The sun., 1885-06-28
FLORIDA ORANGE GROVES.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE RISKS IN
THE BUSINESS

!"
THE SUM- from man who apparently had cap
ital. asking whether he should remove hlmsel
and family to Marion county. Florida with
view OF making an orange grove. THE Sun
declined, very properly, TO give advico. II
seemed to tho writer that something should
be written by disinterested party, having q
practical knowledge Of the subject In which ali
the advantages should be acknowledged and
the drawbacks should be honestly set forth.
The emigration to this State Is large. and ia
rapidly increasing. The capacity OF the saw
mills Is taxed to the utmostto provide building
material. Families from all ranks OF life como
often without iany Information iurtheri than
that obtained from an interested party. or the
perussl Of local newspaper. or q prospectus
,hnMt pqphilshed @ to boom real estate. They come
Of living or s smons. 81 money ,hs
over the ground for himself before Bringing Il 'a q
ment in Florida at fair wages while he taxes
time TO deliberate whether or not the country
int na h ssk a: da, Or so dos,o
here a. elsewhere. The comforts Of life cost
more in Florida than in any OF our. Northern
It may be fuel. II is possible TO i've cheaper
ony Sa1, Just In proportion to the number OF com.
snd .ors and you resign tools
~ The object q settlers coming hers is inyaris:
be done in attaining this object is to buy land
properly located otherwise, failure viii cor.
One where ros IS abs az ny
me- I frust r. y and vegetables or one. where barron
s SOL battles his labor. or heavy freights eat up
wears out his horses. he may rs well give up:
% as Ssnn0t e. onoa grow r. oranges D with any profit For
is as much variety in climate soil. and PRO.
ductions here as there. Perhaps one per cent.
Of It Is ;, adapted to orange culture. There are
as the sea beach. Many people are driven to
Florida by failing health. dread Of consump.
sSc To- sssf
stssmbosts no such land IS to be had. In tho tho
southern Florida t Is stlll possible to homo-
stead l6O acres whore title deeds are given
II is better to buy Of the railroad or great land
Improvement companies at from $1.25 an acre
up In doing this It is necessary to be sure Of
long you will have 70 wait for transportation
facilities: The ability to forecast the line Of
fortune here as elsewhere.
IN eSsx via as s Ss Ga s, well to the
rather than land assnts f bond. sae TSess TSe tTees
i've OAK and hickory; The ssves % shed r'y IN p.ss
fiilizer. The trees show also, the existence OF
IN ths SOL Which s element Of orange
willow /. Is not SO Eood w reunrs snd moro
money for fertilizers. II the pines have a pro.
fuse undergrowth Of snw palmetto among
The land should lay high enough to be we'll
a5nned; ora ned , oranges require plenty Of water but
y sHs or o ssan ssS
fs1Ias5 sHsTGj s60qd b. ysiSS noa ths
the trees have chance. to take them
Sip r.do%menSsd HsS Gss aubs9I sumo is sov high
best. eseepsina only @ she hammock a Is shsi ,sH
hammock IS covered with dense. semi.tropi-
cal giant trees. interlaced with vines. so as to
Jungle; the soil is black mould. Snieriaii
Tlsh tSa Loo eoauina or mnss Of lime and shells. for
lphsaved. This rich soil vii! grow early veg
PRICELESS but It Is said that tho Oranges srowa s"s
lavor do not keep Well They ars vi TOO % aeiicats %
and an furnishes an orange which can be handled
Marion county there are groves which have
,ever cost the owners cent for fertilizer. while
'pent on each acre. 1t does not reQuire much
tSs good price for the first than to home
Northern Florida has been so often in
ured ,a d by frost that middle Florida is now
.reat known wilderness Of southern Florida
pSss9y asu9e better an M at sa ds
allied. are scattered like oasis is 10 M the " nins S
ands. These range from few acres to hun
y their lu xuriant vegetation as islands in the
'csan. 1t has been said that hammock land is
90 90 Unhealthy ahia Tor any but negro occupation.
wampy they are unhealthy. but many ham.
moe aosks ,rG are .ns elevated to the level
By psops With d1y mhsy
iuSh Lug H., has been published about the mild
sgnh ny sky Of Florida but the truth that
Dung. No latitude on the length 'i Of the the
II January. 1884. on the banks Of Lake Weir,
~ ,Io formed quarter Of IN inch thick IN the
ida radius ofsthe lake were uninjurod. away
tom h nts water protection they were cut down BY
A gentleman having two years. exper. once in
this country says that land at any distance
,om water is worthless. moderate amount
the insect posts that infest grove. After
.ees have attained a few years growth they
a 81 IN a no danEer as they protect oach other
Many whose experience entities them to an
pinion. hold that the cheapest way to acquire
oher six u
mere mere are men without number who have
o1 Tiee Fl thrSs ss much they
10 other hall. and give the purchaser the
?nent OF their past mistakes and exc6rience.
the best authorities agree that flve-acre
rove ,contRiEinR 3OU trees. cannot be made
al cultivated for less than $4,000, exclusive
mistakes and tho first cost OF the land. the |
lildings. and living expenses. Every man |
ust estimate the value Of his own time dur
y the five years. and add that also as an itenn.
follows necessarily that 1000 an acre is not
excessive price for a well-plantsd flourish
g hve-year-od grove. Hammock land coats |
ore to clear than pine land. 1t is plain to be
zen that during the minority OF grove the
oney Tor expense must como from some out
10 source. mechanic can work at his trade
10 cultivate small grove at the same time
" man who has no such resource should ,
ot unuertaks an orange grove with a less
!pital than s.. 0OO to $4,000. The trees plant. i
are two-ysar-old seedlings. Such trees
rm the basis upon which tho EXPENSE OF a
.oOO grove is calculated. They Wills Yield a
altering crop only after five years. and the
nth year.
The land having been purchased. It remains I
make M contract for clearing. Tho telling
"a burning OF the trees is done by gangs Of
'Groes at q cost. on pine land. Of $50 an acre,
aking, out stumps will cost as much more. r
1e soil IT, full OF roots. which must bs Crubbed \
AIN, and again till IL is in condition for I
DuRhing. Forest trees should be left at in | I
rvals 10 the south and cast OF young trees to
otect them from the sun (: the hot sun follow |
q irosf does more damage than the frost, q
iefe ls an Impression among the uninitiated | I