The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-08-25
Orange Culture as an IAyestment,
NUMBER II,
Written for The Florida Agricstltarist.
PRoPER LoCATloS.

Il
PROPER LOCATION.
In considering this part0t our sub
jecL it is, ofcourse, taken{Ar granted
that the location shall bWbelow the
region OF hard frost. Inepher words,
it is safe to say it should be south of
the Both parallel OF horth latitude.
1t istrue there are favofR bic situations
where the orange will thu Ne north of
this line, and untavorahle ones south
OF it; but the object Of tbe writer is
not exceptions i'll any taee, but to get
as near as may be to I'sure success
in all cases. as&
This point settled, the first con.
sideration of the settler ah the selec.
tion of location, should he health.
| say the settler, and 90 not wish
to be understood as placing the capi.
talist-who simply inIest bis money
with view to returfisVfrom fruit ex.
actly In the same position. The one
invests with the lntentid of making
tor himself and family home, where
they may enjoy all the Comforts and
convenience that their common efforts
will, i'll time, place within their reach.
The other invests his nlhney solely
with a view OF getting a good return
tor it. But il the purpose OF the
capitalist is to invest simply in land
to sell at a profit TO settlers, then his
interest and theirs are IDENTICAL, and
the same rule governs both. In
selecting location the ltler should
keep clear of large swapps, marshes,
and bodies of water hsving low,
marshy banks. For this reason a
location immediately upon the ST.
Johns or other large water courses
although very desirable as to trans,
portation, and this is all important
-point not bel desirable hygeni.
: s -
Florida is healthf1T wE91 Ycompafed
with any other stain, still almost the
only ailment TO whidh man is subject
here, is very much Eiore liable TO at
tack him'in such places than on high,
dry pine land, and short distance,
say from two TO five miles. from the
river; speaking particularly otfsbe
ST Johns region, which is III myesti-
nation, par eccellence the region OF
the, orange, this distance from the
river would not be Instantaneous.
The settler would be quite handy"
to get his mail, supplies, fertilizers,
ETC., and need loose but halt day by
his trip at any time; while at this
distance from the river there is an
abundance OF good, high, rolling pine
land, that will grow oranges very
well indeed, and where the settler
may enjoy as good health in any case,
and great deal better in many
cases, than he can find anywhere else
lin these States"
Pine land fitting for orange culture
may thus be described : Elevation
above the adjoining fat-woods and
absence of the flat-wood's shrubs,
such as saw palmetto, gall-berry. etc.,
a thick, thrifty growth of tall clean
bodied pine timber in number from
forty five to sixty trees per acre, and
size from ten to thirty inches diane
ter at three feet from the ground.
There is generally but very little
underground, if any it should con.
sist of willow oak, cherokee bean,
black jack and sumach, There will
sometimes be lunches of palmetto,
and tolerably plentiful growth OF
them is not bad indication; but in
any event there must be good natural
drainage, and for this purpose the
surface should be unduiating or
rather have slight inclination. The
surface soil should be dark>grey and
the subsoil coarser than the surface,
and of yellow or chocolate color /;
water should not, think, be nearer
the surface than seven or eight feet
and the distance to it will vary from
this depth to forty feet, and when
found it should be clear, pure, soft,
without any foreign taste. and reas.
onably cool. We, OF course, cannot
have water cold here as they have in
the N North, but the new comer~very
soon gets accustomed to il and finds
it sufficiently cool. There is no need
whatever, upon the high pine lands OF