The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-09-14

close attention to this "Citrous Fam.
lily" that he has on his hands, tor like
hungry children, they are great feed
ers, and must constantly be supplied
with proper food. What is the prop
'er food needed is the problem In
hand. Just now he is experimenting
in choice varieties.
The tops and dainty bellies of New
York City have sent word to Flor.
ida that they wanted an orange for
their grand parties and balls that
could be eaten without taking off
their lsix-button white kids! The
request seemed very reasonable and
our Floridian ''gets one up to order;n
or rather he improves on one from
China, called Mandarin, which an.
swers exactly the demand. 1t is the
"kld glove" orange, and warranted
not to soil the finest glove in eating
1t is small, delicate species of fruit,
with a rind hardly thicker than pa
per and highly perfumed. TIE Tan
.gerineRis ia similar variety. Then
tAere is the Seville orange, also the
st. Mlchael's, which is prolific
bearer, the fruit hanging IN heavy,
magnificent clusters, like the grapes
Of Eschol
Since Florida is becoming one
vast orange grove, our Fioridian has
OF late been a little anxious lest the
supply should exceed the demand.
Esiuce the Mediterranean orange can
be bought as cheaply as apples asa
potatoes in the New York markets
His fears have, however, been allays9l
/ OF iate, as Wen as his selfsesteem
largely increased, from the very sue
cessful experiment of shipping his
oranges to London. To be sure, it
seems like carrying Goals to New.
castle" thus to set down his box of
oranges close by the door of the old
homestead OF the "Citrus family"
Nevertheless, he has met the ap.
proval of the most cultivated ex.
perts, who pronounce them superior
to those of Italian groves and "dis>
tinctly better than those of Spain or
Portugal" He has decided to con.
tinue his business. He intends to
tickle the palates Of all the North
erners with his 5O,OOO,OOO of vel,
low'sklnned fruit, which he proposes
to send you next winter. Look out
for them Add to these the 6OO,OOG.
900 OF imported oranges from foreign
countries, and you may safely reckon
on fourteen oranges apiece for every
man, woman and child in the United
States. If that is not enough, he
will send you more next year.
Although it is midsummer, and
decidedly lazy weather, Florida has
not been idle. Governor Bloxham
has recently sold four million acres
OF land, which is one-eighth of the
whole State of Florida, to a Phila.
delphia company for one million dol
lars. This colossal enterprise will be
Of great immediate advantage to the
State, not only in paying off its State
debt, but in adding the one million
dollars to its taxable property, and
compelling these Philadelphians 10
send people here to purchase. 1t
also secures the drainage and cults
vation of a vast amount of hitherto
uncultivated soil. What will you do
with the prospective crop of oranges
when these four million acres are set
in bearing groves
have said nothing of Florida in
winter. When the unripe fruit of
these now loaded trees shall turn to
gold, will leave the description OF
some abler pen than mine. Only, if
you should chance TO comes to lool
for yourselves, remember the tenth
| commandment.