The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-09-21

California Oranges in Florida

Angeles St;nG SampiSS Vi ol""S
the Wolfskill 81 Kercheval orchards
"a an old friend in Florida, who is IN,
terested in orange culture there, and
asked his opinion thereon as compared
with their oranges. We print the
following extracts from his &etsef'
acknowledging the receipt OF the
same, dated Rixtord, Suwannee
county, Florida, Eune -25, 1881;
Your very welcome lettercame on
the 2Srd, nine days after its date and
the box of oranges the ne% day.
am very much obliged for the fruit
/ have made it "a point to ettend our
State Fair for some years and have
been with the committee on fruit
when they examined and tested fruit
so that have got to be something
ofa Judge. and l will give you my
ldeas OF the truit sent.
The larger one was fair as to size,
color light, flavor vinous, rather PUPPY.
but on the whole of good quality,
skin too thick, and this failing Of
thick skin find TO be the case with
almost all your oranges. The others
were sweeter, or more sugary sweet,
lacking the vinous taste, but would be
by many preferred; size small skin too
thick for the size, color good, rather
100 mach pulp, quality good. They
seemed TO have been kept rather too
long on the trees, especially the rich
colored one, with round depression
on the blossom end.
1t was all good fruit, hut not as nice
as very many kinds raised here. Still
they are in perfection with you when
ours are gone, and SO there need not
be much competition feared on either
side.
1t is matter of much regret as
well as vexation to you that the rail
road offers you no better facilities for
marketing your produce. Here they
try to do all they can, as it furnishes
a large share of their business, with
vegetables, through the fall and
spring transporting 70 the Northern
markets.)
We have but one or two groves
whose product approaches that of
the WolfSkills. The Harris q Bishop
groves, on Orange Lake, about
twenty-five miles south of Santa Fe
Lake, where my grove is, produced
about $4,000 each for the last two
years.
The severe cold last December
tried the trees pretty severely in
some sections, causing all the leaves
on mine to fall off. Bat it complete.
ly destroyed the insects where there
we're any, The trees, however, at
once began to put out new foliage
and some few are bearing for the
first time | have about 2 500 trees.
They are all budded' with choice va.
rieties, on bitter stock.
We have pear called "LeConte"
that promises well for this vicinity,
and its culture Is getting to be pret>
ty extensive in Southern Georgia aud
Florida. 1t is fine truit--ripening
in JnIy and commanding high
prices. think it pays sas well as
the orange, and the tree is perfectly
healthy it is propagateG from cut
tirgs. | sent few Of them TO Cali.
tornia last spring to namesake of
mine, one OF the assistant editors of
the San Francisco E0enng Bulletin,
but | have not heard how he made
ont with them. Next winter, when
| cut mine back, | will send you
some. 1t is said to be the only pear
that has succeeded in The South.
The editor referred to, sends me the
weekly Bulletin, SO l learn something
of what Is going on in your State.
| think there was never better
prospect tor Florida than the pres
ent. internal Improvements are go>
ing on all over the State, and what is