The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-24
Letter from Florida.

2Nttci iIVH flOEIuhs
MR. EDlToR: In my last letter l
promised 10 tell you and your readers
something of tho fruits that are grown
here, aud I will commence with the
sHADDoCK,
which 10 tho largeut species 0: the citrus
family. IL 10 bell-shaped somewhat, 10
yellow like nn orange, but has nothing
OF in taste. They grow very large.
weighing sometimes three pounds-thrce
timeo as largo as the largest orange.
They are very acid, and are not eatablc.
Preserves are made of them and wine.
They are beautiful to look at as they
hang upon the trees. The trees are, in
every respect, like the orange.
GRAPE FRUIT
Is also very large, and in color a pale
yellow. They are not 40 large as the
shaddock, but nearly 80. am told they
make splendid preserves. They are too
acid to eat until late in Spring, and then
they are said to be delicious. The fruit
Is in sections, like an orange; these sec.
tiona are split open and sugar sprinkled
over them, and some contend that eaten
In this way they are equal to the orange.
They are called grape fruit, not for their
resemblance to the grape, but because
thoy grow in clusters like grape.
Sometimes fourteen or fifteen arc seen
clinging to one little stcn not as large
as the little finger. The tree that pro.
duces them is almost entirely like the
orange.
THE ORANGE
is the king Of fruits, and great attention
is paid to their cultivation. Iii. amaz.
ing how long the people of this county
have slept over their interests. 1t is only
within few years past that the people
have paid any attention to this, tho
choicest of all fruits. For 80 years this
county has been settled, and yet in pass,
Ing along through it one sees only young
groves, except occasionally few man.
motn trees are seen, that were planted
many years ago around the houses for
ornament, more than for their profit.
What princely fortunes might these old
astslere now poaseaa if they had planted
out trees instead OF corn and cotton.
But the people are beginning to see that
there Is money in the orange, and con.
siderable attention is now paid to its cul.
tivation. How beautiful they look on
the trees, the bright, yellow fruit hang.
Ing temptingiy on the tough boughs, con.
trasting with the rich green enamel OF
the leaf. l have never seen anything in
the fruit line 90 pleasant to the eye as IN
orange tree laaened with its rich golden
fruit. And then. too, how delightful it
is to tho taste. The shrivelled, half de.
cayed fruit you see in the fruit stalls
does not look like nor taste like the
sweet, round, yellow orange which you
pluck from the tree with your own hand.
The largest aId finest favored orange I
have ever seen are here. Many of them
from actual experiment weigh over a
pound.
And there are a grea. many young
groves just coming into bearing that will
soon prove very profitable to the owners.
an told the business yet is in its in.
fancy that in South Florida 1t has as.
onmed hugo proportions, that hundreds
OF acres can there be seeu In one field
With trees. and bearing. Lands there,
especially on rivers and railroads, have
gone np in price out Of oil reason. And
90 enthusiastic. are the people there on
orange culture that they arc said to have
the orange craze. Such cannot be said
OF the people here. They aro farming
peoEso; they raise almost every thing
but wheat. and while the orange is really
moro profitable than any other produc.
ton, yet they make IL o secondary con.
alteration. Sill, moro and moro atten.