West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1884-12-03
WEST VIRGINIA FREEMAN
OUR FLORIDA LETTERS.
No. 3.
Our Correspondent Gives Facts
and Figures about Orange
Culture.
OcALA, FLA, Nov, 1884.


DEAR FREEMAN: In my last let
ter l promised to give in this,
some of the accounts of the won
derful capabilities of this State in
enriching the labors of man to a
marvellous extent in double-quick
time.
The great Florida orange culture
fever began in earnest about nine
or ten years ago and has continued
to increase in magnitude and sue
cess, until to-day the demand for
land suitable for orange growing is
so great that the price of the same
can almost be said to double every
night. Consequently those who
secured land a few years ago are
now wealthy merely by the lapse
of time and the development of
surrounding property. l could
give you hundreds of instances
coming under my observation of
enormous returns from small out
lays, that would astonish some of
our business men who are strug-
Cling to make ends meet from year
to year in the great competitive
race in trade at the North, but
few cases will suffice.
FROM POVERTY TO WEALTH.
Nine years ago a man occupied
a little log cabin in the woods
where the city of Deland now
stands. He pre-empted some gov
eminent land, cleared out a patch
as best he could, planted a grove,
and last week sold the same for
$4,000, and the next day the pur-
chaser sold the half of it, with the
orange crop, for $4,000.
Another. One hundred and six
ty acres of government land was
taken up and settled upon on the
Wekiva river, and to-day there is
a 1OO-acre grove of bearing trees,
and the owner advertises it for sale
at the modest sum of 100000,
and guarantees 10 per cent on the
amount the first year.
Again. While passing up the
st. Johns river, Captain Maddy, of
the steamer Chesapeake, pointed
out an elevated knoll on the bank,
on which was a heavily loaded
grove, and at the edge was small
pen covered with palmetto leaves.
| will give you the history of the
proprietor of that grove, as told me
by the Captain. Seven or eight
years ago, after breaking himself
down in store in Northern city,
he came down to Florida to die
with the consump tion; and with
his dog and gun and fishing tackle,
took up his abode in the woods at
this place. By way of variety he
budded and cultivated a large num-
Der of wild orange trees, and while
fishing and hunting and raising
few vegetables, he regained his
health-the' greatest boon he de-
sired OF earth. He was frequently
visited by his relatives and friends,
who brought him provisions and
tried to induce him to return to
civilization again, but he would
not leave his retreat until this sea-
son, when he sold his crop for
81, 900 and his grove for $15 900,
and returned to the North a cured
and rich man.
ORANGE YIELD ENORMOUS.
The yield of the orange is enor-
nous, and by constant practice and
the business is be-
ing improved, difficulties overcome
and avoided, and the quality of the
fruit rendered better, until to-day
groves all over the center and
South part of the State can be
seen full of fine fruit, the trees on
which it hangs being not over two
and three years from the budding.
The cultivation Of the orange, lem
On, and other tropical fruits will |
continue to increase
annually, and will be the most
industry in the State.