Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-01-11
FLORIDA LETTER
Jacksonville, Flo. Jan ID

Ed. Monitor,-We are once more
in the land of oranges, sunshine and
flowers where frost bites never
trouble our ears nor drifting SHOWS
blind our eyes, but | am sorry to say
we meet now and then a cred nose,o
even in this paradise land. We oc-
casionally have cold wave from
some northern blizzard, but in trav-
cling fifteen hundred miles it gets
the frost all out of it and seems more
like a May breeze from the north,
as it reaches us here, than a breath
of northern winter. 1t is asserted,
and / think generally conceded now,
that nowhere in France or Italy can
winter climate be found so genial
and pleasant TO invalids as in Florida,
whose breezes, floating across from
the Gulf OF inland from the ocean, are
softened by a genial sun and laded
with balsamic odors from tree, plant,
and flower, bring pleasure and health
to the invalid and blessings to all.
Florida long since earned the title of
the 'tItaly of America, but attempts
at comparison degrade rather than
elevate. Florida needs no eXtrava-
giant enconiums, as she is without a
rival, having an average temperature
in winter of 63H degrees and in sum-
mer 80 degrees. The seasons here
are divided into wet, moist and dry:
The wet season commences in;June
| and lasts until October; the moist
season commences in October and
lasts until April; the dry months are
| April and May. During these two
months only sufficient rain may be
expected to prevent the worst effects
of droughts. The summer rains give
growth to cotton, rice, sweet potatoes,
sugar cane and the annual wild grass
es; and the winter moisture produces
cabbage, turnips, beets and other
garden vegetables, while the dry sea-
son gives time to prepare the soil and
to destroy noxious weeds, and to pre-
pare for and plant the successive
summer crops. Here one can raise
three crops year of nearly all kinds
of vegetables. To the northern
farmer this will seem almost incredi-
BILE, but it is nevertheless true. The
advantage of country like this over
the colder regions of the north can
hardly be estimated, but in regard to
the agricultural capabilities of Flori-
da / beg to refer to those better in
formed. The orange boom is still
raging and such is now the intense de-
sire among thousands of people to
acquire an orange grove here that
spectators arc rapidly buying up all
the lands that are suitable for orange
culture and holding them at fancy
prices. 1t is safe to presume that all
the orange land in Florida will bring
$500 per acre within the next ten
years. Last year the crop was esti.
mated to be worth fifty million dol
lars, and it is estimated that in five
years from now the crop will amount
to two hundred and fifty million dol
lars. But here the question arises
will not the production Of such enor
nous crops glut the market and pu
the price of oranges down to unprsf
liable figures? 1t is thought not. Thu
, orange is the most delicious of al
fruits; it is healthful and invigorat
ing. The Florida orange is superio
to all others and the demand thus ia
has more than kept pace with tn
supply, and the prices for the las
five years has varied but little. Th
. price here for the best fruit is cen
. and half apiece. The great cost o
oranges to the consumer is the trans
portation and handling. An orang
that costs ten cents in northern CIT
!, has eight and 9 half cents added TO
transportation and profit, and boz
, that sells at wholesale for five dollars
n costs only two at the grove. As tn
crop increases the facilities for trans
b portation will be improved and ne'
! markets will be opened. At presen
a few eastern cities consume neart
all that are raised. Very few g
West, OF to the great Northwest, o
o account Of the great cost and risk @
transportation but the constar
II building of new railroads will 500
open new ways and cheaper the cos
+ of carrying to markets very much
! AS the crop becomes more importar
the railroads and the ocean steamer
will compete more sharply for freight
i. and the rates will drop to suit til
:. times. 1t is estimated that not on
" person in ten in the United State
70 eats an orange year, and those VII
. live in the northern cities do not az
,r erage ten year. Out little famil
:. ate our years supply the first tw
! DAYS after reaching Florida. If W
,, keep on at this rate, you will readil
>. see that many families must either
# without any this year, OF look TO I'll
20 increased ciop for their supply. Lu,
! uries cost money anywhere, and L
- one must think Of coming TO Florid
h and living upon ''the fat of the land
# for nothing; but all who are able an
, willing to work can soon make a GOO
home and be in comfortable circun
\ stances. 1t is indeed hard to col