Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-04-16

ADDRESS BEFORE THE FARMERS CLUB, sEW YORK,
BY soLoH ROBINSON.


| have placed upon the table few specimens
of Florida oranges and lemons, which gath
cred at 81. Augustine, Florida, few days since,
Not that such fruits are any rarity to the mem
bers Of this Club but that their exhibition will
serve as an introduction to few words about
my recent visit to climate that will produce
such fruit as this yet does not in sufficient guam
titles to supply the home demand. You never
see Florida oranges and lemons in this CITY, |
unleas brought like these in some travellers
trunk. Yet saw orange trees, which had pro-
duced, 80 l was assured, from two thousand to
seven thousand oranges per year. l am sure
that the quality is fully equal to those Of any
region OF the world II is true, the trees are
sometimes killed by frost That was the case
in 1885. The new trees, planted after that,
were seriously affected for ten or fifteen years
with the scale insect (c0ccus hispertdun) but
that of late has not been troublesome, but indo-
lenoe has, go that there are but few orange
orchards in Florida AT St. Augustine we are
told that large tracts Of land, now lying idle, and
growing up to brush and briars, were once Gov
cred with orange groves, and that fruit was
counted by the million, and cargo after cargo
shipped to market. What was, may be again.
1t is very far from being the case now. For
oranges are so scarce there that they cannot be
obtained in quantity one-quarter equal to the
demand of visitors. Such as these would sell
readily, while was there, at eight or ten cents
each. The only large orange orchard in the
vicinity of st. Augustine, is upon the place Of
Mrs. Anderson, which has an area of twenty
acres, the greater part Of which is planted, but
the trees are not yet all in bearing. A great
many trees have been planted, within two
} years, mostly by new immigrants from this
J region. The old members of this club will re-
member George W. Atwood, who used to NEE.
with US frequently. He was many years q
merchant in this city. He is now settled upon q
beautiful place, just outside Of the town Of st
Augustine, and devo.ing his energies to fruit
growing. Five years FROM now he will doubtleai
be able to ship frui. from trees budded last year
. and this The common way Of starting an or
cherd is to 60 to the woods and dig up som'
orange trees, which are found abundantly ir
some localities, and cut off the entire top, ant
bring home the stump with a few roots to plant
The sprouts start directly, and when larg'
enough can be budded with any variety Of th
- orange family, which is very numerous, inolud
: ing all the sorts of oranges, lemons, lmes shad
- docks and citrons. There is no fruit so easy o
= propagation for the seeds of each sort produc
q it's like. The buds take readily and prOduc
!. fruit in four or Eve years-from the seed i
eight or ten years. Notwithstanding that nuI
series are easily grown, they are extremely rar'
II noticed in Mr.. Atwood's garden small on
Just started. Those extraordinary lemons
picked from the tree as l stood upon Mr.. Al
or woods piazza, The largest there weighed or
ell pound two and a half ounces, and the next ov'
100 o pound. Yet these were mot the largest thi
Ies the tree produced. The garden is sheltered {
'd' the north by thick hedge of orange trees fro
'iu which l might have gathered wagon loa
st' larger and handsomer than these sweet orange
by Very little use is made Of the sour fruit. Som
gu times il is preserved in sugar for sweetmea
and sometimes sort Of wine is made Of q
pg juice. When | left 81. Augustine, March l
,od the orange blossoms had nearly all fallen, al
ful peaches we're as large as hazel nuts. Pea
Jry beets, turnps, lettuce, cabbages &c., were abu
in dant Potatoes, corn beans, tomato plants, we
lief all large enough for cultivation. Yet that sui
are mer climate is only four days from New Yor
Ab- Indeed, you may leave st. Augustine Mond
ess morning after breakfast, and eat your Frid
morning breakfast in Boston. The dlstsn,
mostly by rail, is about fourteen hundred mill
~ -. There is no doubtin my mind that Florida off
the greatest opportunities for PRACTICAL emerge
~ ~ fruit growers, of any section Of the Uni
~ States. A man would be pretty sure Of {
~ tuna from a nursery established immediately
81. Augustine, or rather preferable, at Jacks
~ Vile; for the country is rapidly settling "
IVY people who will want to plant few orang
lemons, lines, citrons, shaddocks, guavas, ba
rles mas, peaches, and ornamental trees and shru
ter which no one knows, now, where to obts
nsr, Thousands of wild trees have been transplan
the from the woods 10 gardens the present year.
iare some. places tracts Of wild oranges have b
in bought, and the process of converting them
,ody sweet fruit commenced. know two young I
/ Of who have started grove upon Halifax Ri
some forty.fve miles south Of St. August
~ which they intend to increase to five thous
~. bearing trees as rapidly as the work can
Ia accomplished. There are, undoubtedly, g
,,s. opportunities all over Florida for euterpri
men to make new homes and accumulate wea
Nm but wish to be distinctly understood as sal
that it is very far from being an Fl Dor
The country generally is a wilderness, and Il
shuy are great many discomforts TO be epcount
chair before all the pleasures and advantages Of
king delightful climate can be fully enjoyed.
hus :