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

promised TO tell you and your readers
something of the fruits that are grown
here, and I will commence with the
sHADDocK,
which is the largest species Of the citrus
family. It is bell-shaped somewhat, is
yellow like an orange, but has nothing
of its taste. They grow very large,
weighing sometimes three pounds-three
times as large as the largest orange.
They are very acid, and are not eatable.
Preserves are made of them aud 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 so large as the
shaddock, but nearly so. 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
tions are split open and sugar sprinkled
over them, and some contend that eaten
iu this way they are equal to the orange.
They are called grape fruit, not for their
resemblance to the grape, but because
they grow in clusters like grape.
Sometimes fourteen or fifteen are seen
clinging to one little stem not as large
as the little finger. The tree that pro.
duces them is almost entirely like the
orange.
THE ORANGE
is tho king Of fruits, and great attention
is paid to their cultivation. 1t is amaz.
ing how long the people of this county
have slept over their interests. lis only
within fen years past that the people
have paid any attention to this, the
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 a few man.
moth 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
settlers now possess 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 temptingly on the tough boughs, con-
trasting With the rich green enamel Of
the leaf. I have never seen anything in
the fruit line so pleasant to the eye as an
orange tres ladened with its rich golden
fruit. And then. too, how delightful it
is to the taste. The shrivelled, half de-
caysd 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 and finest favored orange l
have ever seen are here. Many of them
from actual experiment weigh over a
pound.
And there are a great many young
groves just coming into bearing that will
soon prove very profitable to the owners.
Lam told the business yet is in its in
fancy that in South Florida it has as
sumed hugo proportions, that hundreds
of acres can there be seen in one field
with trees, and bearing. Lands there,
especially on rivers and railroads, have
gone up in price out of all reason. And
so 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 are farming
people; they raise almost every thing
but wheat, and while the orange is really
more profitable than any other produc-
ton, yet they make it secondary con-
sideration. Still. more and more atten-