Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-10-30
WHERE THE GOLD ORANGE CLOVIS.
Some OF the Advantages Florida Holds
Out to YoRng Men Of Energy
and Enterprise.
Correspondence OF Courier Journal.l
ORLANDO, ORANGE Co.. Fla,
Oct. IL. 1875.

Correspondence Of Courier Journal.l
ORLANDO, ORANGE Co.. FLA,
Oct. IL, 1875.
In accordance with the promise ]
| made just before starting for the land
of flowers, write of my trip, impress
sions of the country, etc. Ofthe route
through Nashville. Atlanta, Macon,
Jesup, Live Oak. &C.. to jacksonville.
little need be said. / will simply say
of the country in passing, that | was
quite astonished at the cotton nearly
every field | saw was of that variety
described by q Georgian some years
ago as the ''bumble-bee cotton" which
stood so low ON the ground, you know,
that humble bee could sit on his
launches at ease and suck the bloom.
At Jacksonville, after rest of several
days. we took steamer for the upper
St. Johns. A day and night con-
tinous steaming brought US, through
several lakes. into which the river ex-
panded, to Lake Monroe, the most
beautiful of them all. On the south
ern shore of this lake. at Hellonville,
We landed and proceeded at once by
ambulance to
ORLANDO,
the geographical center of the county,
and the county-seat whence | write.
Now, if you will take up any good map
of Florida (Drew's is the best, though
far from accurate), you will find that
Orange county lies upon the west bank
of the st. Johns, from near where 29'
of north latitude crosses it to where
the 18th parallel crosses it, its western
boundary being north and south line,
while on the east it follows the sinuos-
tiles of the river. The county con-
tains about 1000 square miles Of land,
nearly all of it being peculiarly adapted
to the growth of the orange How is
it the better for this, and why all the
absorbing interest in orange culture ?
Simply because it is proven to be, by
all odds, the most profitable and GER
tain crop grown anywhere in the United
States. Why, just think, fifty trees to
the acre, averaging, after they are well
in bearing, 500 to 1000 oranges for
the first five years, and then increasing
to 1900 and upward! Take the least.
500 oranges, worth on the tree two
cents, $40 per tree, or $500 per acre
But it may be asked,
is THIS CERTAIN?
Can we rely on such results2 We are
able to say most certainly, with care in
selection and preparation of soil, in
planting and caring for the trees. No
human calculations can be more sure.
No bank in Kentucky can so certainly
promise its annual dividend of per |
cent as the orange grower can count
Oh the results othis labor. The frosts
here never injure the crop, and, after
the tree is in full bearing, its enemies
have been conquered, how long will the |
orange continue bearing? l don't |
know, but there are standing now at
old Tampa two trees, planted In 1190. |
and they bore two or three years ago |
the last time. | heard their cropgiven
at 1900 oranges, sold on the tree for
$400. just think of that. Well, now,
TELL THAT YOUNG MAN
who has just a start in life-a thousand
or two dollars as beginning-tell 1
him to come down here, get himself 20 |
or 80 acres of land Che doesn't need
more-15 will do), and go to work, put
up his cottage, clear his land, put in
his young trees, say two-year old seed !
lings, keep his land we'll titled, by which
he will feed and support his family,
and In ten years certainly he may count |
on an income of $4,000 year.
Besides oranges, they are planting
lemons, guavas. citrons, bananas, and
what they call the grape fruit, each
grape being as big as an orange. I've |
seen the fruit, but never tasted it it |
is, suppose, species of orange.
FLoRIDA's FUTURE.
The population of the countyis about
5000 and increasing rapidly; every
steamer brings emigrants, all intending
to engage in the culture ofthe orange,
and this will continue until this whole
country becomes one extended orange
grove. l am not prophet, nor the
son of prophet, but | have a pre-
vision clear as light that within ten
years one may land from an ocean
steamer at VOlusia bar, on the st.
Johns (any steamer that can enter tle
St. Johns can reach this BARI and pass
by rail southwark through this place
100 miles through one continuous
orange grove. lines, lemons, guavas
and bananas interspersed on either
hand, and onward along the eastern
coast to Turtle Harbor, looking straight
out towards Havana, passing all along
the line through the most luscious
fruits grown anywhere in the world.
Most of the land in this county is in
individual hands, though there are
still homestead and State lands to be
had. These will. however, soon be all
taken up, so that the emigrant must
count upon paying SO to $40 per acre
for his land, according to location, &c.
p. I. 2. A.