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4 some trees of the Shiro plum, very full of fruit. In the same number of Farm and Ranch there was a letter from Mr. S. about his* Shiro plums, which is as follows: I send you by express a box with a single cluster of Shiro plums, con taining, as near as I can count, 54 — weight not quite three pounds. They are not quite ripe but I was afraid to let them hang longer for fear they would not carry. This is the bunch alluded to by Mr. Knetzan of the Lam pasas News. While there are no cur culio this year I find some gougers got in their work “unbeknownst” to me. The tree is half Gonzales and half Shiro, both varieties loaded. I never thinned a plum just to see what sod tree could do with plenty of rain. As both of these varieties are extra fine every way and unfailing bearers something good should result from the cross, so save the seed and give them to your friends, with in structions to plant in hard, unbroken ground, sod or clean, just like nature does. One being yellow and the oth er red should give all sorts of fine hy brids. H. M. Stringfellow. Note —These Shiro hybrids were magnificent to see and delicious to the taste. No fruit has reached this office that so fully measured up to the re quirements of looks and taste as did these plums, in the judgment of a number of good tasters. If it is safe to say in these days “by their fruits ye shall know them,” we would dare assert that this fruit was grown by one to whom the perfection of the fruit grower’s art had become an old story. Mlos't plums having Jap blood in them are “tame” in taste. Not so with these. +♦ The Cork Oak. We have often wondered why the cork oak was not grown in this State. From an article, in the Rural Califor nian, we find that it is being planted to some extent in that State. We have no doubt that it would do well in Florida and be both useful and orna mental. The true cork oak is Quer cus suber, but on looking it up in Prof. Bailey’s Cyclopedia of American Hor ticulture, we found that he says that the bark of Q. occidentals cannot be distinguished from that of the true cork oak, Q. suber, while the tree is more hardy. Tt seems to us that ex periments should be made with one or both of these species, in Florida. The Rural Californian says: Of all the forest trees we grow there is no other family that in all lands is held in greater love or reverence than the noble oaks, under whose grateful shade the ancient druids were wont to worship and which still witnesses the lighthearted gambolings of childhood’s most pleasant hours, under varying conditions and in points as remote from each other as are to be compass ed on the same planet. For the oak is to be found on all continents and. on nearly all islands of considerable size. So too, in all countries species may be found that grow in rank forests and others as groups or in isolated speci mens only. IRRIGATION Be Your Own Rain=Maker. Save your Crop and Fruit Trees'; by {giving them Water. When They Need "It. - The benefit of our 25 years of experience with plumbing machinery is at your command for the asking. We are here to guarantee and back up our goods. Competent erectors f urnished when desired. Complete pu mping outfits, any capacity in stock for immediate shipment. Special agents for Skinner Famous System. Centrifugal, Rotary and Bulldozer Pumps; Gasoline Engines, 2 to 50 horsepower; Wind Mills, Towers, Tank Towers, etc. Spray pumps of every style. Bennett Brothers Company Jacksonville, Florida The English oak has been recorded in song and story ever since the birth of our mother tongue and not less fa mous are some of our truly magnifi cent American species. Timbers of our White oak have been sent to in ternational exhibitions in Europe which have brought forth exclamations of wonderment and admiration from the most noted timber experts on the further side of the big pond. From Canada down to the evergreen and water oaks of the Southern States there is a wonderful range of species and there are noble, grim old patri archs among them all. On the Paci fic Coast and especially in our own State we have many fine species, so fine and varied in fact that they are worthy of a more extensive consider ation than space will at present allow but they will be fully treated later on. The Cork oak is an evergreen native to Southern Europe and North Africa where it attains an age of about two hundred years and a height of about sixty feet though often of immense girth and greatly varying form. In foliage it has a soft, quiet reposeful ap pearance, quite the reverse of the prick ly leaved kinds which seem to bristle with the lightest zephyr. On its na tive heath it assumes many forms but is always rugged and self-reliant in character, sometimes dividing close to the ground and again sending up a sin gle sturdy column for thirty feet be fore branching. It seems to thrive in any well-drained soil except of lime stone formation but is very impatient of heavy soils and stagnation of water about the roots. Like all oaks it grows fast if under favorable condi tions and it is equally true than when unsuited as regards soil, climate and necessary conditions no class of trees grow slower, though none are more tenacious of life. From a commercial standpoint the Cork oak is an important tree and has been somewhat extensively planted with a single eye to its economic value. It is hardier than the olive so its pos sible range is by no means restricted. In its native habitat the thick bark, which forms the cork of commerce, is removed every nine or ten years, be ginning with about the twentieth year of its life. This spongy bark is about three inches thick and comes away eas ily if taken in proper season which is in general late summer when what is known as the “second sap” is on the move. Mr. Wm. Robinson, one of the world’s greatest gardeners, tree lovers, etc., says that he has wandered through enormous forests of them in the mountains of Algeria and Tunis, but the finest specimens are found in those hot countries in the deep-soiled bottom lands or on the shaded slopes. In England and Ireland it has devel oped most marvelously where condi tions have been of the best though its use has been restricted to ornamental plantations. Tt is not always hardy there though some trees have reached a considerable size and distance north of London. In gardens on the Riveira it is verv common as it is all over southern Europe. Tn France it has been planted well up into the cen tral parts and wherever known has THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURIST. been pushed as far north as climate v/il] allow. In many other countries, notably India, it has been extensively planted in late years for a combination of shade, protection and profit. In California little has been done looking to the economic side of the question though rumor has it that the University of California has put out some on the slopes of Mt. Hamilton to note their growth and bark develop ment. Even as an ornamental tree it has not been used so extensively as its merits deserve though occasionally fine large specimens may be found that must command the admiration of all tree lovers. In the parks of River side, notably the A. S. White park; in Central park, Pomona; and at other points the public may easily see well developed trees. In and around Los Angeles are also a considerable num ber though locally Alhambra lays claim to having the largest and finest. Wherever I have seen it I have always been impressed with its rare beauty— as beautiful as any oak that grows, and have marveled that it has not found more favor with tree planters in gen eral. Either for home or street deco ration it has never proven a failure as far as my investigations have reach ed, nor has it failed to return a satis factory growth for care expended. Why Boys Leave the Barm. We have at various times printed articles on this subject, yet it is one which never loses • its interest. Of course, it is a fact that the cities need the fresh blood from the country to keep going, and it is also true that in many cases the farm is not large enough to support all the sons of the family. Yet, it is certainly to be regretted that farmers’ sons can not see that their avocation is daily rising in public estimation and is no longer looked, upon as only suitable for uneducated boors. Farming is now a learned profession and it re quires brains and education to keep up with the procession. The Wis consin Agriculturist says: To the advice of President Jesse, of the Missouri State TJniversitv, that boys study agriculture, O. P. Sturm, editor of the Saline Countv (Mo.) Index, replies with approval of the suggestion, but doubts if it will be extensively followed by farm boys who have a chance to get a liberal education. Editor Sturm is of the opinion that the reason whv boys leave the farm is tha thev imagine themselves sociallv at a disadvantage compared with the soft-handed, fair-cheeked citv vouths thev chance to meet in the parlors of their lady friends on Sundav evenings. Thev fanev that, like Maude Muller, their countrv sweethearts prefer the young men of the citv and would like some other life than that of the farm. Even in college. Mr. Sturm savs. the voting women seldom turn their smiles and apnroval toward the farmer bov in rweforerme to the low student. What engineer or the medical student. What influence, he asks, could be more notent? There is a measure of truth in this explanation, but also an admixture of error. The country boy who amounts to much is at no real disadvantage in competing with the rival from the city for the love of a sensible girl from either city or country. He may not always win, but his chances are good, and in most cases a little bet ter than those of the city youth. He is a more vigorous, ardent and jealous wooer; is prone to over-estimate the importance of the “small talk,” the compliments and the polite attentions of his rival, and for this reason often rushes at the citadel of the favored young lady’s affections and carries it by storm, while his dainty city-bred competitor is dallying with doubts and playing the part of an earnest trifler. Young women admire manliness, character, brains and effergy;. and nowhere is this truer than in the col leges and universities where character and ability are the standards by which all are judged, and the boys from the farm get the best that is going. Young persons of both sexes who have not the good sense to look be neath the surface to the true elements of manhood and womanhood are often carried away by appearances; and stylish clothes and softness of hands or tongue may count more with such persons than the weightier con siderations of solid worth; but this is simply a phase of all human nature, and not a trait peculiar to rural life. Asa rule, like seeks like in marriage, and the elective affinity of character for character is not neutralized by trifling causes. We are in a transition period on this subject. The vocation of the farmer is rising in character and im portance. It is a becoming a pro fession. It is respected and honored by all men and women of discrimin ating judgment. It also gains in real attractiveness as country life gains, through the telephone, the rural mail delivery, the troley line, improvement of roads, better methods of of farm ing and the building of better farm homes, the attractiveness of life in the city. A . generation hence will see countrv life esteemed more highly than life in the city; and if the coun trv-bred young man shall ask for an advantage over his citv rival in his Quest of a wife it will certainly be his. Rut in our judging the young man from the country can todav give bis rival in courtship odds and beat him in nine cases out of ten. The tendencies of young people to seek the city or, leaving the city, to re turn td nature, are grounded in deep er principles of human nature than those brought to light in the bv-plays of social life. They are largely of an economic character, but there are manv other elements entering into the problem. Soap Trees. The oap trees nre yielding a heavy crop this vear. Tim nress for some time oast has been silent about the vir tues of this tree, but Dr. Moulie snvs it is designed to rut a verv important ?n the industrial development of the state. Resides mnking soap, the berries yield nn oil superior to olive oil The sonp tree will be heard from. —Ocala Ranner.