The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-02
Horticulture in Florida.

"a ~~~~S--
Horticulture in Florida.
The cold wave which swept over Florida
in January, 1886, says the Farm and For
est, marked the beginning of new epoch
in her development Before that time
orange culture had been made to advertise
the State so extensively that it had come to
be regarded as the all-important industry
and thousands even of her inhabitants looked
upon it as the only one that could be carried
on with profit here. Therefore this killing
frost was regarded the unmitigated disaster
True, the groves within the orange belt
proper were not seriously damaged, but a
cloud was cast on the title of the orange to
public confidence, and the result has been
that for the past two years Florida has suf-
fered partial eclipse. But there are strong
indications that the observation will not
last much longer. The orange fever will
hardly be revived and it is far from desira-
BILE that it should be. While it continued
we suffered all the evils of one-crop sys-
tenn. Besides, it diverted immigration from
that large portion of the State where oranges
cannot be grown with profit, but where
people can more readily make a living by
mixed agriculture. The great freeze, there
fore, did some good in checking rash invest
ment and reckless planting and turning
peoples attention to more substantial
branches of rural industry
Besides the orange, no fruits had obtained
much favor in Florida before 1886. except a
few of still less hardy nature. For few
years the lemon had been planted largely
in Southern Florida and the fruit was
shipped in considerable quantity. Being
less perishable, it promised soon to rival the
orange in public favor. The lime succeeded
finely in the same region, as did the grape
fruit, citron and shaddock, but they were
but little grown except for ornament and
home use. In the orange belt the guava
had come to be regarded as standard fruit,
and deservedly so, for there is scarcely an
other that can be put to a greater variety
of uses or used more months in the year.
In 1885 it was plentiful in the Jacksonville
market, but it could hardly be shipped fresh
out of the State. These with bananas plant
ed mainly for ornamen1, figs, improved ma
tive plums, the 'uppernong grape and more
Japan persimmon, the loquat, the mulberry,
pomegranate and few varieties of improved
grapes, comprised the minor fruits of the
citrus belt. The cocoanut and pineapple,
formerly confined to the southern keys,
were coming into notice as fruits adapted
to the latitude of Lake Okeechobee. and the
latter fruit had succeeded well on the east
ern coast as far north as Cape Cauaveral.
The mango and Avocado pear had fruited
beautifully as far north as Tampa. These
and other subtropIcal fruits were planted
still further north, and there was growing
disposition to put them to the severest test
in a climate subject to lower range of
temperature than they could by nature en-
dure
Such was the situation when the memora-
BILE cold wave swept over us, driving the
mercury down to a lower mark by four de-
grees than had been known since 1885. To
make matters worse this cold wave was of
twice the usual duration, which is two days.
All citrus fruits that had not been gathered,
except in the southernmost counties and on
the Indian river were frozen. The orange
groves, which had been the pride of Flori-
da, were stripped of their foliage and re-
manned bare and dreary during the remain
der of the winter Weak trees were seri-
ously damaged, as were lemon and lime
trees, while guavas and the whole list of
sub-tropical fruits were killed to the ground.
Native trees of sub-tropical species, such
as the black mangrOve and the rubber tree,
some of them fifty years old, were killed,
proving the exceptional severity of the
weather North of latitude 30 on the At
lantic side of the Peninsula and 80 on the
Gulf side, neglected and unprotected orange
groves We're badly damaged, while some
even on the northern border of the State
were scarcely njured, except by loss of TO-
lage which began to put out again in March.
This event, occurring at the beginning of
the tourist season and when Southern Cali
fornia had just become accessible to tour
lists, proved disastrous to Florida in its i'm
mediate effects; yet looking toward the
ultimate welfare of the State, it must result
henefcially. The orange has shown itself
TO be much harder than was supposed. At
tention has been turned from sub-tropical
fruits, and in seeking for substitutes many
hardy fruits have been brought into notice,
which will add greatly to the peoples COM
forts and sources of income. Faith in the
one-crop system has given place to desire
for greater variety. The people have been
led to inquire and experiment, and by this
means have come to know that the orange
belt as well as the cotton belt of the State
is adapted to great variety of profitable
and attractive industries