The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-15


ern market may not be reached, the lighes
possible prices received aud their prodnotjor
nsde extremely profitable. So, TOO. Ldeec
all the vegetables above mentioned ars
rlpened much earlier:tban In anv other OF tbs
states, and some enterprising, energetic
Northerner may make his fortune In this
traffic.
HER RIVERS.
The State is watered by but few rivers OF
considerable size, the largest and most i'm.
pcrtant OF which 10 the st Johns It has IFS
source on the eastern side OF the peninsula
and runs north, nearly parallel with the sea
coast-and not far from it-from about the
twenty ninth parallel of latitude TO near the
thirty hrst at Jacksonville, where il empties
into the Atlantic. 1t Is nsvieable by good
sized steamers up to Sanford-a distance OF
about 200 miles, and affords the Oh y general
Communication, at present. with the south
ern portion OF the peninsula From Sanford
the Southern Florida Railroad runs over 10
Tampa, town on Tampa Bay off the ulf
OF Mexico near the twenty. ninth parallel. II
is q slow. sluggish stream with very los
banks, having now aud then an elevated
spot, atording site upon which spectators
may and have projected towns The rive
next In importance ia suranee, on
the eastern side OF the State, rising in In,
state oil Georgia and flowing into the Gulf
OF Mexico at Cedar Keyes. This stream l.
not celebrated for its navaeation. bit affords
q large quantity of fine cedar and other logs
that are RATED to Cedar Reyes, where they
are converted fabrics the nine into lumber
ana the cedar into the wood for lead pen
ellis and penbolders by the we'll known Faber
Pencil company. Many streams of much
less Importance empty into the ocean on the
east, and gulf on the west, but most of them
may be accurately regarded as mere bavous
stretching back into low countries without
currents or banks Notably among these. and
FAIR representative of all IL the Msnstee
sixty miles south OF Tampa. whose banks
are low, and surrounding country swampy.
Yet, strange to say. the Manatee country IL
being settled q ct several points, and at Pal
| metto some slight efforts are being made to
introduce the culture OF coffee. The rivera
on the east side OF the State low to the east
while on the western side they fow 10 this
gulf, the dividing line or ridge being not far
from the eighty second megidisn of longi-
tude. Remarkably enough the st. John's on
the eastern side OF the State flows north
while the Suwanee on the western side. di.
rectiy opposite, flows south.
HER STAPLE CROPS.
The staple crops OF the State are at pres
emit neither numerous or extensive. and
vary with the climate from north to south.
In two or three tier 0f the most northern
counties cotton is about the only article of
commerce raised, but from the inferior kinds
OF cotton processes In use generally il Is pre-
sumable that it's culture was in the hands
mostly of those who were behind the times
in thrift and industry. The amount pro
duced Is small and cuts but little figure in
tn, open markets. Indeed the yield is far
below the capacity OF the soil and climate.
aud later population will unquestionably
increase both the cotton area and it's number
OF bales. The raising of this faDric is not at
!, tempted In the more southern counties and
perhaps will not be. In the cotton counties
some little effort is made to raise corn, but
Scarcely enough has yet been produced for
|. home consumption: Vegetables are cult
waited to a very limited extent, yet there il
now and then q farmer who succeeds Ia put
ting some into the Jacksonville market In
these counties no oranges are attempted 10
De grown Tor commerce. as the frost Is toe
, frequently destructive to the buds of that
fruit as IL Is also to early vegetation of al
descriptions.
ORANGE ORCHARDS AND PRODUCTION.
The staple production OF the counties
South Of Cedar Reyes is the orange which
Is even now grown In large quantities, with
thousands OF new orchards in progress.
throughout the region, SO that In two year
the orange crop of Florida will be thribbled
In this direction there prevails widespread
craze which the real estate agents are not in.
clined to let slumber, but ply every new
conner with glowing pictures Of immense
fortunes made, and others yet In embryo.
Say they We have hundred trees to the
, acre, each tree grows 5 0o0 oranges, and each
box OF 200 brings 81 so or So 90 in market
while 1t costs but one dollar to place them
there, causing each tree to net from $37 to
$50, and each acre from 50, 700 to s.. 600. Del
snnum. The visitor, allowing one half for
exaggeration and not acquainting him sell
with all the minute facts, concludes the acre
can be made to net from 81, 900, to 80. $50
per year at least and makes purchases o.
from five to ten acre groves, at most fabulou.
/ expects to reach fortune in three or foul
! years.
Unquestionably large sums per acre hav,
been realized from full grown orange or
chards in the past, yet nothing like the fig
: ures given by those agents engaged in theil
D sale, first for the reason that while tree viii
4 now and then produce as many "a 5000 or
2 anges in q year and sometimes even more
yet the trees generally do not produce on al
: average to exceed 600 marketable fruit Will,
: q constant ex pense is required for sttendanc,
g and fertiliziDg, of not less than 500 be
: acre. and OF late the prices II
( in market, owing to overstock by increase o
r crops, will run from Sl.25 per box for ordi
r nsry to 81 so for the best fruit-excepting
Oh COuHe, tne lhDgerlne ana Mandar1al
, varieties which run from 81 so to Sc 90 pc
: box-yet few OF these have beer or are bein
y grown. The following statement may b
l. taken as reliable basis upon which to cal Gu
e late an orange investment:
q EXPENDITURES
fertlllZlng per acre 80
l. Attending and repairs per so
Boxes SOC, to tree. l20.t
)f Picking AND packing 80
n freignt per pox, o0o. $40
Commission on sales, 100
pc -
Expense per $3.50
d RECEIPTS.
d Trees, number per sore ........... loo
y Oranges per tree, 600. per 600
= Boxes, per tree 4. per acre ..-............ 400
y Price per box, lowest. ST. so; per acre 5000
gu.
le Price per box mean, $500 per acre. $500
81 dain lou
n Price per box best, 81 80: per 900
le 6aln S33
Ia Thus it will be seen unsafe to pay the in
,e mense prices for orange groves asked her
Or and at which many sales are beipg mad
q. unless by some process now unknown IL
er purchaser could be assured oil receiving +,