Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-26
THE DUMNIITT ORANGE GROVE.
Where the Famous Property Lies and
the Plans for It's Improvement


A Glencoe, Fla, correspondent of the
Jacksonville Times Union writes letter
to that paper, from which the following
is an abstract: 'The famous Dummitt
Grove is situated thirty miles south
OF Glencoe, on a narrow neck of land
three-fourths of a mile In width. living
between two large bodies of water-the
head of Indian river on the west, and
the head of HillsborO lagoon on
the east, the former ten miles, and
the latter six miles across, while still
farther to the east, just over the beach
ridge, old ocean rolls up on the sands and
relgns supreme as she has in centuries
gone by. making altogether a perfect-if
there is any such thing-water protection
from frOsts. This is known to be the
oldest and one of the largest bearing groves
in the State, and will probably yield this
year IN the neighbOrhOOd of 100000
oranges, which are noted for their supe-
rior flavor and delicious sweetness. A
year ago Gen. 5. X. SchWenk, OF New
York, purchased the property of the Duke
De Castelluccia, then owner of the grove.
subsequently "The Florida Fruit Com
pany" was formed by eight Wall street
capitalists, with a capital stock of $780,
OOO-Gen. S. X. Schwenk, President: A.
B. Hill, Secretary and Treasurer; NJ. NJ.
Shipe, uperintendent-and the grove
passed into their hands, and in the future
will be under the company's man
agement. The company has al
ready begun to clear twenty
acre lot Immediately north of the grove,
on which they propose to plant, besides
1000 budded orange trees twenty feet
apart, 100000 pineapple plants Of the best
varieties. Around this entire field, and
across it both ways, $50 feet apart, rows
OF wind-breaks, consisting of water oaks
n, mol att tf ftno 80 -.
are to be cultivated and kept in a grow
ing condition, in order that they may
make a growth to correspond with the
orange trees which they are designed to
protect. The company intend to irrigate
the entire plantation, and will lay 9.2j2
feet-nearly two miles-Of fOur-inch
mains, with seventy hydrants, reaching
all parts of the grove. To force the water
through this net work of piping a No. 0
Blake steam 1re engine, capable of throw
ing an inch and a quarter stream 200
feet and of pumping 100000 gallons of
water per day, has been ordered and is
now on the way from New York. Water
will be obtained from a well TWENTY-FIVE
feet square, which is now being dug.
Hereafter the drought will have no effect
on "Dummitt's," and with a full supplv
of water the benefits must necessarily be
very great.
ICi hClCo vi JutII DcSI ldnu is 10 be
cleared up and devoted to market garden
ing, where everything in the vegetable
line that will grow will be produced. The
pineapple plants are not all to remain
permanently among the trees of the pro-
posed new grove, but are to be taken
away as the trees increase in size and
need more room, One-fifth to be taken out
at the second year after planting, a like
proportion the third year, and so on until
one-tifth remains occupying the centre of
the space between the trees; these will be
retained and cultivated as long as prac
ticable, until the growth of the trees
create too much shade, which will not
take place for several years after planting.
Ten labOrers, Swedes and Germans. have
just arrived from the North, and have been
put to work by Mr.. Shipe. Mr.. Shipe is
not fayorably impressed with the average
laborer of this section; he SAYS "they
move too slowly and demand too high
wages" and that he can do better bv
sending direct to Castle Garden for fresh
immigrants, get them for less money and
better returns for what is allowed them,
and although they cannot talk ''United
States," they can readily understand by
motions and example what is wanted Of
them."