Smyrna times., 1892-08-03
For the Smyrna Times.
A NEW SMYRNA.
New SMYRNA, VOLUsIA Co., FLA,


beauties of the place and straight away
the boat is taken and many lot owner
In Florida is like the landlords of Ire
land conspicuous by his absence.
The culture of oranges is the hobby
as are peaches in Delaware. The sim.
llarity of the two crops as to results is
almost identical. Good and bad years
characterize both. The long wait fol
oranges the killing frost, the fungus,
disease is as marked here as in Della
ware. The opportunities for making
money rests as in your state with the
commission men. They dominate the
crops. Holding back high sales to
make later on low quotations when
prices drop. The names of the differ
ent varieties of oranges are legion and
convey no meaning. The best selec-
tions are sent from this Indian River)
country and range in size from $50 to
200 oranges to the box. The best land
for their cultivation is known as ''Harn.
mock" equivalent to the white oak
uplands of Delaware, in holding the
soluble salts. The subsoil is a deep
yellow clay Overlaid with a black and
white sand. | am willing to believe
that this clay subsoil holds in check
the phosphate of Silica of the sand
above and gives it value. No CONNER
clal super-phosphate contains in any
quantity an ingredient approximating
to the phosphate of Silica.
In setting out the trees strong am
monical Manures are used to give a
start which later on are omitted when
the trees steadily grow from saplings
to more than foot in diameter. Here
then is proof that ammonia is not the
needed fertilizer to perpetuate the
vitality of the tree and that the Phos-
phate OF Silica is nearer the truth. a
truth too, that holds good with the
peach tree of Delaware. If we NAV
so regard Phosphoric acid as having
an affinity for base greater than its
own that base to be effective must
necessarily be more soluble than am
monia and possibly that Of potash.
We will say that ashes wood are
made up of small amounts of Silica SO
that it has passed into a proverb that
that land never forgets ashes"
An orange grove presents a much
prettler appearance in fruiting than
peach orchard. The spread of limbs
Is greater and the density of the fol.
iage gives the whole park like ap-
pearance that while grateful to the
eye, affords the most enjoyable shade
from the sun. The wood is hard and
resembles that of ounce tree. Frost
at any time from February to May is
fatal to the crop and no such thing as
frost line can be exactly located in
Florida except in the extreme South
ern part in the everglades, where, how
ever no fruit is grown. The Indian
River county sends north in good
years from 400 to 500 thousand boxes
of oranges.
Added to this is the equally large
pine apple crop, which taking as it is.
appears to be more profitable than
oranges. The cream pine apple is the
best and the trees they grow on do
not attain height of more than six
teen inches. Their hardness enables
them to bear the long haulage north
In much better condition than the
more exotic orange. The bananas of
Florida are not equal to those of the
West Indias, the size being against
them.
sugar cane of the very best is grown
here and IS adapted to the lowIands.
Tobacco is in the experimental stage as
that crop requires a calcareous soil:
guavas are the strawberry crop for
nimble change. There is no Disgusting
the fact that by reason of the magnifi-
cent climate, Florida holds position
as the Italy of America" yet Ora ct
tG6OrG is as needful here as in the back |
fields of Delaware to extort a crou
from refractory soil.
One easy way of making money and
money must be made in Florida to |
live, is in the entertainment of winter
tourists. The people take naturally to
hotel keeping for the sure profit and
the company. Men of means get awav
from their heated rooms at the North
here more effectively and interspersed
with more outdoor relaxation than
their summer outing possibly gave
them. The exquisite air is at its best
when the Ice King holds sway at the
North. The streams abound in fish
and forests in game. Excepting an
occasional "NOrther" an Indian Sum-
mer sits at ease in the lap of winter
The glorious air invigorates and tones
up the system far better than che most
elaborate tOnics. People come broken
dowa in health and go away cured,
that is enough. Doctors give Florida
a wide berth as it is distressinglv
healthy.
Dentists on the other hand have their
chairs we'll occupied because of the
havoc fruit acids play with the teeth.
Here is town of 600 with not black
smith in it. The carpenter may have
q hobby for taxidermy and his shops
represent the birds of Florida. The
whirr of machinery has no place in the
haunts of the Seminoles. The bees
drum and drone on mangrove blossoms
Just as they did when Ponce he Leon
frst became its name. The lovely
blue of the sky is not obscured by the
smoke from the tall stacks of faotories.
Nature wild, primitive, absolute, holds
regal sway, and the stiffness meets so
hearty welcome that it may he long
Time before the manufactures of Flor
ida intrude themselves upon anyone's
notice. JAMES B. sIcoTr. {