Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-12-28
UocoAxur GROVES an FLORIDA.
Pine apples NJ thr southern Keys
How ana Where C0conuuts Grow.


Mr.. Q. Drew, Sr., State Agent OF Immi- |
grafton Jacksonville, Florida, furnishes
the following letter ior publication in the
Jacksonville Times, which was received hy |
him from Mr. L. q. Chesley In reply to
numerous inquiries on the subject OF Gu
coNnut growing in Florida Mr. Chesley Is
the local agent, q: Key West, of Mr. Mm'
Cannon, gentleman larely identified with
the developement Of tropical fruit iniustry
in the region referred to, aud furnishes ir-
formation that is not only interesting to
dealers In tropical fruits here In the north
but 10 onll who feel an interest In their de
| velopement in our own country;
hey West, Fla, December 7.
DEAR SiV : Yours Of the 30lh ut received.
The cultivation nj pine apples is nav one Of the
leading industries III this section o' the country,
aud indeed is rapidly extending throughout
| Monroe county.
Feilv 800 acres are now under cultivation.
| and the area is being constantly Increased as
| fast as the land can he cleared and the slips
fron, which they are propagsied can be pro.
cured. This included only Kew largo and the
adjacent Keys. where the enter prise W ms origi.
nally started, but the farmers nre now turning
their attention To the Gulf Coast and Mainland,
and purchases have been made. and large fields
have been, or will soon be, planted upon the
banks Of the Caloosahatchee aud surrounding
country. Those alreaoy stated are reported
in excellent condition and the outlook for RI pid
increase is exceedingly promising. will cite
afew figures which have obtained from accu.
rate information about Key Largo and vicinity.
The shipments of pine apples tn Northern mar
| kpts have been about fu1lnwa- In
00o0 dozen /: in 1888, rs 900 dozen: and la,,
year $50 COO dozen new slips, say $50 acres,
were set out in addition 70 those already bear
! Ing. and there Is everv prospect that the ratio
of increase will be more than doubled, as these
figures apply only to the limited area ~ the
Kevs, and have no reference To the extensive
fields Of the mainland where the industry has
, only just begun. The Largo rines are ALREADY v
well known. and the few already produced TN
on the manla' d demonstrate fully that the pine
, lands of Monroe county produce strong. hea lth v
plants, and verv sweet, fine quality of fruit,
! Experienced growers exp ess themselves fully
satisfied with their present success, and are
y going in'n 1t largely.
, With regard tn cncoanuts, the entire Coss,
line of Monroe county will, In n few vears
become vast c"c"anrt grove, both climate
and soil heng specially adarted to their prow,b
The prevailing type of country is a low sand,
2 plain or prairie, otherwise seemingly useles,
I and desert but where the cocoanut is found ,o
grow and thrive luxuriantlv, little or mn care
being required beyond the original planting
Single. scattered trees are tn be found all along
the coast. where tlev appear to have srrunu
, spontaneously from seed nuts which have he-r
j washed ashore Trees are found on the Kew,
= AT Cape Sable, and among the Islands oi
e Char'o'te's Harb"r, in fact, all along the coas
1 range Of 800 miles
p Bearing Ut yes are found throughput III,
county. Groves are now bearing unon nm,
npar q oct ial md
:, reef range. and at 3harlo'tes Harhor. Main,
Evans has q grove in his garden at Mvers uno,
the Cal"osaha'chee. which produces 800 u
e more. nuts per tree annually. He gather
lunches of 90 25 md even "a nuts each, an,
:. trees are bio, ming and bearing all the ven
i, r"und-and this seems tn he the average pr"
duction Of fully developed trees in South Flor
ida.
u II is hut recent that this industry has re
IL ceived general attention. The cultivation e
cnc"annts, like that 81 pinrapples. is still in IL
v infancy here. hut astonishing figures can h
# shown considering the brief time which ba
# elapsed since its commencement Captai
Henry Geiger was the pinneer, and his grove a
Rncn Chica. near Kew West is now bearing
= but the interest of armers and eniprprising car
d italis's was soen attracted. and during the pa.
Ir few Years. all the available lands in ihi- imm,
e diate vicinity have been secured and nlan,es
e and the w,rk is still progressing and ext-rdin
nj to the mainland with marvel -ous rapidit,
"a Three hundred and twenty-five Thousand tre,
. are now planted and growing within the lm
" of Monroe county, of which fftv thousand WEI
- set out last year. These are mostly upnn III
~ line OF Kevs from Cape Flnrida to Kew IVES
nj Tocaanut planting brcam. n 'boom" and SOC
lie reached the gnlf cnas. where extensive grow,
"a have heen planted at L"rsman's Kew, Caxin
-, bas, Hnrr's Island. NJ ,rco. MYERS and Cha
" lotte's Harbor, and all are doing well. axceedir
'e even the sangune hopes oi their prnprietors.
n To show the general feeling and future pro
q: pect one gentleman has purchased n tract
re land Mt Caximbas. and contracted for 30 0t
/" seed nuts and at the pt-sen, mome Mt a vess
,,s has lust arrived in Key West hnrbor. with
, cargo "f l20 600 NUS. To he planted at Biscav,
a, nv CT lony recently started This is bnt I
H. instalm.n as ihrv are pven now negotiating
n 80 600 0'nnre nuts, and will in all probability n
tie stop short ot 300 600 trees. Other rarries a
v engaged in searching lands for he same pn
e. pose. and with view H. equally large tran
he actions, and il is a question of but very slu
-, time when the desnlHte mnnotonv NJ these silr
" and hitherto PRACTICABLE unknown shores, W
w w be supplanied bv the trnpical beauty and ma
'h 1'ifcence nf an almost continuous cocnan
IA grove Nature has lone her part and Ia quiet
H- waiting, and human energy and capital is aln
needed far the long time wilderness to spril
I'll into active and profitable life.
h. have written van AT snms length upon III
subject. as believe in it fully. ha va stat
', only facts aud the figures were obtained fru
"a personal interviews with the parties who n
Sc eng eed IN and are actively pushing this indu
nj try. 20 tha, with full confidence IN its realz
III ton, remain very truly yours
o E. G. CnEsLEY.