Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-02-16


happy people.
Tho most luxurlant groves here are
planted upon good hammock land we'll
drained, and no clay within several feet of
tho surface. Three year old trees aro pro-
ferrcd, if sweet soolding grove is desired.
These can generally be bought for twenty
! tween tho trees is 30x30 feet. This gives
about forty niue trees per acre, or ''for
convenience" say fifty. They are set out
in spring, summer or fall. There arc per-
sons who mako business of this, charging
IS cents per tree to set out aud superinteud
them until they live, or get over tho effect
of transplantng, replacing any trees that
die at their own expense. Most persous
here plaut vegetables among the young
trees, for tho Northern markets, aud follow
them with COW peus. 1t is desirable to
keep tho land perfectly free from grass and
weeds, aud frequently stirred lightly; deep
plowing is not desirable. This frequent
cultivation makes the expense Of oulti-
vating orange trees. think, however,
that $50 per acre will cover the cost After
the grove is in bearing tho cost of cultiva-
tion is not more than ono half this AMOUNT,
if 80 much. Tho ground is then SO much
shaded that grass aud weeds do not grow SO
vigorously. If planted upon good ground
and well cultivated, they will begin bear
ing, somo in five, and the balance in seven
years. This makes them from eight to ten
years old from the seed 1t is worry long
lived tree; some in Europe are known to
have attained tho nge Of hundreds of years.
1t also grows larger tllau the largest apple
troes OF the North. At ten years two or
three boxes might bo reasonably expected;
| as it grows older there is a steady increase,
| and 5000 oranges would not bo an extra.
ordinary crop for tree fifteen or twenty
years old.
Orange culture to any great oxtout is
quito recont iu Florida. Now it has at
taned suoh magnitude that it is oxpo,ted
that before many years this State will be
able to supply tho entire demand Of tho
United States. Tho fruit is acknowledged
by judges to bo tho finest in the world
Almost any man of reasonable amount Of
Industry can make enough to live upon
while he is cultiyating his grove Indeed,
l can refer any one to men who have made
considerable money planting early vegetables
among tho trees. Tho lands are not all
rich in Florida. A poor man will have an
up hill task who undertakes to bring on au
orange grove upon land that requires con-
stant fertilization. l do not deny that it
can be done, but 1, for ono, will not advise
it. There arc plenty of rich lands in this
and other seoliona Of tho State.
estimate tho cost of five acre grove as
follows:
Cost Of land-say s25 per acre sl25 90
Cost of clearing and fencing,
$25 per acre 1875 90
Cost of three yoar old seedlings
at 25 ceuts per tree, fifty to
tho aoro 62 SO
Cost of planting, if hired done
and insured SO so
Cost of cultivation, if hired,
say $40 per acre for soven
years 10000
Total at the end of seven years SLOTS 90
venture to assert, without fear Of course,
that tho possessors of such grove, even
should it have cost few hundred moro,
would not tako per aoro whut tho whole
grove has cost him. know gentleman of
this village, DR.. A. II. Mathcrs, who sold
from his town lot of little more than one
acre, 81 ,250 worth of oranges at the third
years bearing of his grovo. Just think
of it, u very handsome income from vne
acre!
1t strikes mo that were these faots gon-
orally known that capitalists from different
parts of tho country would look into tho
matter. hopo they will not, for as it
stands now it is business for men Of mod
crate means. What prevents any man
With small capital from coming hero and
doing what DR.. Mathcrs has done? We
have q delightful climate; our su'pmers are
long, but not noarly 80 hot as people bo-
licvo. There arc plenty of Northern mon
in this ncighborhood, who do hard work all
tho summer aud they olaim with more
ease than they could during tho samo sea-
son North. Railroads arc being projected
and built, traversng the State in every d.
rcotion. Mr.. Yaer's road across from the
Atlantic to the Gulf; the Florida Southern,
from the st. Johns River via Gainesville
to Macon, Ca, aud South to Charottos
harbor, running within three miles of this
place; also Southern branch of Mr. va
lcr's road to Tampa, crossing portion of
Orange Lake, giving people on the above
named lako transportation via the steamers
on it.
There are many other roads being built
in other sections Of the State, but l am
coniining myself to this particular section,
What prevents men of means who are en-
gagged in active business North of us--from
booking into this matter? Tho yioissitudes
per cent of failures" Why not start fise
l. 4 u -