Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-03-23
LETTER FROM FLORIDA

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LETTER FROM FLORIDA.
Editor Monitor.-I suppose you
are to-day shivering over hot stove,
while we are busy with our palmetto
fans trying to keep cool. The nights
here are cool enough for comfort, and
the days are just right in the shade.
The mercury stands 20 to 20. The
orange and peach trees are now in
full bloom, and the great prairies are
a bed of flowers, fragrant and beauti-
full. The hooking bird is pouring
out his marvellous song, while the red
bird, his rival on the opposite tree, is
trying to do him one note better.
This is Florida in March, The state
has 30, 000,0 C0 acres of land lying be-
tween the 18th and 3lst degrees of
north latitude, and coast line of
1900 miles, nineteen navigable rivers
and six charters for canals. The
Eost important one of these is the
great ship canal from Jacksonville to
the Suwanee river. This canal, when
built, will connect the waters of the
Atlantic with the Gulf of Mexico and
be of great Importance to the whole
country. Railroads are being built
throughout the entire length and
breadth of the state, giving access
and egress to and from all points of
this young metropolis. The peninsu-
la portion of the state seems to be
the center of attraction just now, and
land in that section is booming. The
problem of fruit culture in Florida
has been solved and the profits have
been fully assured. Real estate is
gradually on the rise and any land
that is suitable for an orange grove
held from ten to one hundred dollars
per acre, and improved land with
young groves from $500 to $1,000 per
acre. Come to Florida and the first
and last thing you will hear is Cor
anges, oranges, sweet oranges, sour
oranges, sour stumps and sweet seed
lings." Young groves, and bearing
trees, pine land hommock land, lake
fronts and river fronts, high hon.
mock and low hommock." Every
body here has grove, if only an
acre, five acres being the most COM
mon. There are many large groves
with from so to $50 acres in them and
from twelve to sixty thousand trees
in a single grove, such as the DIR.
GiIlen, Major Hall, Bishop Harris,
Norris and many others in almost
every section of the state. The Norris
grove has shipped, this season, 15,-
900 boxes, or about three millions
of oranges. One has only to see an
orange grove to get the Florida fever /;
it is a land of wealth and beauty.
Some have a cabin, some cottage,
and some a mansion. But it takes a
fortune to buy any bearing grove
ten to thirty thousand dollars are re-
allied for five to ten acre groves, and
larger ones are valued at from fifty
to two hundred thousand dollars.
The man that comes here and plants
an orange grove of twenty acres on
, good soil and has the pluck to hold
his grip and care for it for ten OF
J twelve years. has bright days in store
for him. He is rich beyond a ques-
, ton. There are some drawbacks here.
) of course, such as the privations OF
, all new countries: A great lack OF
) law, order, industry, poor water. low
swamps and marshes, and a light
sandy soil on the high lands thai
will constantly need fertilizing. W.
uSt fldiu NdtCI ioI All dtlUhtuS put
I poses, and have not been sick a day
e in consequence of climate or water
/ A proper care in eating and drinking
is the great secret of general health
The rainy season here is in the sum
mer months, cooling the air and re
freshing vegetation. Many who liv,
z here the year around say the summe
4 is the most pleasant part of the year
!, The constant sea breeze from oceaI
to gulf keeps a very even tempera
ture; mercury rarely gets above nine
u ~ degrees in the summer, or beloy
: liety-six in winter. The great advan
: tage here is the mild winter, wher
= the invalid can live mostly ont 0
doors and breathe the fresh balsami
= all as it comes signing through til
u great pine forests. 1t is like fair
7. land TO me, and shall be sorry whe
+ the time comes that | must bid sdie
to this land of flowers with its golde
fruit and salubrions climate.
J" H. f. F.
rs Jacksonville, Fla, Ndr 18th.