Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-02
INDIAN RIVER.
A Region BIest by Nature-Its SpIen-
did POssibili1Ies-F Fortunes In
Fruits-FerTIIe Acres for a Song
A Paradise for Health.

INDIAN RIVER, FLA, October 27-Edit0r
Morning Netes That pleasant and versatile
writer Fred. Beverly, once aptly wrote: "In'
dian river, once visited leaves q longing in the
heart of the visitant never satisfied till the
sparkle of its waters again gladdens his eye
and his tent is pitched upon its sunny sands. "
So this fair month finds me back again, drink
ing in renewed health and vigor, taking a new
lease of life" it may be said, from its pure,
refreshing breezes. There has been no drought
here, abundant rains having fallen all through
the past year. The orange crop is fine this
season, fruit smooth and of fair size.
1t is surprising to me that the good citizens
here do not go extensively into the culture or
lemons. the climate seeming peculiarly
lines and citrons They appear to bloom and
bear almost continuously. The French lemon
grows quite large, some specimens weighing
over pound. They are quite the thing Tor
pies, but too large to suit the Northern market.
The Sicily. Ono and Florida of inferior
quality. Some attention has been paid to
lines, for l hear of a few instances where
single trees have paid from nifty TO seventy
dollars from one crop. hear. however, that
a kind of blight or insect, before unknown. has
cut off this years crop or lines. C1trons are
OF three varieties--the bitter, the sweet and
the citron of commerce, and grows to enor-
nous size resident here sent some speci
mems to New York last season. two or
which weighed twenty-four pounds. The
four years, making fine tree, Welding qusnu-
ties Of beautiful fruit. AS contemplate the
vast and varied capabilities of this Indian
river region, / am convinced ft has bright fu-
ture the nearness of which depends on the
energy of its citizens No other region pos
sesses the natural advantages offered by this,
and naught remains but for ambitious man TO
turn these advantages to gold, and the effort
may be said to be in its infancy. Spite Of last
winters cold, the guava, a delicate shrub, has
been blooming and bearing the entire year,
and its fall crop, the main one, Is now lying on
the ground by hundreds-aye, thousands OF
bushels.
There is fruit enough to supply large fac
tory for manufacturing guaVa jelly; and no
one could relish the dark, strong imported
jelly of commerce after having once been per-
mitted to eat of the bright, beautiful and most
delicious jelly prE~ared here from guaVas. If
the people here awaken from Their
lethargy, throw of Dme of their self f-satisfed
ease and contentment, and go to work with
determination to develop to the utmost OF their
ability the wonderful resources Of their won
derfu land, soon they could offer inducements
to capitalists to erect large factories for the
manufacture of iellies, dried citron, canned
fruits, marmalades, aid all the various con-
fections into which art converts surplus
fruits; and the guavas, cltrons, lemons.
lines, and even the "split oranges"
which now decay, would then bring cash into
the family purse. In every large grove there is
every season q greater or less quantity or
cracked fruit. This cracked or split fruit could
be converted into most delicious marmalade or
wine. Bananas grow finely, and 1t seems they
could be made source OF profit, but the people
seem content to grow a few for home consump-
tion, while many do not bother" with them at
all. Pineapples are doing well and attracting
widespread attention. They are paving from
$500 to $500 per acre, and thousands have been
set out this season. Choice lands properly To-
Gated for their production, are springiug up to
twenty-five and fifty dollars per acre; some are
valued at seventy-hve dollars. Toward the
south end of the river one rarely hears the
ThaF0 bananas ni0Aan-
pies and cocoanuts are the cry. Around Jupi-
ter, and particularly the island, it is thought
cocoanuts would pay handsomely Not being
of perishable nature, as tropical fruits usu-
ally are, it can be safely shipped anywhere,
and grove once in bearing, would prove a
fine revenue. 1t is said that the seed once
planted 1.-The tree will grow and take care of
ITSELF" In this assertion the easy gong spirit
belonging peculiarly to "Fluridy" is most con-
spicuous.
Lake Worth, fifteen miles below Jupiter, has
some stirring, wide-awake citizens. They
have bananas by thousands, pineapples by
hundred Of thousands and already bearing
groves Of cocoanuts / hear that some of
them contemplate securing a hold upon the
Juniper Island tract They would soon CON
vert that splendid wilderness into
fields of pines, bananas, mangoes, sapo-
dillas, cherimoyas, tamarinds and cocoanuts,
yielding from $500 to $1,000 per acre. This
magnificent tract is washed on one side by the
waters of the Atlantic and on the other by the
Indian river. 1t is held for sale at prices
families of means could soon convertit into an
earthly paradise, it being adapted to every
variety OF semi-tropical fruit, vegetables,
scale and shell fish, game, and perfect health
in a genial cline. What more would you
ask? l find myself unable to chronicle all
the resources of this surprising region.
have not even mentioned sugar cane, that
potent factor, which is the sole source Of in
come for many people here, yielding very
superior article of syrup, and very fair sugar;
and this reminds me- if the good people Of the
Indian river would send collection of their
wonderful productions, both natural and artis-
Sition," it would produce telling effecG on
the thousands of visitors who will be present
at that mammoth collection of the South's |
fairest and best products.
There would certainly be rush" here of |
curious people to fill the excellent hotels and |
boarding houses that have sprung up In few
years past, and to buy the surplus land held by |
different people, who would love to exchange |
their wild lands for their equivalent in dollars, |
and new nelghbors. If you, Mr.. Editor, wonld |
like to escape the wear and tear of journal |
ism few weeks and make the most delightful |
tour you ever experienced, then come here
and cruise awhile with me up and down the |
shores of this enchanting river. You will be- |
come infatuated, as nearly all do, and will |
again and again return. There is nothing more
desirable than to run away from leaden skies,
cold winds, and leafess trees, and bask in the |
almost perpetual spring prevailing here: roam |
through evergreen forests and at almost every |
home pluck various fruits fresh from the green |
and growing bush or tree, with q blue sky /
smiling overhead and magnificent river laving |
the rocky shore with its ever restless waves
Another very attractive feature connected /
with this river is the large number OF sail boats
They are of all sizes and varieties, and nothing
is more exhilarating than sail in comfort |
able, fast boat, with good sailing breeze
Some other time hope to set forth more 1
fully the points Of interest connected with this
beautiful land. Till then farewell,