Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-04

through the sand Mrs. Platt explains
that no matter how short the distance
walking isn't popular, because the sand
makes IL n torture.
MRS. PLATT RUNS THE PLANTA-
TION.
The house is real Florida cottage,
with n wide hall running through the
centre. which. unlike most Florida halls,
has door at each end. 1t is an unpre-
tentiouS little house. vine embowered,
with a piazza. where most OF the real
business Of life goes on. On this piazza
every morning as soon as breakfast Is
done the overseer and manager Is wait
ing to report TO Mrs. Platt on yesterday s
work, and receive instructions for to-
day 1t isn't a butterfly life this we'll
known woman leads down here by any
means. She literally runs the grove her
self. and whether in New York or Florida
knows what is being done every day.
She doesn't generally appear here until
the height Of the crop IS picked, but
comes then to personally superintend re
pairs and execute improvements for next
season.
While she IS consulting the manager
take a view Of the house. Everywhere
there are hammocks. palm-shaded nooks
broad-brfn hats, summer frocks, and all
the appurtenanoes of summer and sun
shine. \ big grape arbor Is n favorite
lounging place. where everybody else in
the family except the mistress may while
away the day. Even now she is calling
mo to make haste The blackboard f.
always ready for her use, and the mo-
ment the manager is gone we start to
drive around the place
1t Is the lake country" as Il Is called
and the grove borders on Lake Harris.
around which are very handsome groves
There is small town, and steamer goes
around the lake frequently while steam
launches belonging TO the groves rush
around carrying their owners who are out
on business or calling
one broad avenue leads from the house
TO little landing at the lake. The special
feature that makes Mrs. Platts grIye and
the one adjoining it especially handsome
and distinguishes them from other groves.
are the O-ieet wide avenues Of great
orange trees, which are planted 20 feet
apart. but are so old that they meet in a
solid wall Of shade
GOOD BUSINESS FOR MILLIONAIRES
These avenues are an eighth Of "a mile
long on Mrs. Platt's place, and as we
drive through the golden-hung stretches
Mrs. Piatt talks Of orange growing as an
opening for women. Looking around at
the thrifty, well-carcd for place one would
expect her to endorse it enthusiastically.
Instead she said:
Il couldn't consclentlously. without re-
servation and discrimination. advise
women TO take up Orange-growlng ex-
pecting TO make money.
"A small capital is not to be thought Of.
because buying young orange groves IS
the quinteSsence of lottery playing
1T isn't the land one pays for, but what
Is on IT, and sometimes, unless a grove IS
in full bearing, it is hard TO tell what Is
really being secured. For instance. on one
side OF the road may be as fine a bearing
grove as could be asked for, and right
across the road may be another that T.,
only worth abandoning. The first is ham
mock land as ii is called here. the second
pine land; and the only way 10 make the
Improbable land productive Is TO put on
it such quantities Of enriching materials
that ii costs too much to ever make 1t
profitable.
II never should have succeeded if
handt picked out grove in fine bearing
condition and started in the beginning by
having chemical analysis made OF the
soil TO find out what was required TO in
crease the capacity OF the trees. That IS
the foundation this place has been worked
on.
"A woman ought to have n good capital
TO start with, and money 10 run things
with for couple OF years. until she ac-
quires n thorough knowledge Of orange
grove methods
'"The first year after bought this place
came the fearful frost OF 1856 that not
only froze almost the entire Florida crop
on the trees. but gave the trees themselves
such a setback that they are now only
about coming up to the bearing capacity
they had when l bought the grove. That
was the first freezing frost in fifty-one
years. and nobody expects another under
as many more years"
MRS. PLATT WITH HER PACKERS.
We had been driving around from one
lovely place TO another till large house
came in sight. This was the packing
house. topped of with "cupola" that
looks very much like a small ventilator
Cupolas seem TO be great fad in Florida,
and it soon became a regular test OF the