The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-03-17
From FLORIDA.
A Day n spring Garden Center.

February 1888 At. Spring Garden Cenler u
ANYTHING at al! Ike the last day ct Fcbru
airy at home, for if 1t is you Will bid i
farewell with regret. The windows are
open, and through them, in spite OF 'h'
hot sunshine giterlng on the sand, floats
a breeze Geliciously sweet and cool Inc
sky is perfectly blue with the exception d
a few white clouds, and tue tops OF thetai
pines sway very lightly IN the morning air
As I write look out oyer 3 baby orange
grove, around whose roots The mellow sand
has Just been upturnea, aud have a aim
suspicion tia, IT will be some weeks before
the farmers of La Sale county use then
plows IN similar way. My eye also rests
upon a little garden patch in our back
ward, whose bean vines are lifting lheH
heads amhluously skyward. by The gfa'
clous permission of its owner we hope IN
two weeks to gather from them The maze
rails for a toulhson;c dish OF succotiSh.
Over my head is bouquet of blossoms,
gathered this morning, and in The bouquet
are great pink and white oleanders, grow
ing wild On the avenue, scarlet phi0X, re-
ioicipg in the freedom OF guarding tie
shell walk outside OF Major Norris gate,
orange blossoms and red roses.
The boys of the avenue are merrlIy Try
ing the running gear OF the new tramway
from the mil to the pine land The cill-
zens are busy nj the mil or in their groves
and many of them find no necessity tor
coats.
Last Saturday we tor: ofen the wrapper
from bundle Of home papers and read
therein some Startling news. There was q
story of ruin and destruction by food the
city was not Cincinnati, nor Louisville, nor
Frankfort, but our OWE Ottawa. We rub
bed our eyes and read again: Mr.. Isaac
Fredenburg informs US that he never wit
messed such floods IN his long residence
here. Twenty SIX years ago, when the Hi
nois bridge went out, the water was inch
es deep 10 his house, and to day II was Ia
inches at 8 80 O'clock . Mr.. Sapps yard
i. all under water. )irn Stouts fine barn
moved out this morning, taking Decline
to Degen's stable, and then went crashing
under the bridge, a total wreck. ri" The
walk aud woodwork 10 The bridge Is badly
smashed. On this side Sanders Bros. shop
is o wreck, Dcwey' Is foundry IL all smashed
up, and Degcn's barn badly ruined
Strawn's lumber yard is under 10 feet of
water"
The last paper Of the bundle bore date
Of Feb. 10Th. and informed US that hun
dreds Of persons were scattered all along
the banks yesterday viewing the sights"
Now, on that particular day we were leok-
ing at tea roses instead of Ice gorges, and
enjoying the flavor Of ripe Strawberries
IN place Of dcpioring the ravages Of the
wild Fox and Illinois. That date, too,
found US IN "A spot almost as novel 10 mt m
bers OF our party as an Art Loan. Th 8
spot WAS the extensive anil beautiful orange
grove of MIR George H. Norris. One of
the party had accompanied Major Norris
OF an early hour, aud we followed later III
q Florida carriage on two wheels, some
times vulgarIy styled II cart. Our ride was
a SLOW and tranquil affair, for the scdate
mule considered haste beneath his dignity,
but as the morning under The shaded pines
was decidedly pleasant we suffered him to
select his own pace. At last a gate opened
before us, and when II had closed VIC found
our path winding down through the heart
of the grove TO the fruit house on the lake.
There were orange trees to he night, to the
left, before, behind US, and all were loaded
with fragrant white blossoms. Nothing
more lovely than an orange flower ever
hung from the branch OF a tree, and when
this delicate stalnlcssly white vision OF
beauty duplicated over and over for mil
lions OF tunes shines out nj you from
among the richest Of glossy green leaves
the scene Is strange and attractive one To
northern eyes.
Not until we had reach he'd the fruit house
did the blossoms give any place to The
ripened fruit, for The season was nearly
over and only 100000 oranges remained to
be gathered. Major Norris began to gath
or his harvest little later than the farm
ers OF La Sale began to husk their corn
the middle OF November; but, unlike them,
he has taken three months to complete the
task. The crop, however, Is not y small
one Major N. ships this year 100000
oranges, representing a very desirable IN
come of $4,000 But the Majors grove
is still behind the Harris grove, near Pa
latka, which during this year has enriched
its owner according to report, with the no.
BILE sun Of $4,000, and next year Will
prove regular bonanza-Sl00,000.
Our meditations on the pleasure and
profit Of an orange grove were brought 10
an abrupt stop by the appearance of the
packing house, and soon we were deep In
the mysteries Of orange wrapping and
packing
MI, g..,..