Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-19
Letter from Florida.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Feb. 9th, y!

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Letter from Florida.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Feb. 9th, 10.
DEAR EDIToR:-We are down here
in this famed land of flowers, not for sani-
tary reasons, like the great mass of north
ern visitors, but to see friends and enjoy a
short respite from the pressure of the daily
care and toll that wear us in the discharge
of our ordinary duties.
At this place we are in the thoroughfare
of northern travel for the south. At least,
a large portion of it comes here, us the
point fixed upon in taking Il trip to the far
south. At every turn we are meeting f..
miliar faces, and find Vermont. AS well as
other sections, pretty freely represented.
If any one wishes to get rid of cold
weather for few months in the winter,
this place will afford the. desired change.
The cold for the present winter has been
indicated by twenty-four degrees above
zero. This to Vermonters can be nothing
alarming, hut they complain of it here as
unusually cold for the season. In our
opinion persons coming south make a
great mistake by undertaking to spend the
winter here or on the low lands of the ST.
Johns river. The atmosphere is too damp
to be congcnial to weak lungs. The high
lands of South Carolina or Florida wnuld
be found far more conducive TO health
Persons who have found the climate un.
favorable here have enjoyed the advan-
tages of favorable change by going tc
GAINESVILLE, Florida, or to sections as high
and dry as the state affords.
Since our arrival here we have beer
having a few days of rain and damn
weather, and a party of us who had ar.
ranged for II visit to St. Augustine have
been obliged TO delay the excursion foi
more favorable weather. 1t is certain tha
although this is called the land of sun.
shine and flowers" those who try it viii
find it not all of either, As the flowers jus
now are not abundant. and even Il few
rays of sunshine breaking through the
clouds would be TO us grateful change
The more we travel the more we are
impressed that every place has its advan
tages us well rs disadvantages its cloud.
as we'll rs sunshine, and its wrecks of fond
ly cherished earthly hopes.
One Of the enterprises here which bid.
fair to absorb everything else, is the pro
spectlvc wealth TO be secured and enjoyed
in golden harvests from the orange groves
The science of getting rich is reduced t.
q mathematical certainty, and it is don,
on this wise: One acre of land will affor,
ample room for the growth and culture o
fifty orange trees. When these trees are
in good bearing condition they will aifor,
two thousand oranges to each tree, ans
these will readily bring, say fifteen dollar,
per thousaAd--some have sold at highe
figures on the trees than this. AT iifteer
dollars per thousand, an acre would affor,
the snug sum of fifteen hundred dollar:
per acre. If this is realty 50 only u few
acres would afford an ample income t,
support small family. People who en-
oranges here are reminded to save tn
seeds, and thousands are getting the mani;
for orange groves.
At the place where we are stopping tn
Rev. Norman Webster has now starte,
some eight thousand orange trees, por
tion of which he designs for planting som
ten acres, on which he lives near the cit,
of jacksonville. 1t requires seven o
eight years from the planting for the tree
to begin to bear fruit, and still longer be
fore they come to their full maturity. Mr.
Webster is here making a successful cx
pertinent under the directions of IN expe
rienced German gardener to start orlng
trees from cuttings, which is somelhin!
new, even in this section, and has man
advantages. as it supersedes the necessil
for budding or grating.
This ciphering out of splendid income
from orange groves reminds us of the cal
culations of northern men on tho certain
income of southern plantations in tn
planting of cotton-so much could be pro
duced upon each acre, and could readil
be sold at SO much per pound with givei
result of an ample income beyond all ex
penses. The experiment was tried, bu
the income was found to he uncertain
while expenses were inevitable and i
most cases left no margin for profits.
Those who have here been planting
orange groves with the hopes of becomin!
suddenly rich have. some of them. falle
into the temptation Of selling out lhei
improvements for the sake of gettin,
ready money on which to meet curren
expenses 1t is sometimes the case tina
orange trees, like other earthly things, di
severe frosts cut them down, and wit
hese misfortune3 comes the blighiing. q
earthly hopes.