, including the petiole, are ten feet long ; these are used to thatch houses, to cover floors and PALMYRA PAIiM. PALM. 197 ceilings, and to form a great number of useful articles, from bags and baskets to umbrellas and hats. They also serve as paper, which is written upon with a style. All the important books in Cingalese are written upon the laminae of this Palm. " The fruits, about the size of a child's head, are in bunches of fifteen to tAventy, each containing three seeds of the size of a goose's egg, the albumen of these is eaten when young ; the coat- ing surrounding the seeds is a thick fibrous jDulp, which is roasted and eaten. " The most important prod nets of this Palm are wine and sugar, (toddy), which are also yielded by many other species, and in other countries. BoRAssus Aethiopium, of the central part of tropical Africa is the remaining species of this family of Palms, and furnishes similar products to the Asiatic species. Perhaps the most re- markable of Palms is the DouM, of Egypt, which also grows in Arabia and Abyssinia, Hyphoene Thebaica, or Criicifera, its peculiar- ities consists in its hav- ing branches, with a trunk not exceeding thirty feet high. " It is simple when young, but Dou>r PALM. iu old trees is forked 198 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. three or four times, each branch being terminated by a tuft of large fan-shaped leaves. "The fruit is produced in large clusters of over one hunlred, each the size of an orange, irregular in shape, with a highly pol- ished yellowish-brown rind, enclosing a single horny seed. The rind, which is dry, fibrous and mealy, is said to taste exactly like gingerbread, and though unpalatable from its dryness, forms a common article of food among the Arabs." There is a Palm growing on two of the Seychelles Islands, Praslin and Curieuse, north of Madagascar, which was named by La Billiardiere Lodoicea Schellarum, with a curious history. " The Double or Sea Cocoanut, Coco de Mer, was long a great puzzle to naturalists. Its large, deeply-lobed nuts, appear- ing like two Cocoanuts joined for about half their length, were occasionally picked up at sea, and their origin being unknown, they were in olden times invested with remarkable virtues. The albumen or meat of the nut was regarded as a preventive of var- ious diseases, and the shell, used as a drinking cup, imparted similar power to the liquid it contained ; enormous prices were paid for single specimens, and they were regarded as among the most costly of regal gifts. With the exploration of the Sey- chelles Islands, how^ever, in 17-43, the source of this wonderful miracle of nature, the most rare of marine productions, was ascertained." The tree is dioecious, of slow^ growth, attaining ultimately the height of one hundred feet. The fruit is of immense size, weigh- ing as much as forty pounds each, but the shell is the only part about it of value. The most delicate baskets and other fancy PALM. 199^ articles are made from the leaves. This tree might be grown by a corporation as a curiosity, but would hardly pay an individual, as the tree does not blossom until thirty years old, and requires ten years to mature its fruit. There seems to be serious appre- hension of its becoming extinct by the wasteful felling of trees to obtain the nuts as well as the terminal buds or cabbages. Similar to our Royal Palm is " the Bossu of the natives of the Southern Amazon, which is Manicrxria Saccharifera, the only species of the genus, and grows in the tidal swamps. This is dis- tinguished from other palms by its entire leaves, only occasionally divided when old by splitting ; they are frequently thirty feet long, four or five feet wide, and strongly furrowed from the mid- rib to the margin. The spathes of this Palm are fibrous, and when cut around at the base of the fl ,wer clusters, they may be pulled off entire. The spathe is dark brown, and its very strong fibres are so interwoven that it may be stretched to several times its proper diameter without tearing, and forms a very serviceable seamless bag, or if cut ofi' it may be used as coarse cloth." " The tribe Coryphine.t:, consists of trees or stemless plants, with fan-shaped, rarely pinnate leaves, the pinnules with erect margins. * '^ The genus Coryp/ia includes several stately species, one of the best known being the Talipot Palm, Corypha iimbraculijera, of Ceylon, and other parts of the East. Its magnificent leaves are remarkable for their regular plaiting, and form a fan, which is nearly a complete circle, four feet or more in diameter. The numerous segments are split and form a double fringe to the margin. These leaves require little preparation to make the fans used by the Cingalese, as emblems of rank. They are put to many other of the uses of Palm leaves, including the 200 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. making of paper. The trunk also yields Sago. " The TuRA Palm, of Bengal, C. taliera, and the Gebang Palm, of Java, C. gebanga, are both useful in various ways. The AVax Palm, Coperiucia cerifera, of Brazil, hears upon its young leaves a coating of wax ; this is collected by shaking the leaves, melted, and run into moulds. It is harder than bees- wax ; but no method of depriving it of its yellow color having been discovered, its use in candle-making is limited. A kind of cane was known in commerce as Penang lawyers, a long time be- fore its origin was ascertained ; it is now known to be the stem of a small Palm of this group, Ucuala acut'fida, of the Island of « Penang ; the stem is seldom much more than five feet high, and has a diameter of an inch. The canes are prepared for walking sticks by scraping the surface and polishing. The genus Cham- (ETops is noted as being the northernmost of the Palm family, one species, C. hiimilis, grows wild in Southern Europe as far as Nice; another, C. excelsa, is found in Asia as high as latitude 44° N. The most important of this tribe is the Date Palm, phoenix dadylifera. "The fifth tribe CocoiNEiE, includes both large and small trees. * ^ This tribe takes its name from its most important genus, Cocos, of which there are about a dozen species including C nucifera, the Oocoanut Palm. The Peach Palt\i, Guiliel- ma Speciosa, a native of Venezuela, and cultivated in other parts of South America, is a lofty tree, and its stem is armed with small sharp spines. Its fruit, borne in large clusters, is about the size of an Apricot, pear-shaped, and scarlet and orange col- ored when ripe. The outer portion abounds in starchy matter and when roasted is said to taste much like the potato." It PALM. 201 furnishes both food and drink to the natives, for an alcoholic beverage is made by fermenting the fruit steeped in water. " The trees of the genus MaxlmUiana forms a striking feature in South American scenery. The Inaja Palm of the Amazon, MaxlmUiana regia, reaches over one hundred feet, and has a crown of immense leaves, wdiich are thirty to fifty feet long. The spathes are five to six feet long, about two feet broad, and tapering at each end to a narrow point. They are used as pack- ages in Avhich to keep and transport flour, and will resist the action of heat sufficiently to serve as cooking utensils." .■# "^wSWi^ ^r^r"^^' ^^^r^ '"^^^^x- COQUITA PALM. " The CoQuiTA Palm of Chili, Jubcea speeta- bilis, is one of the most southern species, and furnishes the Palm honey, so much used by Chilians. This is ob- tained by felling the tree, removing the crown, and catching the sap which runs from the wound. The flow is kept up by removing a thin slice of the end each day, and it contin- ues for several months, each trunk yielding about ninety gallons. 202 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. The sap is boiled down to the coiisisteucy of molasses, and used as a substitute for sugar. " The small nuts of this free are edible, and are a consider- able article of export. They are deprived of their husks in a singular manner. Cows and oxen which are very fond of the green husks, are allowed to feed upon the nuts ; they only masticate the husks and swallow the nuts whole, when afterw^ards they chew the cud, they reject the nuts, and when the animals have finished ruminating, these are found deposited in small heaps perfectly free from the husk." " The PiAssATA, of Brazil, Atta- 'lea Junij'era, furnishes a strong and 1 valuable fibre in the decayed bases of the leaf-stalks. It is also called Monkey Grass, and Para Grass, and is used for various pur- poses. Each fibre is the size of a small quill, smooth and stiff; con- siderable quantities are sent to England, where it is made into coarse brooms ; the brushes of street cleaning machines are made of it. The fruit of this is different from that in any of the allied genera ; it being three-celled and three-seeded. The nuts are an article of commerce and known as Coquilla nuts. They are about three inches long, of a rich brown color, and have an extremely hard and bony tex- ture. They are used for knobs and other small wares similar PIASSATA PALM, PALM. 203 to those made from Vegetable Ivory. One of the most important products of this family is Palm Oil, which is obtained from the fruit of El^eis Guineensis of AYestern Africa, where it grows in immense numbers. \A'/..v\^^(/.^yV/r^/^ //. OIL PALM (EL.EIS GUINKESIS). HARDY PALM (CHAMAEROPS EXCELSA) " Two species of Chamaerops are hardy in France and in por- tions of England. Those, 0. Excelsa, from Nepaul, and 0. For- tunci of North China, also called Chusan Palm, are of great value in sub-tropical gardening, as their large fan-shaped foliage is unlike that of any other plants. These withstand a cold con- siderably below 32° F., and would be quite hardy in Virginia aifd Southward." And in Florida, not only the last mentioned would find congenial homes, but very many, in fact all, with per- haps one or two exceptions, of those described in this article, 204 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. might be successfully and profitably grown in our beautiful State. Let us begin at once to import the seeds. So highly is this tree of magnificent foliage prized for decor- ating buildings and ornamenting pleasure grounds by those who can afford it, that immense sums of money have been expended for suitable places in which to grow it. There is a building at Kew, England, made of glass, for this purpose, which is three hundred and sixty-two feet long, one hundred wide, and about seventy feet high, surpassing, it is believed, any structure of the kind in the world . The material for the foregoiu g article on Palms was obtained chiefly from that standard work, American Cyclopaedia, the greater part of which is quoted directly, without any change or modification whatever. It will be found interesting to all, es- pecially to those without ready access to the original. GUAVA. Psidium Guaiva . This sub-tropical plant, a native of South America, is more or less culti- vated in most of the Peninsula coun- ties of Florida. In tropical countries, and even in the extreme southern counties, it is, or may be trained into a tree fifteen to twenty feet high, of eX' ceeding beauty. Its dark shining foliage, pendulous branches, numer- ous white flowers, contrasted with the bright yellow of the fruit ; together fiUAVA. 205 with the smooth, close bark of the trunk, like the Crape Myrtle, makes the Guava an attractive ornament to any grounds, Where liable to injury from frosts, the Guava is cultivated in bush form ; numerous stems spring up from the same root. The flovyers are solitary, or three together in the axils of the upper leaves; white, and quite fragrant. The fruit, of various shapes and sizes, begins to mature in warm latitudes early in June, and the flowering, fruiting and maturing continue without interruption until December. AVliere frosts sometimes kill down the bushes, the bearing time is delayed to July, and even August. Fruit has been gathered the last of August, by the Author, from the new growth of a root, whose stems had been killed down to the ground by the cold of the previous winter, whence it is in- ferred, that under proper treatment a small crop may be obtained, though the bush is killed every year, or every two or three years. Such a result has been secured in southern Texas. Complete protection must be afforded for several years, in places where the plant is liable to be killed, until the roots have thoroughly established themselves. The soil, if practicable, should be alluv- ial, oily, and moist from fertility, and the plants copiously watered in dry weather. The Guava is usually propagated from seeds, which is readily done, and the plant will bear fruit in two years. It is safer, however, to propagate by cuttings, or better still, by layers where it can be done conveniently. Strangers to this fruit turn away from it in disgust at first, but it is surprising how kindly and voraciously even they take to it after a little perseverence, especially when reduced to the ex- 206 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. tremity of Guava or ?io/rwi^. A relish for it is thus formed, which is exceeded by that for no other fruit. Even those accus- tomed to the most luscious peaches, have, after acquiring a taste for Guavas, unhesitatingly given the preference to Guavas and milk, over that rarely equalled dish, " fresh milk and peaches." And since peaches do not succeed well south of about 29° 30', this popular substitute should receive the consideration it so deservedly merits. The seeds are hard, small, angular, very abundant and distrib- uted all through the pulp, after the manner of figs. They seem to be greatly in the way in the first efforts of Guava eating, but the annoyance as such, soon ceases. The principal cultivated varieties are called miliforyne, apple- shaped, smd 2^yrifo7'mc, pear-shaped, from the form of the fruit. Cattley's, Psidiim Cattleyanum, though imported from China, was doubtless carried there from South America. This is a purple or claret colored Guava, and appears to be more highly esteemed in India than any other. It is claimed to be much more hardy than any other, which should strongly commend it to growers in the northern districts of our State. This kind, although smaller than the common Guava, is remarkably fruitful. It also contains more acid, and on that account would probably be better adapted for making jelly. Says an Eastern cultivator, *' It is perhaps the most perfect and graceful evergreen that an amateur of plants ought to desire, or even can possess." Straavberry : About as large as a medium sized peach, of pale yellow color, whose soft pulp possesses the delicious fra- grance and flavor of the Strawberry. A very choice kind. Guinea Guava: P. Guinense: Kepresented to be of about JAPAN PERSIMMON. 207 the size of the preceding, and "of exquisite taste." Besides the jell}^ made from the Giiava, a popular sweetmeat wherever known, is Guava marmalade, of which most every one is fond. For fruit rolls, or old-fashioned dumplings, it is not •excelled by any other fruit. JAPAN PERSIMMON, or DATE PLUM. Diospyros kaki. The opinion entertained by some persons that this is a tropical plant is entirely unfounded, since its successful culture in the •" cotton growing belt of the Southern States," is claimed to have been abundantly tested, and well established. It is said to have been carried from Japan to California by a United State naval officer, some ten or fifteen years ago, but its 208 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. introduction to the fruit growers and nurserymen of this State is of a much more recent date. Firminger, under the name Date Plum, speaks of it as a native of China, where the tree, of large proportions, bears abundant crops " in the neighborhood of Calcutta." He describes the fruit, which ripens during the month of August, as " about the size of a large Apple, with twin almond-like stones in the center." The genus to which this species of hardwood belongs, includes also the East Indian ebony, D. ebenaster ; Ceylon ebony, D. ebenum ; and a beautiful cabinet wood of Ceylon, D. gmesita. There is no question of the rapidly increasing popularity of the Japan Persimmon, as its many good qualities become better known. In Japan, where it is held in high esteem, both dried and fresh, there are said to be as many varieties as of the Apple in this country, and quite as susceptible of improvement by intelli- gent cultivation. The dried fruit, put up after the manner of the Smyrna Fig, is pronounced far superior in flavor, and it is not improbable that, prepared in this way, it will become an important ex^iort from Florida. The general appearance of the fruit is similar to that of a large smooth Tomato. In color it is a bright red, or delicate crimson, and of various sizes and shapes. Like its American kinsman, it is quite astringent in its premature state, and its flavor is also said to be improved by exposure to a light frost. This however cannot be permitted when it is designed to keep them fresh for any length of time, since the frost will induce early decay. JAPAN PERSIMMON. 209 The productiveness of this fruit tree is no less remarkable than the early age at which it begins to beai-. The statement of its not being uncommon " to see a one year v>ld tree planted in the spring, producing a crop of from twenty to fifty Persimmons the following year," would scarcely be credited if made by a less careful cultivator than P. J. Berckmans, of Augusta, Ga., to whom Florida is much indebted for fruit favors. The only reliable method of propagation is by grafting and budding on to the native Persimmon, which are grown in nur- series from the seed for the purpose. The eff(jrts of those who have attempted to propagate from seed have generally resulted m vexation and disappointment. In the first place, it is difficult to procure seed of the better varieties, because they are mostly seedless, and where that objection has been overcome, the flowers in most instances were sterile. So that grafting or budding will be found more economical, and much more satisfactory. Mr. Berckmans recommends, and describes the following var- ieties as probably the best, two of which are known by several names. Among: round, nearly globular, orange red, two and a half inches in diameter, exceedingly prolific, keeps late. Hackeya ; also called Tomato, Imperial, etc., usually oblong? though globular specimens are quite numerous; two and a half to three and a half inches in diameter; orange red, good quality and keeps late. Hyahume, called also Pound, Seedless, Tanenashi, Mimokaki, etc., very large, nearly globular, deep orange red, three inches in diameter, and nearly always seedless ; keeps late. KuROKUMo; round, somewhat flattened and ribbed, of a 14 210 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. bri^lit Vermillion color and averages three inches in diameter. Z[XGi : the smallest of the list, nearly globular, averages two incht-s; pulp quite dark, very sweet and rich, best quality ; very piod 'ctive and matures during October. KUMQUAT—OTAHEITE ORANGE. Citrus Japonica. This popular little tree, bearing miniature Oranges is a native of China, but has been successfully grown in this State as a garden ornament. It is a profuse bearer, and its fruit, though not larger than a Damson Plum, is used by some persons for making preserves. It can be propagated by budding, grafting, layering, or by seeds. Mr. Fortune remarks, " in order to succeed with it as well as the Chinese do, one little fact should be kept in view, viz: that all the plants of the Orange tribe which bear fruit in a small state, are grafted." Which fact may be turned to good account in orchard cultivation, where trees are much more plentiful than suitable spots of land to grow them upon. Quicker moneyed returns may also be obtained by acting upon the above sug- gestion. LOQUAT. Eriohotrya Japonica. This tree, native of the far east, was some years ago introduced into Leon county, of this State, from New Orleans, under the name "Japan Plum." ORANGE. 211 It has been tried iu many parts of the State with fair success. A small but very handsome tree having thick leathery lanceo- late leaves, whose upper surface is finely polished, and the lower with a brownish d(.wn. As an ornament alone to the garden or yard it is much prized. The flowers appear in upright bunches, of a creamy white color, and a most delightful fragrance. The fruit is in clusters almost as close as grapes, about as large as a good sized plum, with a thick skin of a dull roseate or pink- ish color. The pulp is fleshy like t^'e Plum, in the center of which is the stone or seed of varying size. . There are no distinct varieties given, yet there is very manifest differeace in the flavor as w'ell as the size of the fruit as grown in this State, and also in its native land. Some trees producing sweet agreeable fruit, while that from others is entirely too acid to be palatable. It is believed that the flavor can be greatly modified by culti- vation, especially by a copious supply of water, if the weather be dry, between the flowering and maturing periods, with an occa- sional application to the roots of good liquid manure. The LoQUAT comes readily from the seed, which should be planted very soon after they are taken from the fruit. It would be better to rely upon budding or grafting from known choice kinds. THE ORANGE. Citrus Aurantiiim. This is undoubtedly the great staple fruit of Florida. A native 212 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. of Asia, it was introduced into Europe by the Portuguese in the fourteenth century. By some, the word " Citrus " is supposed to have been derived from " Citron," the name of a little town in Judea. Except in orangeries and conservatories, Orange culture in Europe has from climatic requirements been chiefly confined to the Latin races, and by them extended into all parts of the world favorable to its growth and development. The bitter and sour Orange trees growing wild in the rich hammock and bottom lands of east and south Florida, are known as the Seville Orange, the seeds of which were doubtless brought over by the early Spanish navigators. All the sweet varieties are believed to have sprung from this wild race, transformed by the wonderful effects of cultivation. In Italy, under the name " Cedrangulo," it is highly esteemed for grafting or budding the sweet varieties upon; preferred on account of its superior hardness. varieties. The varieties of the sweet Orange are quite numerous ; among which may be named Silver, Egg, White, Navel, Maltese^ Mandarin, Nonpareil, St. Michael's, etc., of foreign im- portation, and the unsurpassed South Florida, or Indian River Orange, the seeds of which most likelj^ came from Cuba. SOIL, SITUATION, ETC. The best soil is a deep, rich loam, sufl[iciently loose or porous to admit air as well as water to the roots, and the situation elevated enough to keep the roots out of stagnant water. Many erron- eously conclude, because the wild Orange sometimes inhabits wet places, that low situations are best adapted to it. In such localities, however, it rarely attains to the dignity of a tree, no matter how old, even when not liable to the objection of being ORANGE. 213 over-crowded. The most thrifty wild groves are found in high hammocks and the more elevated bluffs of lakes and water- courses, where the soil abounds in vegetable matter, often inter- mixed with decomposing shells, or other forms of lime. PROPAGATION. This is effected by budding, and from seeds. Grafting is sel- dom practiced, as budding is simpler and generally successful- There is a sort of compound of the two, called "side-grafting," or " bud-grafting," much in use. It consists in making a diag- onal incision across the stock or trunk — inserting an end of the scion, previously sharpened like a wedge, between the bark and the wood, and binding as in ordinary budding. The best time for budding is as early in Spring as practicable, while the sap is freely circulating and the tree in a thriving con- dition. This gives a long growing season to the new bud, and enables it to withstand the cold of the succeeding winter better than the tender, succulent shoots of midsummer or autumn. It requires seven to eight years after the seed is deposited in the ground before the appearance of fruit. This for the general rule ; of course there are exceptions. The soil for a seed bed should be very rich, and the seeds sown in drills eighteen inches apart as thick as English Peas. A brush arbor to protect the young plants from the noonday sun, after warm weather sets in, will be of advantage. AVhen one year old, transplant into the nursery in rows three to four by two to two and a half feet, res- pectively. Sweet seedling stocks have been more extensively used of late years for budding upon than sour ; and the superior hardness 214 GARDKMXfi IN FT.OKIDA. cL.iuud for the 'atter is staitly cl nitd hy orange growers of 1 ng* experience and intelligence. A i'oiir or five }ear old stock may le made to bear in two years by using buds from a healti.y, full bearing tree. This has the effect of dwarfing the trees, anrl consequently tlu y may be placed much nearer together in the grove. Some have adopted this plan for getting early returns — planting over one hundred tret s to the acre. AXALY.siS OF THE ORAXGE. Roof. Stew. Leaves. Fruit. SeecL Potassa 15 43 11. 09 1H.51 36.42 40.28 .Soda ■. 4.52 3 07 1.68 11.42 0.92 Lime 49.89 55.13 56.38 24.52 18.97 Magne.sia 6.91 6.34 5.72 8.06 8.74 Sesquioxide of Iron 1.02 0.57 0.52 0.46 0.80 Sulphuric Acid 5.78 4 ('4 4.43 3.74 5.10 Silicic Acid 1,75 1.22 4.83 0.44 1.13 Phosphoric Acid 13.47 17.09 3.27 11 07 23.24 Chloride of Sodium 1.18 0.25 6 66 3.87 82 From which it appears that ground bones — to furnish phos- phoric acid and lime, and wood ashes tlie potassa — are tine prin- cipal mineral constituents required by the Orange. Excellent^ results are obtained from the droppings of cnttle, or cov-pennhig, as better known in the stock district^;. Muck, composted with stable manure, cotton seed and gypsum, makes a valuable fertil- izer. There are also special manures manufactured by dealers^ which answer a good ])urpo3e. Almost every ene has a favorite fertilizer. Ours, ibr this and fruit trees generally, is ground bones liberally broadcast and plowed in the beginning of spring, with at least one good crop of pea vines turned under the latter part of summer. ORANC4E. 215^ SETTING OUT. After ii thorough preparation of the soil by grubbing, plowing, manuring, etc., the ground is staked off in rectantrular or dijigonal rows thirty feet each way. The dimensions of the holes .'hould be regulated by the size of the trees to be planted, care being taken to provide ample room for the roots, and not to sf t the tree deeper in the ground than it originally stood. Formerly the " rainy season " was considered the only ti;iie il»r traus})lanting Orange trees with safety, but intelligent ob>( t va- tion, supported by numerous successful experiments, has ii| set this theory. The Orange tree possesses so much vitality ihia it may be removed short distances, with judicious managemt nt, at any time. But the winter season, after the descent of the .^a;*, is the most propitious, especially when large trees are to be handled, and the transportation considerable. Cojiious watering, during the process, and heavy mulching afterward, should n^^t be neglected, more ])articularly if the warai season is selects- ! fjr the operation. CULTURE. Much diversity of opinion prevails as to the best manner of cultivating a grove, both before and after it comes into be.. ring. The main object is, or should be, to keep the ground mellow and open, not only to supply the roots with air and moisture, i)Ut to encourage them in roaming about in quest of food. It i.s bad policy to expose the naked ground to the scorching rays of the sun during the long hot summer. It sh«yuld be shaded by some covering. Field peas are admirable for the purpose ; but even grass and weeds, except immediately around the trees, would 216 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. prove far less detrimental than the burning effects of the sun on the denuded surface. One or two plowings in the sj^rino- when fertilizers are applied, and again in the fall, to turn under the green crop of pea vines or grass, will, with the use of the hoe to clean immediately around the trees, give abundant cultivation. TIME OF BEARING, ETC. In a budded grove, where the buds are taken from bearing trees, and the stocks four to five years old, fruit may be expected in two years. A grove of seedlings, the trees of which were four years old when transplanted, will begin to bear in about four years thereafter. The first crop ranges from a single Orange to thirty or forty per tree, increasing with more or less rapidity each succeeding year. Trees do not yield much revenue until ten ov twelve years old, nor reach their maximum of production under thirty years from the seed. In groves numbering from 500 to 1,000 trees, 1,000 oranges per tree at fifteen years old would be an excellent average. LeCONTE PEAR. There is no fruit in Florida, the Orange alone excepted, that excites more interest at present than the LeConte Pear. And therefore, as one of the very valuable market products of this State, especially to the Northern, and elsewhere clay sub-soil dis- tricts, I deem it but just to devote a few words to its history and treat tiient. It was introduced into Liberty county, Georgia, in 1856, by LE CONTE PEAR. 217 Major John LeCoiite, who bought it of some Northern nursery- man for a seedling of the Chinese Sand Penr, which it was LE CONTE PEAR. labele*], and from which circumstance it is to this day incorrectly called the " LECo^TE, or Sand Peae," in many places, whereas ills GAEDEXrNG IN FLORIDA. it is totally distinct and different from the '' Sand Pear," which is of little or no value as a fruit. For a long tiine the good qualitit^s of this Pear were over- looked, from tlie tact of its coming into bearing about tlie break- ing out of the late civil war. The country is largely indebted to Captain Varnadoe, of Thomasville, Ga., for the development of the LeConte Pear ; and its history as a market product of great value is such as as to commend it to every one living within the favored region of its successful growth. It is a hybrid, and must, therefore, be propagated by cuttings or slips, by budding or gralting. The cuttings should be about one foot in length, and placed so deep in the soil as to leave lut but two buds. The rows may be twelve to tighteen inches Jipart and the cuttings three or four inches in the I'ow. AVhen one year old, they are transferred to the nurt-ery and planted about three by three feet, and left to gn)V/ am ther year before Hnal removal to the orchard ; or they may, if preferred, be renioved directly from the cutting beil to the orchard. In either case, the long switch stem should he cut off two to three feet fr^m the ground, divided into twe've-ineh ^lips, and planted out in tl:e cutting bed. The trees begin to hear in f lur or five yenrs from the rooting of the cuttings, but do not become remunerative until seven or eight years old. xVt ten years, it is said they attain a height of twenty-five feet, and a width of top of as muny feet, and bear ten to fifteen bushels. It is further stated that, at fifteen years old, the width 'd'top i-earhes thirty-five feet, so that it would be man- ifestly unwise to plant the trees in the orchard nearer tog< ther thau forty feet each way. LE CONTE PEAR. 21^? As to the fruit itself, it is very palatable, and has steadily ad- vanced in price in market from 852.25 to upwards of $5.00 j^er bushel crate. From the fact of its having a tough skin, it bears shipping admirably. While it is claimed that the LeConte Pear will flourish in sand as well as clay soils, there is little doubt that a subsoil of clay is to be preferred. The natural inclination of this tree is to grow too much like the Lombardy Poplar, hence the pruning must l,e to induce as much horizontal growth as possible. As a guide for fertilizing, the following analysis of the com- mon Pear is given : ANALYSIS. S(ip- wood. Potash 22.25 Soda 1.84 Chlorine 0.31 Sulphuric Acid 0.50 Phosphate of Limo 2722 Phosphate Peroxide Iron 0.81 Carbonic Acid 27. G9 Lime 12.04 Magnesia 3.00 Silex 0.30 Coal 0.17 Organic Matter 4.03 From which it appears that wood ashes, ground bcnes and vegetable matter should be freely used as fertilizers. Very satisfactory experiments have been made in grafting the Bartlett and other varieties of Pear upon the LeConte stock. Its habits of rapid, vigorous growth, render it peculiarly fitted for this purpose. Heari- Bark of IVOdd. Trunk. 26.94 6.20 0.21 1.70 0.45 1.80 20.40 6.50 0.80 25.48 37.29 13.14 30.36 2 93 9.40 0.30 0.40 12.00 0.65 5.00 4.20 2'^0 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. Should it turn out that the successful cultivation of the Le- -CoNTE Pear is to be restricted to the older sections of the State, thereby offsetting the more tender products of the Southern por- tion, it will be only another instance cf the equal and impartial distribution of her priceless gifts, by that friend of mankind — Dame Nature. Whether as a desert fruit, a sweetmeat, or evaporated for cul- inary purposes, this pear must rank high among the remunera- tive crops of Florida, and continue to advance in popular favor, until some formidable enemy springs up to remind us that neither Pear, nor Orange is exempt from the universal curse of Eden. STRAWBERRY. Fragaria. The universal popularity of this delicious berry is calling forth great effort in all places favorable to its production ; and the prominent place it already occupies among the profitable market garden products of Florida, will justify the insertion of a few hints respecting its culture in this treatise. Twenty-five years years ago, Charles A. Peabody, a noted hor- ticulturist of Columbus, Ga., was regarded as the prince of Strawberry growers in the South, and his truly wonderful success well entitled him to that distinction. Many new theories of culture have doubtless been put in practice since that period. If, however, the yield per acre, earliness, and length of the bear- ing season may be taken as the j^roper criteria by which to judge the value o-fa system of cultivation, there is none now in opera- tion superior to that Mr. Peabody pursued. It was briefly this : STRAWBERRY. 2 2 1 Select a rich sandy loam — new land, and bordering on a stream of water if practicable. Break up the ground thoroughly with a plow, and lay off the rows two feet apart. Set out the plants two feet distant in the row, in the proportion of seven rows of pistillate to one of hermaphrodite. Suffer the runners to grow the first season, but never afterwards, except where new plants are desired. Go through the bed in the fall with the hoe thin- ning out the plants to eight or ten inches apart, at which distance they must be kept ever afterward. Leave the cut-up vines to decay on the ground. After this operation of thinning, cover the bed with partially decayed leaves from the forest, or sea- weed, or cut-up straw. The winter rains will beat down this covering, and the fruit germ make its way through on the ap- proach of the first mild weather of early spring. When the blossoms begin to appear, wood ashes may be used to great advantage. Should the weather be dry at this time, apply water^ not to benefit the vine, as the ground may indicate sufficient moisture, but to fix the fruit — to prevent the pollen from escap- ing without performing its functions of impregnation. Mr. Peabody ascribed his success in producing early and abundant crops, and in prolonging the bearing season to six, and even ten months, to a judicious use of water in dry weather* The water should be applied through the nose of a watering pot* or syringe — in the form of rain and never by flowing. Never use animal, or any heating manure such as cotton seed, without facilities for watering freely and continuously. Veget- able matter, as leaf mold, or virgin soil, will bo found far better. Mr. Peabody stated that his Strawberry beds, by his treat- ment, lasted twelve years. '222 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. E. P. Roe, of New York, mentions that his " oldest beds of the Sharpless did the best;" and that a bed of the Charles Downing, if given good care, will last five years. More than ten years before Peabody's day, the Strawberry was grown in Middle Florida, upon very much the same princi- ples, and with similar results. It should be borne in mind, that after the field or plat is once set with vines the distance they are to permanently grow, a ceaseless war should be waged against all runners, or else the .-supply of fruit will be much diminished. For propagation, remember that runners produce precisely like kinds, including sex, while seed do not. The sexual character of the Strawberry should be well un- derstood. There are three kinds, the staminate, or perfect male, the pistillate or perfect female, and the hermaphrodite, possess- ing both stamens and pistils. The hermaphrodite is generally employed as an impregnator for the pistillate or female, from the fact that while it answers the purpose as well as the staminate, it also bears fruit. The staminate bears little or no fruit. It makes quite a display of flowers, howerer, and they are larger than the other kinds. The pistillate is the most pro- ductive when placed sufficiently near either of the other kinds. Some cultivators use only the hermaphrodite. It is important that transplanting, or setting out, should be done as early in autumn as the weather will admit. Cool days and plenty of moisture are required. In this climate transplant- ing may be continued all through the winter months. VARIETIES. Without experimental acquaintance with varieties of very PRorA(4ATroN. 223 recent date, I can only repeat what others say of them. Several are claimed to possess great excellence as to size, flavor, produc- tiveness and shipping qualities. The BiDWELL is represented to be be one of the very best in every respect. Hervey Davis. Another new and much praised variety. Of the standard varieties with which the general class of culti- vators are more familiar, may be mentioned Wilson's Albany, SlIARPLESS, JUCUNDA, HoVEY's SeEDLING, ETC. PROPAGATION BY Budding, Grafting, Layering, Inarching, Etc, There is no State in the Union, and probably no country in the world where the various methods of propagating j^lants and trees other than by seeds are more in request than they are in Florida. This is due to several reasons. One is the large variety of val- uable fruit and ornamental trees. Another is the necessity laid upon almost every fruit grower to become his own operator. And another may be found in the high order of intelligence which characterizes our fruit-growing population as a class. A large proportion of them having acquired the means of indulging those horticultural proclivities which as a rule possess the hearts of men, usually in the lengthening shadoiv period of life. They 224 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. come among us ready to learn, and eager to apply upon their own grounds whatever Avill contribute to the useful, the novely and the beautiful ; and at the same time furnish them with active, out-door employment, both profitable and in every respect congenial. In the following; descriptions of the different modes of pro|)a- gation, 1 have followed the accounts given by C. W. Johnson^ Gouverneur Emerson, D'Albret, Loudon, Lindley, Firminger, American Cycloptedia and others — frequently using their lan- guage literally. BUDDING. While the same object is attained in budding as in grafting^ the former is generally preferred in most cases, for the following reasons : It is more expeditious. Stocks may be budded at an earlier age than they could be grafted ; several trials njay be made the same season, thereby multiplying the chances of suc- cess, and there is less injury inflicted by abortive efforts. Half grown children soon learn to bud with skill and success. That budding and grafting " can only be performed within certain physiological limits," is a well established fact ; but pre- cisely what these limits are is not positively and definitely deter- mined. " In general all the species of one genus may be grafted on another reciprocally, but this is not universally the case, for the Apple cannot be grafted on the Pear, at least not for any useful purpose." The graft soon perishes. Again, while it may be assumed that " all the species of a nat- ural order, or at least of a tribe, may be grafted on one another^ even this does not hold good universally. The reverse, however, of this doctrine viz : that the species belonging to different nat- BUDDING. 225 ural orders cannot be grafted one on another, holds almost uni- vefsally true ; and therefore a safe practical conclusion is that in choosing a stock, the nearer in affinity the species to which that stock belongs is to the sci' n ^^or bud), the more certain will be the success." " Budding consists in introducing the bud or eye of one plant with a portion of bark and wood adhering to it, beneath the bark of another plant b )tanically related. In order to effect this, a longitudinal incision is made through the bark of the stock dawn to the wood, and is then crossed at the upper end by a sim- ilar cut, so that the whole would resemble the letter T ; the bark is raised on each side' of the cut, by the ivory blade of the budding knife, or a substitute made out of bone or ivory, and the stock is ready. Taking the stick of buds in his left hand, the operator inserts his knife above the bud, bringing it (Ui below% so as to cut a\vay the bud, a portion of the bark, and a part of the wood." More particularly : Holding the cutting or scion in one hand, the thickest end outward, and with the knife in the other hand, enter it about half an inch or more below a bud, cutting nearly half-way into the w^ood of the shoot, continuing it with one clear slanting cut about half an inch or more above the bud, so deep as to take a part of the Avood along with it ; the w^hole being an inch and a half long — then placing the bud thus prepared between your lips to keep moist, use the ivory haft to raise the lips of the upper part of the slit, insert the 15 22 > GARDENING IN FLORIDA. lower end of the bud and push gently down, being careful to see that the bud lies flat against the naked wood. The next opera- tion is to cut of the top part off the shield ( Fig b) even with the horizontal cut, in order to let it completely into its place, and to join exactly the upper edge of the shield with the transverse cut» that the descending sap may immediately enter the back of the shield, and protrude granulated matter between it and the wood, so as to effect a living union. The parts are no^v to be immediately bound round with a lig- ament of bass or other suitable material, previously soaked in water, to render pliable and tough, beginning a little belo^v the bottom of the perpendicular slit, proceeding upward closely around every part except the eye of the bud, and continue it a little above the horizontal cut, not too tight, but just sufticient to keep the whole close, and exclude the sun, air and wet." " In a fortnight at farthest, after budding, such as have ad- hered may be known by their fresh appearance at the eye ; and in three weeks all those which have succeeded well, will be firmly united with the stocks, and the parts being somewhat swelled in some species, the bandage must be loosened, and a week or two afterward finally removed." A bud is an organized plant in embryo, with roots, branches, and foliage, and, like a seed, possesses individual vitality, capable of development and the re-production of its species. The process of budding is the transferring this embryo plant from its parent tree to another tree which must at least be of the same genus if eg: of the same species. The Apricot and Nectarine may be and generally are budded upon the Peach ; the Plum and the Peach are budded upon each « BUDDING. 227 other; and the Pear and Apple may be worked upon the wild €rab and Hawthorn. The Pear is put on to the Quince to pro- duce dwarf trees. To render the transfer or budding successful, three things are requisite, 1. The bud must be in proper condition ; it should be matured, that is of full growth, and yet not so hard and firm as to cause injury in s. parating it from its parent. 2. The stock must be in condition to receive and nourish it. It must peel freely, as this is necessary for the insertion of the bud, and indicates the presence of what is termed the Cambium ; which is the soft, partially formed woody matter underlying the bark, and which ripens into indurated wood. 3. The operation must be skillfully performed. As the Cam- bium is the source of nourishment to the bud, and the bond of union between it and the stock, great care must be used to avoid injury specially to it, and also to the bark. Both stock and graft should be in a thrifty growing state, and for the Citrus tribe, the earlier in the Spring the better, always provided the essential conditions are complied with. A cloudy day is desir- able, but showery and intensely warm weather are unfavorable. In the South of France, Orange growers make the transverse slit at the bottom instead of the top of the perpendicular cut. By this method it is said the bud rarely fails to " take^'' because, it is alleged, it receives abundance of the descending sap, which it cannot receive when it is under the cross cut. Since the bud is to be nourished at first by the leaves above it on the stock, the best place to insert it is close beneath some leaf (in activity, it is not therefore the most open and smooth part of the stock which is to be selected, as commonly advised. 22S GARDENING IN FLORIDA. For the same reason it might appear injudicious to shorten the branches into which the bud is inserted, but if the shoot is not topped, the rising sap will be attracted to the youngest leaves and expened in their increase, while on the other hand, if the shoot is topped the sap will be forced laterally into the buds already forming on its si les, and the new bud will participate in this advantage. The better plan therefore would be to cut away only a part of the shoot into which a bud is introduced, until it gets under full headway of growth. When however the budding is deferred too late in the season, no cutting or heading in should be allowed before Spring, as the object should be to encourage a dormant, quiescent state for fear of injurious cold. A portion of the leaf, if small, or of the foot-stalk, if large, should be left. There is another mode of budding of ancient date but now obsolete. It is called flute-budding, and consists of peeling off a ring of bark from the stock just below a terminal bud, replacing it by a similar ring with a bud or two upon it taken from a scion, and then binding down. This is performed only in the Spring. It is said to be quite suceessful. Square Shield Budding is another mode and is thus de- scribed by D'Albret : " From a strong tree remove a square patch ; raise from a strong branch another piece of the same shape, but larger and furnished with an eye; fit this piece into the place of the first, and cover it with a piece of paper pierced with a hole for the eye, securing the whole by a ligature. This, is to be employed with trees of very thick bark and large eyes such as Walnut and Mulberry." And doubtless Pecans and other nuts. GRAFTING. 229 European gardeners are particular to remove every pardcle of ^wood from the bud, resorting t ) the use of a silk thread or fine wire to run under the bark, where difficulty is experienced in slipping it off with the thumb nail as commonly practiced. In our country, repeated experiments have led to the conclusion that the wood is not only not hurtful, but is of positive advan- tage in several respects. GRAFTING. Grafting, like Budding, is designed to form a union between plants and trees classed under the same natural order. It does tnot aim to effect this union by applying the inner surface of the bark of the scion to the outer surface of the wood of the stock, as in Budding, but it is done by bringing the Avood of the two in .contact, and joining their bark at the edges. " As a general rule, Grafting is most successful when the scions are quite dormant, but the forces of vegetation in the stock are .active. Fruit tree scions may be cut at any time after the fall of the leaf before the buds begin to swell, and kept in damp sand >or sawdust. Before beginning operaticms provide wax for spreading over the bandages (a paint brush is best for doing this) to keep out the weather. Several formulas are given for preparing grafting wax. The following is from an English horticultural journal : " Take twenty-seven ounces of common rosin, and when re- •duced by a slow heat to the consistency of a syrup, add ten .ounces of alcohol. Shake th(»roughly and pour the mixture into a well stopped vial. When the graft is inserted and tied in its place with a strand of matting, cover the surface of the whole with this mixture which is not affected by heat, cold or wet " 280 CiARDENING IN FLORIDA. Lindley gives two recipes. One is simply a mixture of equal parts of tallow and beeswax^ laid on while warm, with a paint brush. The other is much better. " Take four parts by weight of pitch, four of rosin, two of bees- wax, one of hog's lard, and one of turpentine, melted and well mixed. When this or so-ne similar composition is spread on brown paper, it forms grafting paper as it is sometimes termedy which being cut into slips can be easily applied." Some operators use a mixture of fresh cow^ manure and clay^ bringing it by thoroughly mixing with water to ab )ut the con- sistency of soft mortar. I make a wax somewhat similar to that produced from Lindley's second recipe^ Indeed the only difference is I do not use jntch. There are very many methods of Graft- ing, each with its special advocate. And where there is such a field fur operating as our State presents, we should be pre- pared to adopt the one best suited to the particular case in hand. Whip, or Toxgue Grafting is per- haps the most common kind, and is per- formed " by sloping one side of the stock — which should be about the same size as- the scion — with the knife, to a very acute angle. A scion, having two or more buds, is cut with a slope to correspond with that ■ GRAFTING. 231 upon the stock ; then upon each slope or cut surface is cut a tongue; the scion and stock are locked together by nitans of these tongues in a manner that will be understood by an exami- nation of the etigraving. The barks (>f both being made to cor- respond, a piece of waxed cloth or waxed twine is wound rrund them to hold them in place. After the graft pushes its buds, the binding should be loosened and finally removed when the adhesion is completed. This method is used in root grafting, and may be practised also with flowering shrubs." Although more tedious than the preceding, Saddle Graft- ing is said to be far better. It is tiius described by Lindl'-^y : " Pare the stock obliquely on both sides, till it becomes an in- verted wedge, then slit the scion up the center, and pare its i^ides down until they fit the sidts of the stock. In t'ds method, the greatest possible quantity of celluljir sur- face is brought into contact, and the parts are n.utu- ally so adjusted that the ascending sap is freely re- ceived from the stock by the scion, while at the i/ \%} same time the descending sap can flow freely from '/cfYA the scion into the stock." To execute Saddle Grafting properly the t^cioii and stock should be of the same size, and where that t cannot be, a second method where the scion nirv be iiii . . . .' i much smaller than the stock is described by Khi^dit. I •' ^ f It is never attempted until the usual season of 'jraft- ing is past, and the bark is readily detached h-vi.i the alburnum. Cut the head of the stock oft' by a single stroke of the knife, obliquely, so that the incision commences 232 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. about the width of the diameter below the point where the medulla appears in the section, and ends as much above it on the opposite side. The scion, which should not exceed in diam- eter half that of the stock, is then to be divided longitudinally about two inches upward from its lower end, into two unequal divisions, by passing the knife upwards just in contact with one side of the medulla The stronger division of the scion is then to be pared thin at its lower extremity, and intro- duced between the bark and wood of the stock; and the more slender division is fitted to the stock upon the opposite sicle. The scion consequently stands astride the stock to which it attaches itself firmly upon each side, and which it covers completely in a single season. What U called Herbaceous Grafting depends entirely upon the .^ame principles as common Grafting. In order to secure success in Herbaceous Grafting, the scion and stock, being pared so as to fit together accurately, are firmly bound to each other, without being crushed ; parts in full vegetation and abounding in sap are always chosen for the operation, such as the upper parts of annual shoots, near the terminal bud ; perspiration is diminished by the removal of some of the leaves of both stock and scion, and by shading, and by degrees as the union becomes secured, buds and leaves are removed from the stock, in order that all the sap possible may be impelled into the scion. This method, if well managed, succeeds completely in about thirty days, and is useful as a method of nuiltiplying lactescent, resin- ous, and hard wooded trees, which refuse to obey more common methods." Cleft Grafting is the most common, and is generally a very GRAFTING. 233 Hiccessful method of propagation, whether applied to trunk or branch. " The stock is cut off horizontally with a saw, and pared smooth with a knife ; then with the grafting knife and a mallet make a cleft or spUt some two inches long. The scion is prepared by sloping its lower end in the form of a wedge about an inch and a half long. The cleft being kept open with a wedge, the sci,500' Governor's Private Secretary " 500 Lieutenant Governor, 10c mileage and " 500' Lieutenant Governor is ex-officio President of the Senate. State Officers. Secretary of State Salary, $2,000 Attorney General " 2,000 Adjutant General " 2,000 Superintendent Public Instruction " 2,000 Comptroller General " 2,000 Comptroller's Clerk " 1,200 Treasurer • " 2,000 Treasurer's Clerk " 1,200 Commissioner of Lands and Immigration " 2,000 These officers are appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate. state officers. 241 Commissioners of State Institutions : The Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comp- troller General, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Adjutant General, and Commissioner of Lands and Immigration. Board of Education. Superintendent of Public Instruction, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. Board of Pardons. The Governor, Justices of the Supreme Court, and Attorney General. Trustees of Internal Improvement Fund. The Governor, Comptroller, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Commissioner of Lands and Immigration. A clerk is allowed at a salary of $1,200. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. There are two Congressional Districts, The First of which is composed of the counties of Escambia, Santa Kosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Calhoun, Franklin, Liberty, Gadsden, Wakulla, Leon, Jefferson, Taylor, Lafayette, Levy, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Polk, and Monroe. To THE Second District are assigned the counties of Mad- ison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Columbia, Alachua, Bradford, Baker, Nassau, Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Putnam, Sumter, Marion, Vo- lusia, Orange, Brevard and Dade. 16 242 GAKUENING IN FLORIDA. GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS OF THE STATE. West Florida consists of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Jackson and Calhoun counties. Middle Flokida embraces the counties of Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Lafayette, and Hamilton. East Florida includes the counties Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Nassau, Duval, Bradford, Clay, Levy, St. Johns, Put- nam, Alachua, and Marion. South Florida is composed of the counties Hernando, Sum- ter, Orange, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, Plillsborough, Manatee, Monroe, and Dade. NUMBER OF PLANTS TO AN ACRE. There are 43,560 square feet on an acre of ground, and if that number is divided by the product arising from multi})lying the distance of the rows apart, by the distance the plants are set in the row or drill, the quotient will be the number of plants on an acre ; and it is better to remember this than to be bothered with a table. Example : Suppose it is decided to set Cabbages two feet from each other, in rows three feet apart, and the number necessary to be provided to plant an acre is desired. You divide 43,560 by the product of 3x 2 which is 6, the quotient is 7,260, the required number to plant an acre 3x2. MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. i243 Parallelograms— Each Containing One Acre. de by 968 yards long equals one acre, de by 484 yards long equals one acre, de by 242 yards long equals one acre, de by 121 yards long equals one acre, de by 69 1-7 yards long equals one acre, de by 60 1-2 yards long equals one acre, de by 726 feet long equals one acre, de by 396 feet long equals one acre, de by 362 11-12 ft. long equals one acre, de by 198 feet long equals one acre, de by 181 1-2 feet long equals one acre, de by 99 feet long equals one acre. 5 yards w 10 yards w 20 yards w 40 yards w 70 yards w 80 yards w 60 feet 110 feet 120 feet 220 feet 240 feet 440 feet One ounce of seed will produce, of Asparagus, about five hundred plants. Cabbage, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Pepper and Tonmto, each about three thousand plants. Celery and Lettuce, each, about four thousand plants. WHAT MAKES A BUSHEL ARTICLES. POUNDS. Dried Apples ^6 Beans 60 Cow Peas 60 White Beans 60 Castor Beans 40 244 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. Buckwheat 52 Stone Coal 80 Shelled Corn 55 Corn in the Ear 70 Corn Meal 50 Onions 56 Dried Peaches, unpceled 36 Dried Peaches, peeled 40 Irish Potatoes GO Sweet Potatoes 50 Peas GO Coarse Salt 50 Fine Salt 55 Turnips 55 HOUSEWIFFS TABLE. Wheat Flour, one pound is one quart. Indian Meal, one pound two ounces is one quart. Butter, when soft, one pound is one quart. Brown Sugar, one pound two ounces is one quart. Loaf Sugar, one pound is one quart. Quantity of Paint to the Square Yard. New wood requires about one pound of paint to each square yard of surface for three coats. Powdered chalk added to common glue strengthens it. CEMENT8. 245 FORMULAS FOR CEMENTS. FOR BROKEN CHINA. Stir Plaster of Paris into a thick solution of Gum Arabic, till it becomes a viscous paste. Apply it with a brush to the frac- tured edges, and draw the parts closely together. In three or four days it may be used. DIAMOND CEMENT FOR CROCKERY. Glue one pound, white lead (dry) one quarter pound, one quart rain water, and half a pint of alcohol. Put the three first ingredients in a kettle, and set the kettle in a dish of water. Boil until the glue is dissolved, then add the alcohol and boil again until all become thoroughly mixed. Keep in well stopped bottles, and use in the same manner as glue. Should it become too hard, soften by placing the bottle in warm water. TRANSPARENT CEMENT FOR GLASS. Dissolve one part by weight of India rubber in sixty-four of chloroform, then add sixteen to twenty-four parts of powdered gum mastic. This should be kept warm for two days and shaken frequently. Apply with camel's hair or other fine brush. CEMENT FOR GLASS AND IRON UNDER WATER. Sift together one gill each of litharge, plaster of Paris, dry white sand, and one-third of a gill of rosin, finely powdered. Keep corked tightly and use as needed by mixing into a putty with linseed oil, and adding a little patent dryer. Mix each lot at least fifteen hours before using. After applying let it dry a few hours before letting on water. 246 GARDENING IN FLORIDA. WATER-PROOF GLUE. Render glue soft but not liquid in cold water, then dissolve it by gentle heat in linseed oil. It dries quickly and water will not affect it. A cement is made of two parts ashes, three of clay, one of sand mixed with oil. ERRATA. On page 29, second line from bottom, read Caula for Caulo. Page 42, first line, supply ivhere after the word market. Page 43, thirteenth line, the sentence should end with the word any, and there should bo simply a comma in place of the period after the word bean. Page 58, twelfth line near the end, read are for is. Page 65, first line, substitute a comma for a period after the word climate. Page 7H, sixth line, last word, read gathering for gardening. Page 85, second line, read Caula for Caulo. Page 88, eighth line from bottom read Cantaloupe for Cantatoupe. Page 92, supply do not at the beginning of the seventh line. Page 97, second line read rose for 7iose. Page 97, tenth line, near the end, supply on after the word come. Page 97, second line from bottom of page, read serve for season. Page 112, in last line of analysis, read silica for silicic. Page 122, third line from bottom of page read thinning for thining. Page 123, fourth line read shallot for shalot. Page 127, bottom line, read bedding for led ding. Page 138, fourth line, read its for their. Page 134, nineteenth line, read chestnuts for chesnuts. Page 145, seventeenth line, read contains for contain. Page 146, second line, read nutritious for nutritions. Page 155, fourth line from the bottom, read imply for apply. Page 160, fifteenth line, read civet for civit. Page 166, eighth line, read stameris for stamen. Page 213, seventh line read practised for practiced. Page 115, first line, omit the word himself. Page 197, sixth line from bottom, read consist for consists. Page 205, last line, read perseverance for perseverence. Page 213, last word on page, read hardiness for hardness. Page 225, top of page, read propagation for propogation. Page 231, third line from bottom, read albumen for alburnum. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS D0D0EE45D2H 9 // ^ / ^ly / 'r ^^^± '^^^. / y rw/y^^'^'^C