St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-03-22
Florida and Florida Oranges.

ness, is so large that statement of fact
is often withheld, because the truth
would not be believed. By this l mean
the prospective and possible profit, as
the business is yet so young that state
ments of what has been done are nc
criterian to go by. Those engaged in
the business consider each tree, so soon
as it is in healthy and vigorous bearing,
worth one hundred dollars. The an
nual yield from such tree will pay a
large interest on one hundred dollars.
Now if we take into consideration that
from fifty to one hundred trees can be
grown upon an acre, the return is i'm
mense. The person who has once
brought his grove into successful bear
ing, can raise on his land about all the
necessaries of living and have an income
quite equal to that enjoyed by owners
of blocks in our cities, with One-fifth
part of the original cost of city invest
ment. Or if the owner choose, he can
travel abroad without fear of the in
cendiaries torch, or the failure of banks
or commercial firms. Even if frost
should come severe enough to cut down
full grown trees, land but one such frost
has come in the history of Florida,) the
owner of such grove has but to wait
quietly for three years, and out of the
g., 10
us the first, and without the cost of
brick, lumber and workmen. The age
to which orange trees live--fiOm three
to four hundred years-is so great, that
Americans do not know how to consider
it in the light of permanent invest
ment.
The fear has sometimes been eX
pressed that the supply will exceed the
demand, and the price so decline that
the business will be Improbable to the
grower. But those who entertain this
fear have certainly not considered the
facts. That portion of the States with
climate suitable for growing the orange,
is comparatively small. The southern
portion of California, very small part
of Louisiana, and the whole of Florida,
if devoted to orange culture is but IA
trifie compared to the vast sections of
the United States which will be well
filed with inhabitants long before the
orange growing sections can be brought
into bearing.
The present yield of fruit grown in
the United States, furnishes hardly one
orange year to each inhabitant. Our
population, Judging the future by the
past, will very likely double in the next
thirty or forty years. To furnish such
a population with one orange or lemon
a day, will require no less than thirty
thousand million per annum. The
wholesomeness OF the fruit, together
with its medicinal qualities, will in
crease its popularity until it will be
universally used, provided it can be
furnished at a reasonable rate.
At present the production of Florida
oranges is SO small, that it is not known
in the markets of many of our largest
cities. The foreign varieties offered in
those markets, even when fresh and
fully ripe, will not compare with the
Florida article. But in order to reach
this country in sound condition, they
have to be gathered when green and
hence are not only unpalatable, but I'M
wholesome. When the Florida orange
becomes generally known, and the sup
ply is adequate, it will exclude these
foreign varieties, and, because of its
excellence, become universally used.
In regard to the possibility of supply,
it will be noticed that in Southern Cal
ifornia the yield is estimated at six hun
dred per tree and they require imigra
ton. In Louisiana the possible area is
small. In Florida the climatic condi-
tons are more favorable, but the land
and locations suitable are not one hun
dredth part of the state.
Then again orange culture belongs to
the class of skilled labor. Hundreds
engaged in the business will fail, be-
cause success requires intelligence, APP
plication, patience and skill especially
patience or grit. Hundreds have al
ready failed, from one or all of these
causes, and have left the state, never
dreaming that they alone are to be
blamed for their failure.
The orange will pay beyond most
other fruits a half cent an orange on
the tree. Ten years ago the Florida
orange was considered we'll sold when
the grower could get one cent on the
tree. Few now sell for less than one
and a-half cents, and some average at
their groves as high as four cents per
orange, and the price still advances.
The several methods of planting an
orange grove, are LIST, the budding of
the wild sour tree without moving
them. I'd, budding them first and trans
planting afterwards in some suitable
location. Sd, setting the sour stumps
and budding afterwards. 4th, growing
the trees from the sweet seed without
budding. 5th, planting the sweet seed
ling and budding either before or after
removal from nursery. 9th, budding on
sour Seeding either before or after re-
moval.
Each of these plans has some advan-
tage over the Others. They all have
advocates but which of all has the
greatest number of advantages is ques-
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