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 takeadvantage. 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 serveto 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 susapote, 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. Each of these would be a fine addition of us who could do so, to help develop them. to the fruits now grown commercially in the Many of the fruits shown on my list are United States. Of the group mentioned the not worthy of commercial development, i. e., lychee has the best prospect. Fine fruits of it they are not outstanding even in the coun have been produced from trees in scattered tries of their nativity. These may be said to localities as far north as Winter Park. There be raised in Florida only as matters of in is a ready market among the Chinese in the terest, just as some good folks try to raise larger cities for a reasonable production, and exotic flowers even though they may not my experience in shipping one or two pounds compare in beauty with our own roses. For each to more than forty friends in the north instance, the Mutingia calabura is a delicious indicates that it will have a good sale among little fruit and if every one liked it as much our Americans. as I do there would be some commercial The greater part of the lychees grown in groves of it despite its susceptibility to cold. Florida are from layered trees or seedlings Trees of it on my place have in one year from the parent trees at the Royal Palm Nur grown to a height and breadth of ten feet series at Oneco. Most of them are of the and fruited. However, it is not sufficiently Brewster variety, so named for the reverend popular to be included in any book or cyclo- gentleman who sent them to us from China. poedia that I have seen. The fruits from these Brewster trees are In assembling trees I have visited frequent considered fine by Chinese who have sam ly all of the Florida nurseries of which I pled them, as well as by Prof. Groff, the re know that deal in tropical and sub-tropical cognized authority on lychees. They are scat fruiting trees. tered over several sections of south Florida. Among my edible fruit trees planted in While there is no large lychee grove in the groups are 10 species of annonas, a number State, some commercial plantings are in the of the better varieties of mangos, 110 lo- making. Mr. Wirt has the oldest grove. I have quats of several varieties, 15 jaboticabas, 8 more than two hundred lychee trees of sev sapodillas, 8 species of Eugenia and 8 varie eral varieties planted in several types of ties of bananas. Some small trees, such as soils. It is not expected that these will be the Kola nut, were propagated from import raised to fruiting age without a large per ed seeds. While some of the trees are bear centage of loss as they are planted in four FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 149 widely separated places. Soil deficiencies have The annonas form a very interesting group. already developed. Some of them, especially the sugar-apple, will The jaboticaba is another fine fruit that doubtless be better known in Florida some should have a ready sale and which should day. The sour-sop is a useful fruit, but my prove to be a good shipper. It appears to trees of Annona muricata shed their leaves stand the cold well. My trees are too small at around forty degrees. Annona montana to provide any useful information. is more hardy.

List of Edible Fruit, Nut and Spice Bearing Trees, Vines and Shrubs on Farm of Wm. R. Grove, Laurel, Florida, March 15, 1941. Citrus Trees not included. The major part of the trees named are not of bearing age.

No. of Trees Species Common Name

8 Achras sapota Sapodilla 1 Andansonia digitata Baobab 2 Aegle marmelos Bael Fruit 1 Aleurites moluccana Candle Nut 2 Anacardium occidentale Cashew, red and yellow 100 Ananas sativa Pineapple 1 Annona cherimola Cherimoya 2 Annona diversifolia llama (?) 1 Annona glabra Pond Apple 1 Annona montana Mountain Soursop 2 Annona muricata Soursop-Guanabana 1 Annona paludosa Chinese Yellow Sugar-Apple 1 Annona reticulata Custard-apple—Bullock's Heart—Jamaica apple 1 Annona senegalensis 1 Annona species 10 Annona squamosa Sugar-apple — Sweet Sop 1 Asimina triloba Paw-paw 1 Antidesma bunius Bignay 2 Artocarpus odoratissima Marang 4 Artocarpus integrifolia Jakfruit 2 Averrhoa carambola Carambola 4 Bertholletia excelsa Brazil Nut 2 Blighia sapida Akee 1 Britoa acida Para-guava 1 Byrsonima crassifolia Nanche 1 Brosimum alicastrum Breadnut 1 Canarium commune Java-almond 1 Calocarpum mammosum Sapote—Mamey Colorado 1 Calocasia sp. Dasheen 20 Carica papaya (Several varieties) 180 Carissa grandiflora Carissa, Ama tungula, Natal-plum 1 Carissa karandas Karandas 2 Carissa acuminata (bispinosa) Hedge-thorn 2 Cassia fistula Golden Shower 2 Ceratonia siliqua Carob, St. John's Bread 150 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

1 Casimiroa edulis White-Sapote—Matasano 1 Gatesbaea spinosa Lily-thorn 1 Cecropia palmata Trumpet Tree, Snakewood Tree 1 Chrysophyllum cainito Star-apple 1 Cinnamomum zeylanicum Cinnamon 1 Coccoloba uvifera Sea-grape 1 Coccoloba grandifolia (Large-leaf Sea-grape) 4 Cocos nucifera Coconut (1 dwarf) 2 Coffea excelsa Coffee 2 Cola acuminata Kola Nut 1 Canella winterana Wild-cinnamon 1 Cordia species 1 Crataegus sp. Manzanilla 1 Cyphomandra betacea Tree-tomato 2 Clausena lansium Wampi 2 Dillenia indica Dillenia 1 Diospyros discolor Mabolo 1 Diospyros ebenaster Black-sapote 1 Diospyros embryppteris »2 Diospyros kaki Oriental Persimmon 3 Dovyalis hebecarpa Ceylon-gooseberry, Ketembilla 1 Dovyalis caffra Kei-apple, Umkokolo 3 Euphoria longana Longan 3 Elaeagnus philippensis Lingaro 1 Elaeagnus variety 1 Eugenia coronata 2 Eugenia dombeyi Grumichama, Brazilian-Cherry 1 Eugenia edulis sp. 1 Eugenia hookeriana Australian Bush-Cherry 3 Eugenia jambolan Jambolan-plum, Jambolan, Java-plum 2 Eugenia jambos Rose-apple 1 Eugenia klotzschiana Pero de campo 1 Eugenia ligustrina 1 Eugenia luschnathiana Pitomba 1 Eugenia malaccensis Ohia 1 Eugenia Smithii 14 Eugenia uniflora Pitanga, Surinam-Cherry, black and red 110 Eriobotrya japonica Loquat, Japan-plum, Japanese-medlar 1 Ficus tibic Fig (several other varieties) 1 Ficus papaya 2 Flacourtia ramontchi Governor-plum, Ramontchi 2 Feijoa Sellowiana Feijoa, Pineapple-guava 2 Garcinia Livingstonei Imbe, Munkonga 2 Garcinia mangostana Mangosteen 1 Garcinia spicata 1 Grewia asiatica (Pickling fruit) 1 Harpephyllum caffrum Kafir-plum 1 Hylocereus undatus Pitaya 1 Heckeria cordata (Spice) 1 Jatropha curcas Physic-nut FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 151

1 Jatropha species 1 Jatropha urens Spinach Bush 4 Lucuma nervosa Canistel — Egg Fruit — Ti-Es. 1 Lucuma Roxburghiana 1 Lucuma species Giant Egg-Fruit 1 Lucuma salicifolia '■: Yellow-Sapote 246 Litchi chinensis Lychee, Litchi 2 Macadamia ternifolia . Queensland Nut 2 Malpighia glabra Barbados-Cherry 1 Malpighia species 1 Magnifera, indica Mango, Borsha 10 99 99 " Brook's Late 1 » 99 " Cambodiana 1 99 9> Caraboa 1 99 99 Fairchild 24 99 99 Haden 1 99 99 Mulgoba 1 99 99 Paheri 1 99 99 * Saigon 1 99 99 Springfels 24 99 99 " Seedlings of special interest 1 Mammea americana Mamey, Mamee-apple 2 Meliccoca bijuga Spanish-Lime, Hamoncillo, Genip 6 Monstera deliciosa Ceriman 1 Morinda citrif olia Indian-mulberry 2 Mimusops caffra 1 elengi Spanish-cherry 1 " species 3 Muntingia calabura Muntingia, Yellow and Red 14 Myrciaria cauliflora Jaboticaba 1 " floribunda Guava-berry

1 sp. 2 Musa sapientum Banana, Cavendish—Chinese Dwarf 2 >9 99 Gros Michel 2 »9 99 . 99 Lady Finger 1 99 99 " Orinoco—Horse Banana 1 99 99 Plantain 1 99 99 • " Red 1 99 99 99 Fehi 1 99 99 " White 1 Noronhia emarginata 1 Oncoba spinosa 1 Opuntia sp. Tuna 2 Passiflora edulis Purple Granadilla—Passion Fruit 2 " quadrangularis Giant Granadilla 3 Psidium cattleianum Guava Red Cattley—Strawberry Guava 2 99 cattleianum " White Guinea 15 99 cattleianum " Yellow Cattley 2 " guajava " Chinese Apple 1 99 99 " Guinea 152 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

1 Psidium guajava Guava Pear 1 9> 99 " Pemula 1 •f. .. . ■ ♦» " Peterson 9 " cattleianum " Miscellaneous white and pink 1 " montanum Guava 1 " sartorium 1 Persea gratissima Avocado, Hardy 1 Lula 1 *» $* " Waldin 5 ft 99 Yon 2 " Seedlings 1 Phyllanthus acidus Otaheite-gooseberry 1 Prunus salasii 2 Phyllanthus emblica Emblic 1 " grandis Tropical Gooseberry—1 Hardy 1 Sideroxylum f oetidissimum Mastic — Wild-olive 2 Pleognium solandrae Burdekin-plum 1 Prunus c.ommunis Almond 1 " salicifolia Gapulin 1 . Parmentiera cerif era Candle Tree 2 Punica granatum Pomegranate 1 Pereskia aculeata Lemon Vine^—Barbados-gooseberry 1 Randia formosa Randia 1 Rheedia aristata 1 Rhodomyrtus tomentosa Downy Myrtle 1 Rollinia mucosa Cachiman Morveux 1 Spondias sytherea Ambarella—Otaheite-apple—Vi-appl( 1 " purpurea Red Mombin 1 lutea Yellow Mombin 1 " tuberosa Imbu 1 Syzygium cymosum 2 Tamarindus indica Tamarind 2 Telifairia pedata Oyster Nut 1 Terminalia catappa Tropical Almond 2 Triphasia trif olia Lime-berry—Limoncita 1 Turraea obtusif olia 1 Vangueria madagascariensis Voa-vanga 1 Zizyphus mauritiana Malaya jujube 1 jujuba Common jujube

Unclassified

1 Red Nanceta 1 Morinda 2 Dr. Fairchild's Introduction 1 Roselle. Perennial

Miscellaneous Fruits, commonly grown farther north than Florida

4 Garya pecan Pecan 2 Castanea crenata Chesnut FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 153

1 Cydonia oblonga Quince 2 Diospyros kaki Persimmon 5 Ficus carica Figs 1 Juglans nigra Black Walnut 1 " regia English Walnut 1 Morus alba White Mulberry 1 nigra Black Mulberry 1 rubra Red Mulberry 1 Prunus armeniaca Apricot 1 " domestica Prune 2 " persica var-nucipersica Nectarine 2 Peach 1 Pyrus malus Apple 2 " communis Pear 4 Vitis sp. Grape

EXPERIENCES IN LYCHEE GROWING

By DAVID K. STABLER, Lake Wales, Florida

The first two Lychee trees were planted For the following years a varied program at Mountain Lake during the winter of 1925- of fertilization and maintenance was carried 26, These plants are located along the drive on in which these young Lychee trees were way, just inside of our South Gate, nearest treated the same as Oaks, Hollies, Magno Lake Wales. The plants were secured from lias, Carolina Cherries, etc., along our roads. Reasoner Bros.-Royal Palm Nurseries and I From 19»26 until 1929 the identity of these am advised that they were about the usual two plants was forgotten and probably the size of young Avocados and came in Avo only noteworthy fact was their very slow cado boxes. The location and selection of growth and progress through that time. these particular plants, along with the other In 1929 another Lychee tree was planted roadside planting which was done that sea on one of the private grounds, and again in son, was under the direction of Olmsted the summer of 1930 the fourth tree was Bros., Landscape Architects of Brookline, planted on another homesite. From here on, Massachusetts. the identity of these four Lychee trees was The preparation for planting these trees known and more attention given. is not very certain, as this work was done The program of fertilization and occas before the writer came to Mountain Lake. ional watering of the two trees at the South Upon inquiry and information available, the Gate was quite irregular from 1930 until the general practice for other roadside planting summer of 1935. However by 1934, when consisted of the following procedure: holes the first few fruit ripened to attract atten were dug from 5 to 6 feet in diameter and tion, we were fertilizing more consistently 18 inches deep. The sub-soil was replaced with high grade tankage and one or two with about one-quarter to one-third muck and applications of dairy manure. In the summer dairy manure mixture. The better top-soil of 1935 I had the pleasure of making the was returned, as well as additional top-soil acquaintance of Doctor G. Weidman Groff, added, to make an even mixture and the hole from Lingnan University, Canton, China, was filled level with the surrounding ground. and then our interest in the Lychee advanced