The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-04
FLoRIDA's FUTURE OUTLOOK.
oranges ana PineappIes Cut short.
Hut Other Crops TO BE Increased.

an" ftnenpnies Cut short.
Hut Other Crops TO BE Increased.
Orlando. Fla. March At is now a
settled fact that lemon and grape fruit
trees have been killed in large numbers
anu lnat many orange trees are in the
same condition. Immediately following
the nrst freeze the orange trees nut
OUT an abundance OF new leaves. but since
ne last cold snap not a green leaf has
appeared IN thousands Of groves an over
the state some trees may Yet show
signs Of life even up into the large limbs.
ana put out June blooms. but the major
ny OF trees VIII have TO start up from the
Ivots II they are still alive IN that re-
slon- Bearing groves this year and
PROBABLY for two or three years, except
IN rare cases, Will DE scarce. and the
same is true Of pineapples a short crop
OF which may be looked for during the
next two years. Guavas and many other
tender fruit trees are killed out and
suaNa Jelly Will be quite a luxury before
new trees are bearing The bananas are
putting out rapidly and VIII soon recover
their former beauty and fruitfulness.
Cassava is quite good crop here in
FLORIDA but it seems that many persons
We're slow in cutting the tops for replant-
ing before the freeze and a short crop
VIII be the result this year. 1 have been
quite successful with this plant and find
the roots excellent for family use as
well as for stock and chickens. For this
reason have always been prompt to cut
and bury the tops before there is any
danger OF sudden freeze.
The culture of the castor bean tree has
also proved easy and there was a prospect
that 1t would also be profitable but for the
freeze. However IL is very rapid grow
er, and will soon replace itself. The St
Louis oil mill had just established an ex-
pertinent farm near this city for the cuI-
ture of these trees, and should the freeze
not discourage the company a renewal
Of the industry viii no doubt prove pronta-
ole to our people. rice mill is also to
be erected here, and the culture of up
land and other species of rice will be car
ried on quite extensively. with fair pros
poets that it will be a paying crop.
Pecan trees find here in Florida two
troublesome enemies. the caterpillar and
tree girdler; the former strip the trees
OF their leaves, while the latter saw off
the small limbs. OF course. this does
great damage to the young growing trees.
but the trees that finally outgrow these at
tacks flourish despite of them. Stin all
things considered, it is doubtful if there
is any fortune to be made in the culture
OF these nutbearing trees in Florida. The
tree girdler is also very destructive 10
grated japanese persimmun trees, takine
especial delight in saving off the GRATED
limbs as soon as they reach the size of
your thumb. There may be a remedy
for this pest, but 1 have never found
one here or in Georgia that was reliable
and effective
The freeze has. no doubt caused orange
growers to adopt new lines Of cultivation
in the future. Seeding trees viii be more
highly priced than the hitherto petted
budded trees, as being better fitted to
stand a severe cold snap. Then high prun-
ing will be largely abandoned and the
trees will have the protection that comes
from limbs hanging nearly, if not quite
to the ground. High pruned trees seem
to have suffered most in their trunks. and
these could be protected in the future by
letting the lower shoots grow into strong
limbs. In the unsettled portions of the
state, where forests surround the new
groves, the freeze did hardly any damage
still, when those protecting forests are cut
away and the country settled up there
will be little safety to orange groves wher
another such freeze comes along.
l have frequently alluded to our vege
table and strawberry crops. These are now
fiourishing and give promise, with a large
acreage Of early watermelon, of makinf
the summer quite lively. A fine thunder
storm has to-day passed over this sec.
ton, with a heavy rainfall and follow.
ing a few days of warm weather. with
heavy night dews, IL has given everything
in the ground new impulse Orange trees
are still backward In coming forward, and
the most hopeful growers are now looking
very near the ground for signs of renewed
life in the trunks of the trees. Whatever
the result may be, the crop outlook for
this coming winter is gloomy, and orange
grove property will come in for a much
lower rate of taxation for the next three
or four years.
The venerable Rev. DIR. Josephus Ander-
son, the greatly beloved editor of the
Florida Christian Advocate, attributes our
fearful calamity to Gods displeasure at
the worldliness, greed and selishness of
the people of Florida. His first vista
tion," says Rev DR.. Anderson. was I'M
needed. Selhshness cut off expenditures
for spiritual interest TO save money for
carnal indulgences. Hence God has
come again, and who can stand before his
cold?"
1t is possible that there is some truth
in this learned divine's statement, bu.
the same rule would hold good as to the
western prairie fires and billiards, the
Chicago, Boston and Halifax fires, yellow
fever epidemics, etc, in other states. II
the Lord is giving the nations of this day
a touch of Sodom and Gomarrah discipline
it would not be unreasonable to attribute
our present calamity to his displeasure
at our worldliness. At all events this view
of the case ought to make us better men
and women in the future.