The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-12-20
Deand Yousia County Florida Wednesday, December co. 1882

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for each orange, sometimes more.
That would give $500. In the ninth
year the yield of fruit is generally
double, or 5000; and in the tenth
year in all probability the return
would be $1,000. The trees in some
of the groves eleven and twelve years
old are now yielding $40 per tree, or
$4,000, which is certainly good re~
turn for an outlay OF $2,86O, and some
patience. To those who light de~
sire much more rapid return for
their investment the following will
be interesting. The rapid Develop
ment OF Florida and the large nuns
her of new orange groves, which will
undoubtedly be the result along the
new lines of railroad, will for some
years cause a very large demand for
Florida orange seedlings, properly
budded, for transplanting into the
groves when the trees are three years
old.
Persons dispose to start a nursery for
the propagation of orange trees would
land which would cost l25
For good strong fence round the five
acres so
For the clearing, breaking up, grubbing
the land thoroughly, lbs
AS the seeds are planted feet apart one
way and feet the other and as $500
can be thus planted on one acre it
n 70 n nn rNlo fiTOor Of
| orange seeds on five acres and watering
them, all of which could be done for
Qncluding the manure for the land), 500
Cost of living on or near the nursery for
three years and other contingencies for
one person, 1,500
Total outlay, $1,000
At the end of three years, if the
trees are sold from the nursery at
the present price of 70.cents the re-
| lingys would be 81 $50. If ten acres
were cultivated in the same manner,
the cost would be $4,000 and the res
ceipts $22,50O. The probability, how
ever, is that such trees will sell for
81 each, as they do now In Mobile.
Quite a number of the old settlers
are now raising the young trees, and
yet they are very scarce. During
the past eight years over 25,0OO,OOO
of orange trees have been planted in
Florida. 1t may be observed that in
European orange gardens the trees
do not fruit until they are sixteen
years old or more. 1t is evident that
Florida is particularly we'll suited to
the tree.
f Orange groves can be purchased
in all stages of growth at from S6,>
900 TO $4,000. A grove of 600
fruit"bearing trees ten years old coula
be purchased for $4,000, not under,
The new railroads will open up mill
lions of acres of land never cultiva-
ted, and probably the very best OF
the land in the new district will cost
So per acre.
The best United States govern
menu lands, open to entry under the
homestead law, have already been
entered, and those which have not,
though very good, are not accessi
ble, consequently might be purchased
at $3.50 per acre,
Ac1mIortable log house tor mod
crate sized family can be built for
about $50. A good frame building
with four or FIVE rooms will cost $500.
Those who desire laborers will find
plenty, mostly black; wages now Sl.25
, per day.
The entire capital expended in
bringing an orange grove into bears
ing condition would be probably res
turned in seven years after the three
year-old plants were put In the ground
; and were carefully attended to every
' year.
In several OF the large towns in
D Florida there are good schools Tor
white children. The churches are
numerous. In the newly settled
counties the school system is not now
0 what it will be in few years. AS
0 Florida is being settled up by most
desirable and respectable class OF
) persons from all sections OF the Union
the moral tone is as good as III the
old States and better, and seems to
> satisfy the visitors from the North
especially.
CLIMATIC FACTS.
MANY persons ask if Florida is not