The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-01-22
JACK FRosr0 Z


An Orange Grove in Putnam on
which is Hanging Sound Fruit,
Learning that the oranges in tine grove
ofHon. w. FL. Cook, of-Pamonl-lhnd d
been saved from the cold and WIS lSarg-
ing as good and sound as they ever were
on the trees, News representatiy rs as
sent out to see the novel sight and tel
our readers of the method used in saf-
complishing such a result. 3srFU3 eaa
Tho grove consists of about. 1000 trees
in all, and is owned by Aessss. Gaells and
Atterson, they having a small groypTiu
common and Individual groves n-eittIer
side. from which they expected 10 gath
er two thousand boxes this season had it
not been for the freeze. The grove shas
about one and one-half miles of water
protection in Lake Browerd on one side,
butt failed to temper the blightingI
truct on to the orange groves during, the
recent freeze, and all the fruit notzprd-
tected by Dir Cook was frozen solid.
How THE FRUIT WAS sAvED.
There is no telegraph station liie:Iref
Pomona than Paiatka, and sIssssseo5kz
knew nothing of the coming of the cold
wave until it struck that section i'll all its
force He was prepared to rroteo. i!is
fruit and trees against an Ordinary Z.
night, but was in no wise prepared fort
the long and unprecedented freeze.
Whom the thermcmeter registered as low
as 90 degrees on that Saturday nj g Ut. fires
were started throughout The grove mr.
kept burning during the nigl.t3and say
ing the trees and fruit from damage.
The cold continuing and growing more
severe, and all the wood about tie grove
having been burned the. night. previous,
Mr. Cook decided to confine his opera
tions for the remainder ttrc@cdttt
weather to the Oldest grove, some 1925
trees, which were heavily Iadenedkwi
fruit Men and teams were put 10 work,
and fat pine wood was ptaced, in the
grove for, another battle with Jack
Frost Two hundred and forty ikea
We're lighted among and IA, ound the, 22aI
trees, twenty feet apart eac,, way, and
those who stood off at distance des-.
cribe the fire as being like one solid sheet
Of fame under the trees. s lL6-I 1tJr
The result was all that could be wish
ed, and the firing method proved its ef=
ficacy in as severe a test as; -c.luld. be.,
made OF it. These fires were nl;intai,ie.
throughout the cold, and such was IN Il
demand for fuel that to-day there Is 40 ;,
sign OF a fence, save the gate post;
around the grove. On Monday night at
midnight, while the thermometer regis=-
tered Is degrees above zero otitsid e the
grove, those hanging on theStress ind
Gated "a degrees, and at no time during
the severe cold did the ground freeze or
frost among the protected trees, q II
I At the top of ~,he tressE 1valseM 1hhe
wind had fair play and carried tlIe-I,eat
away, all the oranges were froZen and
the leaves killed, but below. this kne, OF /,
demarcation, which is as plain as tie
rose on a mans face. and is the only
frost line SO far discovered in Florida.
the foliage is as rich and green and the
fruit as bright and firm as It was in the
preceding the freeze.
The-writer was in the grove several
hours, and as tLorougly rs he was capa
bic of doing tested The fruit in Ihe va
rious parts OF the grove anIat diFerene
heights from the ground to s.hisa as q
man can reach, and in every instance
the oranges proved TO be freeisonl frosE
as heavy, sound and as highly navereT
as ever they were. On nthe2eafsMa audi
more exposed trees great many
oranges were frozen. eSt;loselon tLe-
top Of all the trees. -s- ------.--.
But the fact that more than FIVE, -ntI,r.:'
dred boxes were pro:eoteH from tlu'
freeze under the most severe test posi- q
BILE coming on SO unexpectedly, has tisuc-
onstrated the truth that with proper
care and system the Florida orange essiTtss ara
a safe crop aud will not he Injured II the
sevcrest cold that can visit FErida. In
demonstrating the truth, Mr. Cook has
taught the orange growers OF the state a
lesson that wiiibe of incaiculab,e sLencEj
to them, and profit them in many
ways, not this leas. of which is the fact
that there is no necessity ofor hurrying
fruit and Cutting the market in TIM.
early rart OF the season from fear OF
cold. -
Nr. c. Ii. Smith, who has o valuable
grove adjoining that of Mr.. Cooks, was
little late in putting. fres in5hiS grove,
bat by the same methcdasabese describ-.
ed, he saved part of the frrisSen about
one hundred trees.
{ While at this grove aud abog. Pom0-
ma, the News man noted Il great deafin
reference TO the groves in that section,
which will be given our feaders in tue
time. : - Il; = ,s.!b iEs tEst