Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-01-25
Land OF the Orange Grove.
DArToNA, volusia Co., Florida,

81 go # Januaryv, lcoa.
FRIEND DAVIDSON II have intended
10 write before, bnt as you are no doubt
aware my time HAS been much occupied
here and will be until return, in show.
ing lots and land which am selling rap
idly al IS to 100 per cent. advance over
last springs prices, and orange lands
have advanced generally in the state in
the same ratio, and in many places still
more and it now looks as though Florl-
da would advance as rapidly in popula-
ton and wealth IS other southern states.
Some six or seven railroads are being
built in the state, and we expect the Of
fcials of the Jacksonville, st. Augustine
& Indian River: r. r. here this week to
locate their line through our town site.
1t is already under construction to st:
Augustine, and we hope TO have 1t run
ming here next fall, which will make
Daytona an important, and I think, the
most important point south of St. Angus.
tine. The HALIFAX river here is g of q
mile wide, and has fine shell-bank shore
for ~ miles along our town site front,
which makes fine promenade. The
best buildings are along 1t, fronting on
the river, to get the benefit Of the cool
ocean breeze most always blowing from
the east, keeping the mercury down in
summer and preventing frost in winter
The peninsula here is Is of mile wide
dividing the river from the ocean. We
are very much in need of a good weekly
newspaper, frst-class hotel, hardware
store, blacksmith and wagon shop. We
have an Episcopal and Congregational
society, village school and academy
(Daytona instltute) drug store, 1 dry
goods, grocery,1 l, general, and another
about starting, and two hotels and board.
ing houses. y.
Our orange groves are just coming into
bearing, and every schooner goes out load
ed with fruit, and every year the amount
shipped will increase greatly, as ten acres
of land is now In orange trees where
there was one five years ago, and other
fruit trees are being planted in the same
proportion.
Our greatest advantage here, and on
the river, is the superior quality of oul
lands; our trees need no fertilizers, and
our oranges are much larger than those
raised on the St. Johns and in the inter.
ior on their pine lands with fertilizers
which also adds largely to the expense
of cultivation and which We save. l
have jus, offered our largest grove for
sale at $1,000. 1t has cost US less than
$500, and it will bring $4,000 next year
The best grove here cost $1,000, and is
offered for $1,000, and that is about the
ratio of profit in making groves. | in.
tend setting out 10 to 20 acres more in
groves if I can obtain help, which is
scarce at $3.50 per day; good northern
men would be cheaper at So. I am much
in need Of a man TO drive mule team, and
one who understands logging.
You can imagine nothing more bsauti-
full than this climate. The mornings and
evenings cool, and every noon finds the
thermometer between Is and 80, very sci.
dom below 70, and the days Clear and
beautiful, almost perfect, the past week
particularly SO. remember nothing like
1t, hardly cloud day or night. The
moon, when the highest IN the heavens
here, is directly over our heads, and
shining down through our tall forest trees,
and their heavy foliage looks and casts
singular and wierd shadows to us NORTH
erners, and the sun will look the same
and cast the same strange shadows next
June.
am glad to note the disappearance of
the water roach since I was last here,
which adds greatly 10 our comfort. and
as the country becomes settled, insects
disappear.
Last Friday evening we were very
much amused as we stood on the river
shore watching the maneuvers of sea por-
poises fishing, lashing the water into big
waves to the shore and starting so swiftly
after the mullet, blowing like a small
steam engine, letting off steam.
Yours truly, BENZ. MASON.