Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-06

4
cayed vegetation. seem 10 have preserved
t7er groves far better-in TACT they
seem to pave been very slightly ipjpreG,
and IT is from these lands the finest
oranges come. Snd from which will come
toe main crop OF oranges the present year
from the section north OF Indian river,
Arriving or that fam ,us stream IN the
/ evening OF the same dav we lett SaVan-
nah, fact We f0uad II difficult 90 realize,
the writer was equally surDr!zed 20 tint
that except on tao pIDe lands where the
1 ORANGE tree7 were 81 ghtiy injured, 40
SHOWN bv the small dead twigS sticking
I out all through the green foliage, they
seemed not tn have been Injured at all. A
/ close inspection o tie large Minis grove
/ IN furnbutl hummock on the shore of IN
/ dian river, fuzzy increased the wr.tgr
! with ire notion That it had entirely eS-
! capped tne freeze. II certainty has AT this
moment AS large crop OF fruit as tho
! trees should be allowed 10 bear until they
/ are old +, aud az the yield VIII n be leHs
taan 5000 boxes, according to the esti-
mates OF eyuerls. that woold seem to be
/ quite sufficient for a y0ung YrOYe.
Now, what DO the facts a. stated indi-
cate?
First, that the lands par excellence for
! oranges in FLORIDA are the rich hnmm0cks
already ftrtili2ed by nature 10 degree
| nf certainty and adaptahllity scarcely 70
| be equHlled by any artificial process,
Second, that on these landa tie effect Of
! fre re much less damaginF, no doubt
on account OF TIE superior health and
! Vlg0r OF the trees, an,i,
! Third, tbat the fruitOn these hummocks
! under the same treatment ia altogether
/ larger, finer and more valuable In the
market.
! To this NAV he added the well known
! fact that plants, like animals, in their
own climate, healthy and vigorous, Sre
! not subject 70 lice, scale and Other In
/ sects, IS the ruIEOus degree of the weak
! aud sickly plants out Of their element and
/ obliged To be d0ctored and nursed with
! all he vigilance and ability oi hOrticul-
/ tulal skill. EHtertninipg this opinion of
! t1e orange, as experience had taught him
Of other plants, toe writer made eXamina-
/ ti0n OF groves and the different varieties
! Oi SOL. and found no reason to change ms
views Ur make an exception in favor OF
! the orange.
IC was noticed that the trees in the
same grove, hut which chanced to occupy
noOter spots or had otherwise been neg
lecled, we're most damaged by cold and
insects. The only orange scales seen
! during the trip were on small, unthrltty
trees OF this character.
II docs not follow tnat the scale will not
attacE other trees by reason Of their SUI
peripr thrift and vigOr, as an epidemic OF
small pOX, cholera, or yellow lever Will
decindte healthy and thrifty commu-
uity, but it is highly probable that when
80 numerous and strong az to possess
themselves of the tlner groves, their hosts
! baVe been recruited on the sickly foliage
OF poor neglected trees, they will, Just as
epidemic discusses suddenly stalk forth
IN over whelming power from the slums
OF 9th neglected in the suburbs of a city.
Nor does it follow that the fine groves
caunOt be pTOduced on sandy piue land.
Tne reader must note that it is the poorer
qualities Of pine land thar have disap-
pointed SO many people that have invest
ed in Florida, under the impression that
any lands IN tue orange country would
produce paying groves, ana chose these
lands because they were cheaper and less
expensive to clear and place under Guilt
Va,IOn.
The result has shown some facts that
ought not TO be forgotten by those who
fell into the error, nor overlooked by those
still seeking investment in the orange
business. Those lands proved not to be
so cheap after all, since they required an
amount of capital, labor anu attention, to
tertilize and keep them up that would
have purchased and put under groves the
finest lands in the State.
But this was not all. The fertiliZing
work OF one year proved to be the WORK OF
every year. The deep, poor, thirsty sand
was ever hungry, and failure to feed it
was 10 see the young grove rapidly de-
cline and yield to sickly poverty and de-
vouring insects. Many small groves
along the route presented this aspect TO
the writer. But there are other groves
on different quality of pine land pre-
seuting Il far better prospect. This
quality OF land is generally undulating,
well covered with old valuable pine for
ests, sometimes sprinkled with the cab.
bage palm. The soil, though generally
sandy, il finer. its dark color showing the
presence of much greater moisture and
fertility. 1t Is also more durable in its
fertility, having sometimes q strong mix
ture of clay in its subsoil, and better re-
ssting the teaching process than the
coarser and deeper sands.