Connecticut western news., 1891-03-18
REV ROBERT HUNTS LETTER.

REV ROBERT HUNTS LETTER. How Florida Has Boomed During the
 Last Five Years.
 Etiito, Of Ne,cs
 In compliance with the promise of my last letter. l will now give you sonic of my observations in regard to the advancement this state has made in the past five years In the line of rail- roads Florida comes up abreast with the Eastern States. I will name few lines that have been constructed since my last visit "Tavares & Gulf;" "Orange Belt;" Florida Midland;" "Tavares; Orlando & Atlantic;" Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West;;" Fla. Central & Peninsula" The St Johns river has been bridged at Jacksonville, which is of great benefit to that city and the state also. No state in the Union has done better in the way of Improvements in so short time. The hotels of Florida I will not take your space to name al- though the most famous of them are marvels of elegance and magnitude.
 But the things which concern ns most at the north, especially if we belong to the toiling million and desire to better our condition and are casting about for that purpose, is this: what does Florida promise, what can be produced with profit? To this can not give full re- ply because no one as yet knows all that can be successfully grown in the state. Winter gardening in many parts of the state is as profitable as our sum- mer harvesting at the North, but in my judgment this state Is peculiarly adapt -d to the production of the semi-tropi- cal fruits, of which the orange is king and any man who resorts to gardening and the culture of Niagara grapes and neglects to obtain an orange grove com mits grave mistake. However we'll he may succeed he would snceed much better with orange trees. saw grove of five acres which were little trees five years ago. This last winter 1000 boxes were sold on the tree for $l. 50 per box. Recently young grove, but in bearing, of 100 acres was sold for SlO3 GOO In one instance single acre was sold for $50OO There is grove only six miles from Minneola that five years ago I could have bought for $5OOO, from which was shiped this last winter $6OOO worth of oranges. You know that I have always maintained through the columns of your paper that 10 acre orange grove in full bearing was worth more than any farm in Litchfield county Conn. or in Duchess county N. Y Il have 26 trees that l consider worth $lOO piece for they will pay the interest on hundred dollars at 10 per cent. An orange grove is one of the very best kinds of property, and is sure to become one of the most popular investments. found men from Kentucky and other states looking for groves and they were willing to pay good prices. And now you may say: ''that Is all true, an orange grove is very profitable kind of prop erty for one who has 8 good one, but bow are we of the North. who may de- sire grove to get one? We know noth. ing about orange culture ourselves and we dare not trust others to make one for us." And there Is the rub. I have been robbed so mnch in my attempts to obtain grove in certain part of the state that finally gave it up and now I have my sons set out trees and cultivate on their land at Minneola and the pros- pect of obtaining good grove Is en- cOuraging. l saw two groves that were being cultivated for northerners that looked as well as the cultivator's own trees, but those instances are very rare.
 If live expect to locate in 8 few years, and go South, and should like to be one of Q company of 10 persons to start a grove of 50 acres and would go down and give it personal supervision and I could bring it into bearing with in five years and not man would ever regret his orange grove experience, for am sure each mans five acres would in good bearing yeild him $lOOO, worth of fruit each year on an average.
 I am taking 8 vacation in good earn est and cannot spend time writing about oranges but I must tell you fish story I came to Florida this time with the solemn intention of breaking the record If every Yankee that had visited Minne- ola and who had practiced the 'scacely" tine arts. Tuesday, March 10th, took 50 black bass, weight 13O lbs; sixteen of them weighed 73 lbs. If I could have laid them down in Lee. Sheffield, Ga naan, Falls Village, Sharon, Miller ton and Pawling and called my friends together to look and wonder, it would have been glory enough for life time. Yours as ever,
 ROBERT HUNT.
 Minneola. Fla, March Il, 1891.