Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-03-06


condition, without cap
ltal and completely discouraged; one
man who had been in the Confeder-
ate army said the south was better off
to-day than ever it was with slavery.
The colored man is just what he is;
as rule they are naturally indolent
and lazy; there is no dependence to
be put upon them; northern people
told me in Florida that they would be
glad to hire them, but you could not
tell when they would come or when
they would leave, and they were sure
to leave you when you needed them
the most; they are noted for quarrel
ing among themselves and getting
drunk; as class they are very su-
perstitious and fond of dress; with q
watch, "stove-pipe hat,' and cane,
and he is as "happy as lord - they
will sing and dance all night, and
sleep around during the day, and live
in perfect novels; ON the whole they
are a curiosity, and doubt if north
ern republicans would wish to have
them on jury, even if only a 80
cent case was pending, or consider
them fit to make laws for a state.
The culture of the orange tree is now
engaging all the attention of the peo-
pie here, and the best section is said
to be between % and 80 degrees
north latitude, although oranges are
grown north of 80 degrees, but they
are not so sure. The soil best adapt
ed is high hummock or pine land.
The orange tree is an exceedingly
hardy tree, and can be set out most
any month in the year. They begin
to bear from three to five years after
budding, and an orange tree is eX-
pected to bear by proper cultivation
the sixth year 200 oranges, and in
the tenth year 1000 oranges, and are
not considered in their prime until
they are twenty years old; they will
live and bear often till they are one
hundred years old. Oranges are
worth at the present time from 81 to
2 cents each on the tree. Nothing
is more beautiful or pleasing to the
eye than an orange tree loaded with
fruit. The fruit begins to ripen in
November and the trees begin to bios
som in February. The tree is green
during the whole year, and in Febru-
ary it begins to shoot out new leaves,
and the old ones drop off. One hum
dred trees are set on an acre, and 10
acres of land is enough for any man.
The land should be cultivated with Il
plow or cultivator every month in the
year from February to October. The
lemon tree is beginning to receive
some attention although it is not so
hardy a tree, it grows much faster
and produces fruit earlier, and bears
more of it than the orange tree. The
lemon tree will often bear 200 lemons
the third year and thousand the
sixth year. Capt. III. X. Ide has $50
acres of land situated between Lake
George and Crescent Lake in what is
known as the fruit land peninsular in
latitude twenty-nine and one-half de-
grees, and just fifteen degrees south
of st. Johnsbury. 1t is covered with
a heavy pine timber, except 8 or 10
acres, on which he has 450 young or
ange trees of different ages mostly
young. They bore him the past yeal
nearly 400 oranges. He also has q
strawberry patch, grape vines OF
enormous size, also apricot trees
guava cherries, etc. He has bull
him very good house for that sec
ton of the country. Work is soor
to commence on a railroad running
from Pilatka to Titusville, on the In
dian river, that will run within 10(
rods of the captains land. Ripe
strawberries and green peas were be
ing sent to market the first week il
February. JOHN I. RITCHIE.