Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-08
THE GREEN LINE.
Homeward Bound.

Tile Stay i'm JacsIs8nyiiIe-R'ieas
ExcursiOns-CrOvVfh OT the Orange
Tree-JacksOnyiIIe "a Place fOr
PIeasure-Seekers i'm winter.
Correspondence Of the Union and American.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Jan. 3l.-It should
perhaps be stated iu justice to the authori-
Ties and citizens of Jacksonville, that they
were not aware of our coming until few
hours before the train arrived, too late to
give the excursionists such reception as
had been accorded them at other places.
When it was ascertained that the Green
Line EXcursionists were approaching
Savannah, the Governor of Florida sent q
message to the Legislature urging that
body to invite the party to visit Talla-
hassee, the capital of the State, and to
tender them the Inequalities of Florida.
This suggestion was concurred in by the
Legislature, but it was late yesterday be-
fore the excursionists determined to visit
even Jacksonville, and no notification of
this intention was sent forward. But
many of the citizens of this place did all
they could to make the brief sojourn
of the party pleasant and agreeable.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. (. A. Dock
ray, Collector of Customs at Jacksonville,
quite number of the gentlemen connected
with the excursion party, dined at the St.
James Hotel, where pleasant hour was
spent in the interchange of the usual
hospitalihes of such an occasion. Many
excursion parties were improvised, and
the noted places in the vicinity visited,
among them the residence of Prince De
Talleyrand, who has a handsome residence
| four miles down the st. JOINTS. In the
afternoon the steamer Hattie arrived in
port, and Capt. Brock gave large party
of the excursionists pleasant entertain
ment on the river. Many of the excur-
sionists returned with trophies in the shape
| of punches of oranges, flowers, evergreens,
etc. Orange groves form peculiar fea-
| tuIe and constitute the principal scenery
on the banks of the St, Johns, and are a
source of considerable revenue TO their
| owners. Young groves, planted since
the war, have grown finely, and ii
was stated that more attention had
been gwen to the planting of groves
| in the past two or three years than had
ever been known. To show the rapidity
| of growth, the Jacksonville Union states
that trees budded in 1866, have this
season borne from two hundred to
three hundred oranges. Orange trees are
easily grown, but they require attention
| for two or three years after being budded f;
after that they require no more cultiva-
ton than the apple or peach in Tennessee.
| They bear fruit continuously for a great
many years; some groves that we saw
were known to be nearly forty years old,
and still presented thrifty, vigorous ap-
pearance. An orange grove resembles
very much young apple orchard in full
| bearing. There is little doubt that Florida
will in a few years supply large portion
| of the oranges consumed in this country.
| Florida is becoming a great resort for
| citizens of the North who wish to escape
the rigors of their winters. II was ascer-
tanned that quite a number who had spent
the winter of 1868 in Jacksonville are here
again this winter. Many of the citizens
| of this town are looking forward to the
time as not very distant when Jacksonville
viii become as popular a winter resort for
the fashionable and wealthy, as is Sarato-
ga or Long Branch for the same class in
the summer. 1t is certainly a most desir-
able place for invalids to spend the win
ter, and numbers from every section of
the country, make Jacksonville stopping
point in their race after health.
The citizens of Jacksonville claim for
it a population of five thousand. The
principal commerce of. the place is in
fruit and lumber. SRwANEE.