146 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY pecially if we used one of the large, mild livingstonei, likewise has shown relatively common guavas. ..-.:■;. little variation in the seedlings I have seen Ojther fruits may; be improved by mass in fruit, but there have not been many. A seedling selection, in the absence of different thousand of them might allow . some selec species or widely different strains for cross tion to be made. In these cases, we must ing. I have much interest in the white-sap- hope that sooner or later the new climatic otes, both common and wooly-leaved. Per conditions of their adopted home will pro haps by crossing these we might get varia duce some bud mutations of which we can tions to widen our selection, but I am not take advantage. The colchicine technique persuaded that these are more than local while not yet suited to amateur investiga phases of a single species. However, large tions, may some day give us a means of in seale planting of seed for selection ought to ducing variations among which to select bet increase our chances of finding large fruits ter fruits. free from bitterness. The relatively wide cli While importation is hardly a kind of plant matic range of this fruit adds to its inter breeding, it is a necessary precursor to it, est for Florida. and I want to call attention in closing to a The sapodilla has had little attention from couple of species we should try to obtain. horticulturists, and many large-fruited speci The few seedlings of the wampi, Clausena mens have been lost without' propagation. lansium, which have fruited in Florida have Now a start is being made, both here and in indicated it as a promising species. Groff has the Philippines, at such propagation. There assured us that there are really good varie are strains of sapodilla in Mexico, however, ties in China, which we have never introduced which endure much more cold than the forms to Florida. Even seeds from superior varie we have introduced from the tropical low ties should give us a chance to develop bet lands. We might extend the range of this ter strains than we have. Likewise the Bra handsome tree and worthy fruit if we could zilian abiu, Pouteria caimito, closely related import some of this hardy strain. to our canistel but reputedly superior to it, The star-apple has been a cultivated fruit has never fruited in Florida and is not rep for so many centuries that we know of no resented by living plants so far as I know. wild forms, and the cultivated forms differ If it is unsuited to our climate, which seems little. I can suggest nothing but large scale unlikely, it might serve to improve the cani seedling planting for mass selection as a stel by hybridization — and few will deny means for improvement. The imbe, Garcinia its need of amelioration. EXPERIENCES IN GROWING SUB-TROPICAL FRUITS By Wm. R. GROVE, Laurel, Florida It is rather presumptuous for one who has south of Sarasota on the waters of Little had less than five years' experience in grow Sarasota bay. Various types of soil are avail ing semi-tropical fruits to discuss these ex able on the place. In casting about for fruit periences before a group whose members trees to plant my investigations indicated have spent many years in their development. that many fine fruits which had been intro In April, 1936, Mrs. Grove and I purchased duced by distinguished plant explorers, by a home near Laurel, Florida, fourteen miles governmental agencies, nurserymen and pri- FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 147 vate parties had failed to survive, except or boxes and were frequently not more than in comparatively rare instances. six inches high. Many were sorry specimens, I endeavored, by reading various works indeed. I met with many disappointments. on the subject and by questioning those who It is quite disturbing to buy from a nursery had pioneered in these semi-tropical fruits man—usually acting in good faith—a tree to ascertain what obstacles it would be neces sold as an ilama and after nursing it two sary to overcome in raising them in central or three years find it to be a custard-apple. and southern Florida. I have not kept an accurate record of such It seemed quite probable that soil require mistakes but believe I have bought at least ments could be met in many localities. Mois a dozen of such trees that have turned out to ture requirements, insofar as roots are con be something unexpected. In fact, I have not cerned, could be satisfied. Humidity needs yet ascertained what a number of them really could also be provided in many places. Wind are. breaks could be grown and the fruit trees Another trouble I had was due to my un- planted fairly close together to simulate familiarity with both the botanical and com jungle conditions. mon names of the plants. Some of the nur The most serious, and in many cases pro serymen specializing in tropical and sub-tropi hibitive, factor is cold. However, aside from cal fruiting trees do not keep track of bot a few fine fruits, the average winter in cen anical names but sell on the common name tral and south Florida is not so severe but only. For example, I would get home from that skillful firing will carry the plants a scouting trip with an Otaheite-apple and through. The most difficult period is for the find that I already had an Ambarella (Spon- first two or three years. After that many of dias cythera) which is identical with the Ota the tropical and sub-tropical fruits not now heite-apple. To add to the confusion we some commercially grown in Florida will withstand times got our labels mixed or lost after get the cold as well as most of our citrus fruits. ting the plants home. Temperature records indicate that trees During the first two years (1938 and 1939) that can withstand 33 degrees should be suc my plants were all secured through nurseries. cessfully raised in the west coast territory In 1940 some were obtained through the Sub- from about the Manatee River south by fir Tropical Experiment Station at Homestead, ing an average of about twice a year, and a development of which Florida may well be then only a few hours each night of extreme proud. I have received two Pistacia vera trees temperature. Occasional winters require no from the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. Some firing. have come from friends with whom I have It can hardly be hoped to raise tropical exchanged plants. plants as well here as in the Central Ameri At the request of our distinguished fellow can countries, but we have a growing season member, T. Ralph Robinson, whose advice has sufficiently long and enough daily hours of been very helpful to me, I prepared, in Ju warmth to bring most of them to fruiting ly, 1940, a list of my plants of the edible age. fruit bearing varieties. That list has been During the first year (1938) that I started revised to March 15, 1941. It is too long to seriously to assemble tropical and sub-tropi read here but a copy will be made available cal trees, my experience was that some of to the secretary of the Society. It shows the failures of Florida experimenters were more than 1,000 trees of nearly 200 varie due to lack of knowledge of the cultural ties. requirements of these plants on the part of In addition there are more than 2500 cit nurserymen as well as the growers. rus trees of about 45 varieties. These in I started in a haphazard manner procur clude about 700 of the fine new tangelos. ing available exotic fruit trees that I could Aside from the edible fruits it has been in find in nurseries. These were usually in cans teresting to assemble a number of other trees, 148 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY vines, shrubs, etc., including kapok, cannon ing fruit, most of them su<jh as the xnango- ball, Ylang Ylang, Geiger, lignum-vitae, bal steen and Brazil nut, are merely prospects. sa, etc. One very difficult problems for the ama Visitors frequently ask how I became so teur experimenter is to fit his plants to prop much interested in these tropical fruits. This er soil, shade, moisture and fertilizer. Facts is hard to answer. I suppose the fact that about insect pests and diseases affecting many my army service covered about eight years imported plants are unavailable and yet they in the Philippine Islands and Panama had must be reckoned with. something to do with it, as that service made While I have been attempting to raise many me familiar with some of these fruits, but of these fruit trees as a matter of interest probably the impelling cause was the idea or and for experimental purposes, I have also hope that out of the large number experi kept in mind the commercial angle. I decid mented with, some varieties would be found ed that from what I could learn of the fruit to be desirable for commercial development. trees that had been grown sporadically in Florida those most likely to succeed com Many of our eminent Americans had spent mercially were the lychee, the sapodilla, the their lives in the plant exploration and de loquat, the jaboticaba and the white-sapote, velopment service, combing the world for its if a strain of it can be developed without finest fruits, and it seemed to be a matter producing occasional fruits with a bitter of duty as well as common sense for those taste.