The Florida agriculturist. [volume], June 12, 1878, Image 1

About The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911

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The Florida Agriculturist.
A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO STATE INTERESTS.
Vol. 1.
Contents of this Number.
•’a no aS—The Japan Plum— Loquat; The
* •rwu Lake KciD ; Jacksonville Jottings.
Page:s4—Mv Little Wile ami l. poetry:
I lie Inwxie’s Party,poetry; Sanseript En
tertains the Pastor: Love’s Young Dream;
I’he Matrimonial Lottery; Subterranean
Water Courses; Recipes, etc.
Page 35—Atkekeoei; How to Dislodge
tings; Water for Strawberries; Women as
I'anners: Kain Gauges; Advertisements.
Pnge :*}—Editorials; (.'imiinunivatioas;
t.iKals, etc., etc.
Page :>7—Flortdiaua; The Dreaded Tar
smtnla; Market Report; Advertisements.
1 ’age !!8— Hints on Transplanting: Home
<ources of Manure: Bees; Cotton Picker;
Pea* as a Green Manure; Sand Pear vs.
•►ranges; Save Your Soapsuds; How to
apply Manure to Tree**; Roup Remedy;
Legal Notices.
Pgge St>—Across the Ocean; Adv’jnts.
Page 40- Telegraphic; Adv'mts.
THE JAPAN PLUM-loqua!,
The Japan plum, Me*pifrts Japonioa
is beginning to attract, much attention
in Florida, both on account of its ex
cellent fruit, and its licit; appearance
;ts a* ornamental tree. A person
seeing one lor the first lime usually
stops to gaze with adfmiratiou upon
its symmetrical shape, its magnificent
lunooolate leaves—often upward of a
foot in length, of the deepest, darkest,
green—and its sturdy curved branch
es each tipped with <the lighter and
more delicately tinted foliage of the
neu growth. Most trees put on their
flowi? robes in spring, and quickly
take’them oft’again, but this, with the
usual contrariness of everything anti
podean, begins to bloom in Septem
ber. and continues gay and fragrant
for > nearly three months. 'l’he small
JV* 7>v •.
- ii .large racemes at the end of every
r.wig and branch fill the air with a de
liciocs perfume. IThe fruit, which
yipens in March and April, a period
when fresh fruits are scarce, is about
the -size of pigeon’e egg, resembling
: n -shape and color e yellow' crab ap
ple, and grows in clusters of live to
thirty like bunches of amber grapes-
It w welting to the taste with a racy
hlcn lung of sweet and sour, like the
intermingling of a tart cherry with a
juicy apple and contains from one to
four.or five seeds. When first ripe it
has (i-sharp acid and in this state might
he best for culinary uses, but in a day
■.r two it becomes milder and more
palatcaUe and if left upon the tree the
vkiu slightly shrivels and becomes
dry and perfectly sweet. This ten
dency to shrivel and become mild and
dry instead of decaying as soon as
vine, as m usual with similar fruits,
makes it capable of becring transpor
tation to a distant market without in
ju jy. If carefully gathered and kept
••not and dry it may lie preserved for
-..everal week s in perfect condition.
The Japan plum grow# wild on the
mountain slojyo of central Asia. It
ha- - been cultivated in /apan from
time immemorial, and was brought
into southern Europe at a very early
period, indeed mention is trade of it
by ancient Homan writers. It was
first disseminated in the United Slates
by (’oiumodorc Perry on his return
from the Japan expedition. The fact
t hat so excellent a fruit should have
been so long known in Europe and
yet so lately naturalized among us,
should lead to perseverance in pro
curing and testing other foreign trees
and plants, as many may yet be found
which will fiourish here and prove
very desircablc and valuable. In
lower Louisiana it is being quite ex
tensively grown for the sake of its
fruit, which is there held in high es-
teem, out at present there are few
bearing trees in Florida, and many
native born Floridians have never
tasted nor ever seen it. Others have
tried hard to raise the trees, but with
discouraging lack of success. The
reason probably is that they have not
planted in congenial soil. It appears
not to do well on our high and dry
sandy lands, such as are usually select
ed for orange growing, neither is it
roliable upon very low heavy ham
mocks. In some cases it utterly re
ftises to grow at all; in others, often
flourishes for a time, it gradually be
comes diseased, the leaves drop off,
branches wither, the bark cracks and
peels from the trunk and the tree
finally dies out. The fruit also, if it
bears any, is generally small, mis
shaped and defective. But when
planted in moist heavy pine land, this
tree succeeds admirably, growing rap
idly and producing large and regular
crops of fine fruit. The experiment
is worthy of trial whether a sufficiency
of clay applied under and around a
tree on dry sandy land would not
remedy its natural defect. The
much abused low flat wood spine lands,
with dark compact subsoil, hardpan
or stiff clay underneath seem perfect,
lv congenial. In a favorable, locution
this tree is said to attain a large size
and to live many years, 'i’he only
insect enemy that I have observed
are the leaf rollers, which must be
carefully picked from the young trees.
These are worms w hich feed upon and
roll themselves an in the j.w* l
re tAav&iifaiTJCas am* j earth
ing the growth. They also eat into
the young fruit causing it to drop.—
The tree is able to withstand a much
greater degree of cold than the orange
and on account of tbe beauty of its
foliage, and the fragrance and long
continuance of its bloom, Is often
planted for ornament tar north of a
latitude mild enough to perfect the
fruit. While blooming it can endure
considerable frost without injury to
the incipient crop, but after the fruit
is partly grown such an exposure is
hazardous. For this reason,* in order
to bo profitable, it needs a mild situ
ation where there is little risk of hard
frost in rrtid-winter or spring. For
the same reason the late blooming
■sorts are the most certain, since be
fore the fruit becomes large enough to
sustain damage, the danger is nearly
over. Fruit forming very early is also
liable to destruction by the worms,
that disappear os cold weather sets in.
I have not as yet heard of any sys
tematic attempts to improvo the J apan
plum by originating, namiug and per.
potuating by budding, varieties of an
excellence above the average. Cer
tain it is, however, that the product
of some seedlings is far superior to
that of others, and when horticultu
rists turn their attention to its im
provements as ardently ?.s they have
other fruits, we may expect surprising
results. I prefer the long stemmed
kinds, for although they may not
make such compact and showy clus
ters, yet any unripe or imperfect ber
ries arc more readily clipped ofl with
out injuring the others. After attain
ing the height of a foot or two, a tree
becomes quite hardy, and with good
culture will grow off very rapidly,
but while very young it is delicate,
requiring careful nursing and protec
tion from the scorching sun. The
soil about the roots should be kept
moist, lightly mulched and frequently
DeLand, Florida, Wednesday. June 12, 1878.
stirred. Babbits ar6*i ftry fend of j
brousing the leaves and nipping off
the tops of the young plants which
must be guarded against, as it seems
to poison and often kill them j. e. the
tree. To sum up, the Japan plum is
really a delicious fruit,of rapid growth,
early and abundant bearing, highly
ornamental u a tree, and when it be
comes more generally known, and
has been improved in sbe and flavor
by the intelhgena labor of horticultur.
ists, it will undoubtedly, from its ex
cellent carrying qualities become a
notable article of export to Northern
markets, where coming a it docs, the
first of the spring fruits, it cannot fail
to be particularly acceptable.
E. 11. Hart
Federal Point, June Ist, 1878.
THE GREAT*LAKE REGION.
L.VKK EUSTIS, NK VK PHNDRVVItIK. *
OrangkCo., Fla.. Mai? 36.1878. >
Col. C. CoDhi.vgt<S| \Yc con
gratulate you on your fesuraption of
t he editorial chair, and we arc greatly
gratified to ?tnow that we are to have
the Florida Agriculturist published
once more and to be nnder \our edi
torial charge. The fact is our great
Peninsular State considetfngher rapid
progress, her.advantageous geograph
ical situation and superb climate, her
great and varied resources and her
vast interests involved, cannot do
without a paper specially devoted to
her agricultural and horticultural af
fairs. it is true the Beir>t Tropical
high reputation, replete with literary
and bucolic excellence and well sus
taining the industrial interests ol our
State, it should be patronised by all
able to do so; but there is a general
demand for a iceekhf publication, a
first class agricultural paper at a
cheap rate—such we are glad to learn
your paper is to be.
I’he Great Lake Jlegiou during the
past winter and spring has received
comparatively few accessions to its
population, but meantime our citizens
have evinced unabated energy, for
considerable progress hereabouts has
been made in fruit culture (especially
of the orange) aud general improve
ments, and a sedulous care is almost
universally manifested in the manage
ment. of affair-, provident and antici
patory of a bright future. Though
our region is not at present becoming
populous as last as we would deßire,
we are patiently waiting for that
better day coming when thousands
will make happy homes among us and
enjoy the fruitions of our favored land,
but are deterred now from so doing
from the stringency of the times.
Withiu the last six or eight months
it has been several times published
that work was to be immediately com
meuced lor the finishing of the Lake
George and Lake Kustis railroad—
these were but mere rumors; tbe
directors of this company have now
made arrangements on such a basis
that we can soon confidently announce
it as a real fact that in all probability
the road will be finished during the
present year. Having several weekly
steamers regularly plying the Ockla
waha and our lakes, we can well abide
the time for the finishing of this rail
road. And as the Apopka and
Lake Dora canal company—naviga
tion is already open into the latter—
will very likely scon open navigation
into Apopka, another link will have
been forged in the grand chain of
improvements, without mentioning
others snre to follow, which will make
the western portion of Change county,
taken all in all, the most desirable in
all South Florida. This we assert
advisedly and disinterestedly and not
in derogation to any other section,
for ail have their advantageous as
well as undesirable characteristics.
Yet if an elevated country of extreme
healthfulness, good lands, navigation
conveniently accessible, railroad im
provements certain in the near future,
good society and unequalled climate
are any attractions to the immigrant,
he will surely find them here.
In this connection we will call the
attention of some good physician seek
ing a location; here he will find a
very fair opening, though as we say
ours is a section of extreme salubri
ousness, owing to the extensive range
of his practice will compensate in
some degree for his lack of patients
in a more circumscribed territory.
And any one desirous of engaging in
the mercantile or saw mill business
will find an excellent opportunity to
do well here, as we are but meagrely
supplied a- yet, with these conven
iences.
Kn pamsaut. we beg lo enter our
demurrer against the people of the
Santa Fe lake country in trying to
rob or filch from us our well known
title, in.presuming to call their’s the
Great Lake Region. Now the truth
is, firrg*. the numberfer- lakes y~*>.
domain, there are “lake regitikS” all
over the State; but this section of
country has been known for yearn
past by the distinction and proper
appellation of the Great Lake Region,
in contradistinction to all others. For
our five large lakes, viz: Apopka,
Dora, Fastis, Harris and Griffin, from
their size (Apopka being next to
Okeecholiee, the largest ia the State,)
and almost immediate proximity and
connections, their beauty and mag
nificence, form a constellation incom
parable with auy within, and with
but lew out of our State. So we re
spectfully request the Santa Feans to
no longer persist in trying to “rob us
of our good name.” This to some
may seem a matter of small import,
a mere quibble, but to the stranger
and immigrant it might prove well
worthy of consideration,
Mr. Editor, we would be pleased
to have an expression of your views,
and that of some of your readers, in
regard to Mr. L. W. Moore’s articles
on the causes of rust of tbe orange,
recently published. e. b. m.
Jacksonville Jottings.
May 23, 1878.
Mis. t lon KINGTON, Dear Sir A
copv of the ?i eio Florida Agricul
turist, No. 1. came into ray hands
yesterday, and it affords me pleasure,
as a personal friend, and one who
desires the prosperity of a sheet ad
vocating the agricultural interests of
the State, as you propose to do, to
communicate, from time to time, to
your columns, such thoughts as may
come to me. At the time of the
suspension of the old Agriculturist,
1 had been in the city, as anew
comer from Massachusetts, only a
few weeks, but long enough to be
come thoroughly convinced that the
paper filled a vacuum that its publica
tion fully supplied, and ita temporary
suspension was a loss which your
valuable services will once again
retrieve. So much for our introduc
tion.
Providence permitting, my present
intentions are to raise my voice in
New England, at times, daring the
intervening four months, in behalf
my adopted State—for a residence (xf
seven months convinces me that it*
climate cannot be equalled, either<ia
this or in foreign countries. This is
saying much, but it is the truth, m
thousands will gratefully testify.
Look, for instance, at the death rate
of this growing city, for the last ft**
months ending at date. When, ac
cording to official reports, only fif
teen (15) deaths occurred, and one
half of this small number were non
residents—cases of consumption -
visitors from the North who came too
late, as many do, to partake of the
health-giving and life-extending balm y
air which, on every breeze, is waft® and
to them. Where is there a city with
upwards of 12,000 inhabitants, to sa y
nothing of the 4,000 or 5,000 visitor s
who annually come to our hospitable
borders, that can boast of a like rec
ord V In the language of the late
Speaker M. C. Kerr, House ot Rep
resentatives at Washington, D 0.,
“ The State is fast becoming a vast
sanitarian'., and hardly a family in the
United States but what has a repre
sentative within the limits ot Flor
ida." But aside from this cheering
rXM ■
with settlers who are improving her
lands, and beautifying many a spot
which heretofore appeared to be a
barren deser'. Thanks to the spirit
of enterprise on the part of Northern
and Western men, who, in seeking a
home in this comparatively new coun
try, have, by energy, perseverance
and brains, shown to the entire coun
try what cau he done, either in orange
culture, fruit and vegetable growing,
or in building cities, even, within the
short space of ten yoars. Capitalist®
are also finding out that Florida baa
productions which can be utilized, by
their wealth, and eventually turn out
immense revenues into the coffers of
individuals and, through them, into
the treasuries of the State and coun
try. One production, alone, only,
need be named in this connection,
and that is the Palmetto. Already
negotiations are going on by North
ern manufacturers to convert the raw
material into printing paper, in addi
tion to the immense amount, now an
nually consumed by its conversion
into mattresses, etc. And who can
estimate the benefits this production
will bestow upon the world at large,
with her millions of printed sheet*
which are daily thrown broadcast,
even to the four corners of the earth f
Is there, then, any cause for despair,
even though financial revolutions and
political upheavings are going on
throughout the country ? On the
other hand, is there not everything
to encourage the old residents and
pioneers, with the constant accession
of new comers to our growiug State,
that is, at no distant day, determined
to arise and shine, and take on anew
departure, so to speak, which will,
before anew century dawns, enable
her to rank high with sister States ?
We all have a work to perform, and
to you, Mr. Editor, is given an im
portant post of duty, and that “ suc
cess'’ may be indeed “a duty’’ with
you in your present undertaking, in
the heartv wish of,
Truly yonrs, __ W. W. W. "
No. 5.