What is the first thing that comes to mind when citrus is brought up? Citrus has been a part of Florida’s History for nearly 400 years. Citrus trees were brought to Florida from the island of Hispaniola around the year 1579 (Joyner 3). A Spanish explorer named Ponce de Leon planted them in St. Augustine, the oldest European settlement in the United States (Joyner 3). This was the first place to have citrus because of the rich soil, easy seaport, and the right temperature to produce a successful crop.
In the early 1800s, the French Count Odet Philippe brought citrus trees from the West Indies to Florida (Joyner 3). He decided to plant the first grove ever in the history of Florida in Tampa. Furthermore, Citrus became the reason Florida expanded with settlers. All around the northern tip of Florida there were groves; until Mother Nature made it turn for the worse. In 1894, there was a disaster known as “The Great Freeze.” From oranges to lemons; everything was killed! It took nearly fifteen years for Florida to recover from this tragedy. When the crop finally came back, it was stronger than ever!
More importantly, Florida now has over 100 million oranges and grapefruit trees (Joyner 3)! In these 100 million orange trees there are 5 different varieties. What makes these varieties different from each other is there root stock. There are different varieties of orange trees because of the condition they are grown under. The five types of orange trees are Ambersweet, Hamlin, Navel, Pineapple, and Valencia. ( Joyner 3)
Citrus fruit are not just used for fresh fruit and juice. It has many other uses. One is in jellies and in other preserves. Preserves include marmalades and crystallized fruits. A by-product of citrus production is ...
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...in,the biggest Citrus Operation in the state of Florida, then you are praying that the prices go up so you can afford to beat this so called beast named greening (Alvarez 1).
I hope your outlook on citrus is a whole lot different. These farmers are not rednecks; they may not wear dress shoes and a tie everyday but they know what hard work is. If this disease kills the citrus in Florida then I have no clue what these farmers will do. When you’re a farmer you are taught to live off the land; so I am sure they will be just fine.
Works Cited
Alaverez, Lizette. "Citrus Disease With No Cure Is Ravaging Florida Groves." The New York
Times. N.p., 9 May 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Joyner, Cynthia. "The History of Citrus in Florida." n.d.: n. pag. Print.
Ziegler, Louis W., and Herbert S. Wolfe. Citrus Growing in Florida. Gainesville: University of
Florida, 1975. Print.
Florida became a state in 1845 and almost immediately people began proposing to drain the Everglades. In 1848, a government report said that draining the Everglades would be easy, and there would be no bad effect. Canals and dams were dug to control seasonal flooding. Farmers grew vegetables in the rich soil of the drained land, Ranchers had their cattle graze on the dry land, and new railways lines were constructed to connect communities throughout south Florida; but the ecosystem of the Everglades was not suited for either farming or ranching. The natural cycle of dry and wet seasons brought a devastating series of droughts and floods. These had always been a p...
...rn Alabama. Almost 10,000 acres of commercial citrus was grown in Mobile and Baldwin counties by 1920. In recent years Alabama farm income from cattle exceeded that from cotton. Alabama's landscape today is dominated by woodlands, pine plantations, scattered pastureland, and small rural and suburban homesteads that stretch between major metropolitan areas. Few modern Alabamians depend totally on agricultural production for their livelihood, but as of 2005 there were 43,500 farms on 8.6 million acres that sold over $3.3 billion worth of commodities” (Mitchell, 2007). The wiregrass region is agriculturally diverse producing cotton, peanuts, poultry, cattle, some vegetables, and forestry products. Following cotton, peanuts dominated the Wiregrass during most of the twentieth century. Therefore, Alabama and the Wiregrass agriculture continues growing for you and me.
In American history the adjective used to describe the 1920s is known as the “Roaring” twenties. During the decade Florida had its own adjective used to describe the real estate market known as the “Land Boom”. The Florida land boom of the 20s was Florida’s first big real estate bubble. During the great land boom of the 20th century Florida saw tens of thousands of Americans flood to the state to move or purchase land. By looking at the how this development of real estate began, who was affected, and how the “Boom” became a soft clap by the end of the decade one can see the immediate impact this event had on the United States.
Florida’s state flag is a white background and a big red “X” and the flag has the state motto “In God we trust” and also says “Great seal of the state of Florida” the picture is a American woman purposely dropping flowers,a steamboat, a palmetto tree,and a beautiful sun.
Maintaining ecological diversity is necessary for the survival of a biological community. In the United States, American citizens are on the verge of irrevocably damaging one of the country's most unique and diverse treasures - the Florida Everglades. This national park is now the only remaining patch of a river that used to span 120 miles from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Bay. Dikes and levees created by the Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1940's drained this river to reduce flooding and increase useable water for the development of the region. This major diversion of water lead to a trickle down effect causing the continual decline of the environmental state of the Everglades. Since then, debates over the Everglades' future have silently raged on for years about how, why, and when the restoration will begin. This ongoing, but virtually unproductive effort has cost taxpayers a great deal without any apparent benefits. Recently, this debate has been amplified by the voices of the sugar industry in Florida, which was attacked for its major contribution to pollution of the Everglades. Now debates rage on with a new effort called the Restudy. Backed by the Army Corps of Engineers, this effort would change the flow of the Everglades, potentially restoring it into the viable community of life that it used to be. The question now is, will this latest attempt to restore the Everglades ever be realized (thus ending the cyclic Everglades debate) or will it simply add up to one more notch on the bedpost of inadequate and failed attempts to save this national treasure. The world is watching to see how the United States will handle this unprecedented cleanup.
During the early 1920s, Florida was flourishing economically. Land sales were reaching planetary heights, tourism was booming, and new residents were coming in every day. By September 1926, the population of Dade County and the new City of Miami had blossomed to more than 100,000 and construction was all over. Although Florida was prosperous that was only on the surface, behind the scenes there existed a widespread of poverty. And things got even worst when the 1926 hurricane hit Florida. The hurricane was described by the U.S. Weather Bureau in Miami as "probably the most destructive hurricane ever to strike the United States." Severe flooding and wind damage weakened communities. Lake Okeechobee flooded and drown over 2,000 people in nearby communities. Many buildings that were a work in progress were damaged and discontinued, tourism was at an all-time low, and also many citizens lost their homes. And The Great Depression didn’t make things any easier. Florida was in trouble and in need of help.
algae to grow in the Everglades. Humans have also prevented natural fires from occurring and
...overnment. This restoration plan is very controversial because it is the biggest environmental restoration plan in history. Many feel with a task this large many important ecological factors could be overlooked. The State of Florida has already spent billions of dollars on restoring various ecological problems in The Everglades, but it is not enough. The U.S. government has only given The State of Florida four hundred million dollars of the eight billion dollars due to them. Researchers say the quality and the hydrology of the water needs to be addressed now before it is too late. The expected completion of these fifty projects that will restore The Everglades is estimated to take around twenty more years. In 2012, twelve years after The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was created little progress was achieved restoring the core of The Everglades.
Willard, Debra A., Christopher E. Bernhardt, Charles W. Holmes, Bryan Landacre, and Marci Marot. "Response Of Everglades Tree Islands To Environmental Change." Ecological Monographs 76.4 (2006): 565-83. JSTOR. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
To begin with, it should be noted, that the government of Florida is operated and established according to the Constitution of Florida, which is the main law document of the state. According to the Constitution the government is composed of three branches. First of all it is the executive branch consisting of the ruling Governor of Florida and the other appointed and elected constitutional officers. Second is the legislative branch, or the Florida Legislature. It consists of the House and Senate, as well as some other functions such as state auditors or the utility-regulating Public Service Commission. Third branch of the government of Florida is the judicial branch. It consists of the Supreme Court of Florida and other lower courts.
Archaeological research indicates that Florida had been inhabited for thousands of years before any European settlements. Of the many indigenous peoples, the largest known were the Ais, the Apalachee, the Calusa, the Timucua and the Tocobago tribes. Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish conquistador, named Florida in honor of his discovery of the land on April 2, 1513, during Pascua Florida, a Spanish term for the Easter season (Juan Ponce de León may not have been the first European to reach Florida; according to one report, at least one indigenous tribesman who he encountered in Florida in 1513 spoke Spanish.[6]). From that date forward, the land became known as "La Florida" , although from 1630 until the 19th century Tegesta (after the Tequesta tribe) was the name of choice for the Florida peninsula following publication of a map by the Dutch cartographer Hessel Gerritsz in Joannes de Laet's History of the New World.[7]
Florida has had quite an eventful history. It’s first human inhabitants are believed to be several Native American tribes, including The Panzacola, Chatot, Apalachicola, Apalachee, Timucua, Calusa, and the Matecumbe. These tribes occupied land all over Florida.
...y. "Integrated Approaches for Managing the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri (Homoptera: Psyllidae) in Florida." University of Florida: IFAS. N.p., 2007. Web. 5 Dec 2013. .
...ial Plantations and Economy in Florida ed. Jane Landers (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2000). 136-149.
Florida, nicknamed The Sunshine State, is a tourist and retiree magnet. The state’s high temperatures, exotic wildlife, and sunny skies attract people of all ages. Even the first Spanish explorers to the area thought it was a paradise. A leading producer of oranges, Florida’s economy is growing faster than any other state’s. From the shallow swamps of the Everglades of the south, to the “hammock” studded forests of the north, Florida is a truly unique state. Florida’s early history, geography, climate, wildlife, and economy stand out from other states. It is a state that should be visited at least once in a lifetime.