The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-01-14

swept uOWH upon the t"tteSe "nu suhotcSs
of the States, and 1886 will stand of re-
cord in the annals of Florida as the year
of a great calamity. The telegraphic re-
ports from many points indicate that
there was but trifing difference of tenn
peratare anywhere throughout the coun-
try from about the latitude of Tampa to
the northern boundary of the State. The
cold wave yielded so slowly to modifying
influences southwark that degree of lat
itude in its progress was marked by
scarcely more than degree of the Their
mometer. The severity of this cold seems
to have been general and so nearly uniform
that any vegetation that would have per-
ished from it in Leon county would have
persisted in Hillsborough, or a neighbor
county, also. An estimate at present of
the amount of damage would be only sur
mise, and it never will be accurately
stated in dollars. Money values will not
indicate the cost or the worth to owners
of the orange groves that would have soon
come in bearing after the care and labor
of years, for very many of such proper
ties represented all the savings of econ
omy and all the reliance for future liveli-
hood. Assuming that many of the older
groves will survive they cover but
small portion of the wide area of ountry
in which orange growing was
chief industry, the vital interest, the main
basis of mercantile business and prInci-
pal cause of employment for mechanics
and laborers. As the loss direct, or in
cidental to the destruction of orange
growth cannot be accurately estimated,
neither can the resulting damage from
the depreciation of values, for it is safe to
conclude that lands that were worth
much as being adapted to the culture of
citrus fruits will suffer heavy fall in
price. The loss from the destruction. Of
fruit is the least, but still heavy item,
for sundry authorities agree that more
than halt the crop was yet unshipped, and
it is estimated that over million dollars
worth was frozen. The loss in lem
ons and other fruit, AMI in vegetable
crops will aggregate large amount.
Though the orange growing interest
has received such severe blow, it is
probable that it will so far recover that
before many years the crop will exceed
what it has ever been, though far less
than it would be but for this disaster. 1t is
known that nearly fity-one years have
elapsed since there was so severe a visit
tation of cold as in this year, and the
chance that as many years may elapse
before there is another will encourage
| the continuance aud extension of orange
culture. As it will be also considered
that a cold season may occur in any
year, growers will probably be careful
not to rely entirely upon the business,
putting into it but portion Of their cap
ital or their labor and providing other
resources lest that should fail. If many
years pass, however, without destructive
cold, the lesson of 1886 will possibly be
almost forgotten as was that of 1885, and
a similar calamity to this just suffered
may befall. In the Southern Quarterly
Revie,o of 1854 we find the suhjoined
account of the freeze of 1885, being a
portion of lengthy paper entitled East
Florida: Her Lands and Agricultural
Productions -
Among the fruits of East Florida are the or
| ange, lemon, lime, cocoa, guava, citron, pine
apple. banana, grape fig, date, olive. DC. Pre-
vious to the year 1885, much attention was given
10 the rearing of groves of the sweet orange, and
large investments had been made in planting
out nurseries, which, indeed, could hardly supply
| the demand for young trees. St. Augustine was
one immense orange orchard the annual ex-
port from this city amounting to between 2,00O-
900 and 3,o00o0e oranges. The business was
| a source of revenue and profit to the place Of
great value Eighteen years ago, the income to
the city was about $72, 600 per annum. In very
| productive years, some OF the orange groves
paid as high as three thousand dollars The
| largest and best trees sometimes produce six
| hundred; and the average product per annum
of single tree was five hundred oranges Dur
| ing The orange season, the harbor Of st. Angus
tine was enivened by numerous fruit vessels
that crowded the river for the purchase and
transportation of oranges 10 other ports; but, on
a night in February, 1885, known by the people
of the United States as the coolest within their
recollection, its chilly blasts reached the orange
groves of St. Augustine and the country ada
cent, and cut down the entire species OF the or
ange. In one night the labor and profit of
years, the inheritance Of many generalons-the
little all of many families, was destroyed Pow
erty and distress overlook those who but the
day before were in comparative aff1uence The
revenues of the city ceased, and it has never re
covered from that stroke. The population, which
was then from four to five thousand, is now re
duced to two thousand Shoots from the dead
trunks of the old trees have indeed sprung up,
and they have preserved sckly growth ever
since; but all efforts to resuscitaie the tree have
been rendered of no avail by the ravages Of an
| insignificant insect-the bark louse, one of the
cocideG which preys on the life of the young
| shoots. Even those shoots that survive and
bear fruit arc covered with animacul@. Efforts
however, are still being made to rear orange
trees, and there seems to be n prospect Of sue
cess The orange culture has been proved to be
source of great profit; it will be so again
whenever success shall attend the planting of
| groves.
A Good Florida Railroad.