The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-03-08
Way-Side Notes.
Editor of The Florida AgricultmriSt..

ASWteOf W L Ho HtOIFuU <1UTtCUL6uTtSGs
The winter months give us plenty
of outdoor work, and just such
weather as we like for that kind OF
employment; it is neither too hot OF
too cold, there is no mud, no ice, nc
snow, no frozen ground. They that
have piece of ground to "clear up
know how to appreciate this, and can
90 to work with AK, beetle and
wedge, our implements of warfare
among the trees, and the strong arm
will soon lay them low, and pile mp
the rails for fences (for barb wire
may injure the cattle and hogs that
come TO modest us, the law protects
them, but compels us to protect our.
selves against their depredations).
Then the trees that won't spit" are
rolled into piles and cremation soon
fits them for fertilizing the land. The
Florida settler, although he may be
poor and obliged to get his daily
bread by the sweat OF his brow, has
nothing to complain Of, when COM
pared with the Western pioneer.
Alter enduring so many hardships
and getting place that they can call
home, the Western settler often be-
comes discouraged and turns his foot.
steps southwark. Some OF this class
have lately settled near US. They
are from Iowa, and have come here
to make an orange grove. The corn,
0nH tho nGfc tho on1 h.
often fail TO make fair return foy
the labor, but the orange grove never
fails to return us the golden fruit
year after year; they extend their
branches In all directions and invite
the birds of the air to make their
nests there. The blossoms VIII aen-
~UTnue TO s1ed Their perfume when the
hand that planted them has forgotten
its cunning. They are beautiful to the
eye, luscious to the taste, and when
we come to the financial part, to use
Mark Twain's expression, There is
millions and millions in it." Yes,
plant the groves in the hammocks
and among the pines, let them flourish
everywhere un il Florida shall be the
wealthlest State according to the
number of inhabitants, of which it
has a fair prospect to-day. To be
sure it has no mines OF gold or silver,
or other minerals, its wealth is all
above ground, but this is not to be
brought about by pumpkins or
suuashes or even Watermelons, ct
which we have such generous sup
ply every summer. The orange is
is our staple and must ever be.
Fear the supply will sometime ex-
coed the demand" do you? Well
that shows you don't understand the
nature OF the demand. We can get
supply OF most things but hardly OF
that golden fruit. One reason is that
the supply we now have is too quickly
consumed. No one is satisfied, no
one has had enough, the appetite for
them has increased hundred fold in
ten years; say nothing of the greater
number there are to be supplied, and
this number will increase without
stint or limit, while the number OF
acres that can grow oranges is con.
fined to small space and cannot
oyerstep the bounds. So let the
groves multiply and fear not, and the
reaplng time will surely come, and
the industrious find that they have
not labored in vain.
We have another family near us
from New York; they came last fall
and are making things tell on their
place. Mrs. M. works with her hus-
band, burning logs and helping in
every way. She dresses the same as
he does when out at work. so l call
her "Myrtle No. q" They came
over here the last rainy weather after
some trees. A stranger stopping
here asked me what two men those
were. l told him they were MIR. and
Mrs. M; and he said We'll you
don't say SO; which one is the wo-
man?" 1 told him l would tell him
which the man wass and then if he
was good at guessing he might tell
which the woman was himself They