Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-09-08
Letter from a Florida Farmer.

A subscriber of THE PHOENIX, residing at
Nashua, Fla, writes under date of Aug. %:
"Our crops of all kinds are good this year
We are going to have but few ORANGES but
they are very large. The trees are making
very large growth ours have doubled in
size. Next year shall look for several thou
sand oranges. We have had an abundance
of grapes, of the Scuppernong variety. One
vine had about Is bushels on. They are
nearly gone now. We set them 30 feet apart
each way, and some of them nearly meet
now. 1 expect within the next five years to
have to dig up every other vine. We have
made the grapes into jelly catsup, marme-
lade and vinegar. They sell readily for 50
a bushel. One man about five miles from
here has vine from which he has sold sixty
bushels this year at 50 bushel but he is
going to cut it down, as he says it costs him
more to keep it in repair Chat is, to arbor IT'D
than does his house.
have about three acres of sweet potatoes
planted this year, and they are looking first
rate l am now preparing an acre for straw
berries We set them here in October and
November They begin to bear in January,
and in February we get full crop. They
continue to bear until about the LIST of July
l have had an offer for % cents a quart for
all 1 can raise until the first of May, and af-
ter that can only get 10 cents quart but
that will pay. The first we can send to New
York and sell for about 81 quart, net.
We are having some of the most delightful
weather ever knew, and have had all sum-
mer. l never think of coming in from work
until noon, and then take a rest of about an
hour and go to wo-k again. We have had
one week pretty hot; the mercury ran up to
from 80 to % in the shade. The nights are
cool, and We always need blankets over us to
be comfortable. We have been having our
rainy season during the past three months
shower almost every day. We never have
storms that blow and tear everything to pie
ces, but as general thing they are mild and
gentle, with lots of water and good deal of
thunder and lightning. We do not have
mud, and in fifteen minutes after a rain one
can go out with slippers on if he wishes.
New settlers are coming in all the time,
and they are all perfectly delighted with ev-
erything they see, and all 60 to work clearing
land for orange trees Land that was offered
for $40 an acre two years ago sells readily
now for 1926 to $50 an acre, and, Judging
from present indications, land will take an
other jump this winter. A great many peo-
pie come here winters, buy five or ten acres
of land, set out an orange grove, and return
North summers, hiring their groves taken
care of. Others let out contracts for having
their groves set out and cared for. There is
great deal of work in taking care of a grove
as it should be done and kept growing. l
would like to take the contract to set out
few groves, from five to ten acres each.
am thoroughly posted in raising oranges, and
have made it specially for the past seven
years l have charge of one orange grove
OF rs acres, besides my own of 10 acres, and
have as good grove as there in this town
for its age. D. M.