Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-04-02
Letter from Florida.
NO. Z.


- ,,, fail to gain considerable informa-
.:"m AsIam favored with good hearing,
VA have always been more or less inter-
""t.d in the products of the soil, have
lied myself of the many opportunities
"Tnrled me for acquiring large fund OF
Coronation upon the subject of oranges
a"J orange culture. l have not only Wis
;,cI numerous groves, but have consulted
and exchanged views with twenty or
more of the prominent orange growers of
,bc state, and have received the full BEN
cft of their combined experience. As
the reward OF my careful observations
md minute Investigations, AZ. in pos
session of twenty differentand conflicting
theories in regard TO orange culture III
nil its general and particular features,
including adaptability of the various
kinds of soil how to plant; time TO plaht'
the preferable stock. whether securing VI
budded; topping the trees; mulchlns,
remedies for scale insects; the best iliouvs
AT cultivation and pruning; what ierti--
;,arS IN use. the best varieties ol lfuIl'
the most approved methods OF gathering,
hnx;nC and shipping; and, hnalIy, the
I,,ost aud most accomplished styles OF
eating the Orange .,.. ;,h.
.,d title 10 unappealable authority OH
',rouoe culture is placed beyond question
Inv The fact that have visited and thor
oi,rhlv inspected the largest grove in
Fl6rida.-the largest grove in the world.
Thus it happened \ circular came into
INV hands, advertising an "eNcur SION
from Fernandina and Jacksonville TO
orange Lake, afiOrding rare opportunl-
" 20 see the cclebClted orange groves OF
Messrs. Harris, Bishop and Wilson" Al
exceedingly rare feature OF the excursion
WAS, that it was only half fare; the usual
rate from Waldo to Orange Lake-twenty
cents mile-cduced twO-thlrdS. win
several others joined the excursion at
Starke, a very small village, but still the
most prominent town in the county.
Long before we reached the great grove,
toward which we were tending, there
were small patches of orange trees TO be
seen on every side, while beautiful wild
flowers decked both field and swamp.
Early fruits and vegetables advertised
themselves in the gardens on either side
of the railway, strawberries only $2
quart, grecn-pcas 81 Il crate, oucumbcrS
81 adozcn-all bought and consumed ny
rich people up North. None OF my l;Hld-
lords have, us yet, invested in these iuNu-
RIGS. for the reason that the earliest fruits
and vegetables are not wholesome.
At midday the rain dropped us IN the
midst OF $1,000 orange trees, covering
over 400 acres OF ground. Think fit;
sIyrr-rIvK THOUSAND ORANGE TREES ~
FILL BLOOM. 1t would bc sheer folly to
attempt description of the Incompatible
eauty f such scene, and OF the unlin-
aginsbly sweet fragrance that fairly bur
tcnCd the air. This wonderful grove Is a
perfect wilderness of orange trees, sprung
up irrrgularly, just as nature had soWh
the " i'd seed.
BIT this once wild forest that yielded
a sweet bloom and bitter fruit, hasPwlih-
in recent wears, been invaded 10y money
seeking men. who 10y grating on the sour
trees the finer, swec,cr varieties, has
gathered from wilderness that was fer
merry rich only in tho free, wild Iuxurl-
snce Of nature. an income OF over S4o,-
coo year.
During The last season, when other
-ro\es we're robbed of their fruit 10y Sc
we're cold and frost, this grove was pro
tacted by the burning of tar, and welded
a harvest of 500, coo oranges, for which
the owner had been offered $4,000 while
the fruit WAS OH the trees.
All the fruit had been gathered and
shipped long before our excursion parry
reached the grove. But a. l wandered
from tree to tree, now and then, among
the tops ofthe trees, could discover
solitary orange pecping out from among
tho dcnse foliage and contributing TO the
beauty OF the peauly-whitc ana cream
Colored bloom that clustered around II.
Ii was beautiful but it did not seem natur-
al that ripened fruit and the tender bloom
should hang side by side. The dense
bloom seemed to close in upon the bright
golden fruit, rs if with the view TO SmOth-
or it or crowd il out.
Nv HEART went out In sympathy To-
wards those apparently lonely ana TREND
less oranges, and for one hour gave
myself TO the noble service of pounding
those proud, high-headed tree-tops with
q pole, until | had released dozen or
more Of as, yect and sayoury oranges as
ever fell into the hands of 4 gallant knight.
One of the attractive sights in the grove
is the grape fruit, many times larger than
The orange and of Il beautiful lemon color.
To one who is not educated to the en-
ioyment of the fruit. it has an unpleasant
Iy sour and insipid taste. 1t isuscd maln-
" for preserving.
Lemon trees may also be found now
and then dotting the grove, while above
all else may he seen the crowned heads
ri the tall, slender palm trees, some oil
them from fifty TO sixty feet high.
After having taken n general view oil
the orange orchard, | turned my attcn-
ton to the still wilder scenery surround
ing. had previously noticed rs we neareo
the grove, that The train bore us over
long line of trestle- work, built over
lake or swamp-whOse surface was cover
ed over with the large leaves of the pond
lily. In nv HanderingS | came TO the
limits Of tho grove and continued my walk
over the trcstle-wOrk, which supports the
railway. Hundreds of wild ducks and as
many If not more large white curiews flew
over me. After having proccededa quar-
ter of n mile | saw ANOTHER OBJECT, one
which caused me TO make Il sudden stop.
l1yAs AN ALLIGATOR, only Il few feet from
me-. This alligator may not have been
true repl sentative, and mean no dlSre-
spect 10 the race when | say he was UGLY.
His face was unprepoSSessing, the outlines
being too irregular. His small, protrud-
ing eyes looked cold, calculating, unsym-
pathetic-in fact, suggestive OF MURDER.
His jaws were disproportionately large,
and had a hungry appearance: Inc
thought occurred 10 me, aS stood LOOKING
into the repulsire countenance OF my
companion, that if a man were 10 fall OH
the trestling, upon which l stood, he
would very like ely be rescued by the jaws
Of an alligator, and at the same time 1t oc-
cured TO my mind that prudence is the
better part of valor," when maxim was
forthwith illustrated by tourist valor-
ously walking hurriedly back TO shore,
stepping over two or three ties at stride.
Perhaps it was more than wax, pro
fe.sionals" would probably have called
il "go-as-you-please."
Ii was very warm day and it seemed as
il the heat had increased twenty degrees
a.. of hi I