The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-04-14
Chronicles.
Editor of The Florida Agricu1truist..


And it came TO pass that in the
latter part Of the days of the reign
of Ulysses the Great that there came
to the Land of Florida two men
from the North. One, Marcus,
whose sir-name was Smith, was
somewhat skilled in the art which is
called agriculture. The other was
disciple OF Esculapius whose sir
name was Perkins, and they came
even unto the place that is called
Port Orange, ON the river that is
called Halifax, and they pitched
their tent there and they did look
about them and compassed about
the place for many days, and they
were much pleased with the beauti-
full climate, and the river, and the
fishes and oysters that dwelleth
therin. And they did go out unto
the lands of one James whose sir
name is Voss, who hath an orange
grove and was also much skilled in
the art of orange craft, and when
they did see the fruit, that it was
beautiful to look upon, and that it
was delightful to the taste, and also
much profit to the owner, they said,
one to another, 90 to now and let us
plant an orange grove. And they
struck their tert and did 90 up the
river even urto the city Of Day or
Daytona, and did look about them TO
purchase land that they might EN-
gage in the business of orange craft.
And it came to pass that they came
upon the lands Of one George, whose
sir-name was Coleman who was also
a disciple Of Esculapius, and they
said, one TO another, behold these
lands that they are good, and they
digged into it and they said "hath it
not clay and mari and sand and
erything that maketh a soil rich,
and doth it not produce OF every
tree OF the forest abundantly, aud
will it not produce Of the orange
tree abundantly also -
And thus did they reason with
themselves, and were satisfied and
did purchase of the lands of George
whose sir name was Coleman, and
they did hire many skilled workmen
with axes that they should cut down
the trees that they might plant their
orange grove, but of the trees of the
land called the Cabbage Palmetto or
Palm tree did they say unto the
workmen, "behold this tree shalt
thou spare and thou shalt not desc
crate it with thy axe, for it is unlike
any other tree of the forest, and it
hath no branches that will fall upon
the orange trees, and that it seemeth
TO teed upon the air and doeth DO
harm unto anything, and will it
not save the orange trees from the
trosts of winter and the scorching
sun OF summer and the strong winds
OF autumn"
And thus did the men from the
\ orth reason with themselves and
take counsel of their own hearts and
didnot take counsel with the people of
the City Of Day. And when the people
of the City OF Day saw that the men
from the North did not counsel with
them on the business of orange craft
they said, one to another, ''behold
these men from the North that they
are wise i'll their own conceit, and
that they do propose to teach us who
have had much experience and skill
in the art of orange craft, for have
they not made great innovation in
that they have left the cabbage pal
metto that it may shade the land, tor
behold do they not know that the
orange tree is child OF the sun and
that it delighteth much in the heat
of MONDAY, and do they not know
that the rains have been withheld tor
many months and that their lands
will be wet even to being overfowed
with water, and is it not known also
that the land of the cabbage pal
metto is wholly unfit for the orange
tree, for hath not Andrew and
Charles, the indomitable, whose sir
names are Bostrom, have they not
tried it? And have they not utterly
tailed, and hath rot Chamberlain, the
professor and practical, behold Ia,h
he not tried it? And hath not his
trees been afflicted with die-back and
divers diseases, and hath he not be-
come greatly discouraged and gone