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336 CEIBA VOL. 4
buds below the top-worked union. Probably this will always be a problem until a method of top-working is devised that brings the graft very close to the ground surface.

The preceding discussion of current methods of plant propagation in Florida is primarily a description of progress in the art of plant propagation. Most of the basic fundamentals of this section of plant culture were laid down centuries ago. As time progressed, refinement of the techniques of budding and grafting to approach nearer to 100 per cent success and to continually lower the costs in time and labor of the vegetative propagation of plants have made large acreages of standard quality fruit tree crops of the modern day a common occurrence.

The methods in use today that produce a healthy plant rapidly and economically satisfy the needs of the average nurseryman. However, there is a growing awareness that more investigation is necessary regarding the processes of growth after the graft union. The formation of this union and the differentiation of adjacent tissues influenced by the type of cut and the stage of maturity of stocks and scions at the time of grafting is perhaps as important as the influence of the variety of rootstock itself.

We must be able to answer such questions as: "Does a budded mango tree grow as efficiently, produce fruit as well and carry on life processes for as many years as a tree in similar circumstances that was side-veneer grafted or one that was inarched?" Certain aspects of disease and mineral deficiency control are probably influenced by methods of vegetative propagation. These problems may, we hope, be answered in part at least, when current investigations are concluded at the University of Miami and at research stations elsewhere.

LITERATURE CITED
1. Grove, Wm. R. 1947. Wrapping air layers with rubber plastic. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 60: 184-187.
2. Krome, W. J. 1916. The Medora method of top-working avocados. Proc. Fla. Hort. Soc. 29: 149-151.
3. Kuperberg, Joel. 1953. Rooting guava (Psidium guajava L., c. supreme) stem cuttings in the hydroponic mist-type propagator. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 66: 220-223.

1956 AVOCADO GROWING IN DADE COUNTY 339
ourselves little good with the present hodgepodge. Much more emphasis should be placed upon quality than has been evidenced in many recent plantings. You may say "Why not raise Mulgoba, Borsha and Paheri?" Scientists have removed the "bugs" from so many agricultural products, why can't they make Mulgoba bear lots of firm fruit, Borsha put on larger, cleaner crops and Paheri produce prettier fruit on sturdier trees? Well, so far they have not succeeded in making Haden behave and they have worked on that problem for a long time.

AVOCADO GROWING
IN DADE COUNTY
Wm. H. Krome

THE AREA IN FLORIDA in which avocados are grown commercially may be divided into two sections: Dade County, at the southern tip of the mainland; and the counties extending north from Dade as far as temperature minimums permit commercial cultivation (this limit runs roughly from Cape Canaveral on the east coast to Tampa on the west coast). About four-fifths of the production is in the former section. My own grove operations are in Dade County, and my remarks are meant to apply only to that section.

Avocado groves in Dade County range in size from an acre or less to over 100 acres. Over 90% of the commercial plantings are of improved, budded varieties, the remainder being seedlings. There are from 70 to 85 trees per acre, as a rule; according to the Dade County Agent's office the average is 78 trees per acre. The plantings are for the most part solid avocados, but inter-planting with limes or other fruit trees is not uncommon. Many groves are operated by resident owners, but quite a few belong to non-residents, and most of these are cared for by professional caretaking organizations.

A paper presented, March 8, 1954, at a hearing preliminary to adoption of a Federal Marketing Agreement for Avocados.