The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-14
THREE NOTED ORANGE eRovEs.
How They Have Been Treated since
the Late Freexe.

the Late Freeze.
Altamonte Springs, Fla, Oct. IA
have just visited two of the most noted
orange groves in the state, my object be-
ing to see what plenty of money and the
best Of labor had thus far accomplished
in recupeFating the trees from the eff
fects OF the severe freeze Of last winter
The Bradley grove, located on the main
road between this place and Forest City,
is the property of the Bradley Fertilizer
Company, and formerly was known as
the Wilson grove. 1t is situated on high
ground, with slope back from the
large and handsome family residence at
the forks of the road, as country people
say. 1t is doubtful If any grove in
Florida is more highly fortified than
this one, il being the main purpose of the
company to use II as an advertisement
very recently in a pamphlet containing
excellent photo engravings Of the grove
before, Immediately after, and several
months later than the freeze, thus show
ing the progress made in recuperating
the stricken trees. This grove has a fine
trrigating plant with water pipes and
hydrants all through the place.
The Hover grove, owned by Hon. J. d.
Hover, millionaire dry goods merchant
Of Cleveland. O., Is located in the center
OF Forest City, from which II runs along
a level ridge for some distance and then
slopes gently into the low lands. 1t COW
ers forty acres and could not be better
situated, a small lake across the road
furnishing plenty of water for the irri-
eating plant that traverses the grove by
means of pipes and hydrants similar 10
those in the Bradley grove. One reason
why these two groves are especially noted
is because the Bradley Fertilizer Company
use their best products on their grove,
another company for the almost eXclu-
siVe use of a certain brand of superior
fertilizer made by 1t; They. are, therefore,
among the very best fortified, II not the
We o.
Both of these groves were trimmed or
cut away soon after the freeze. In the
Hover grove only the dead branches were
cut of. but in the Bradley grove they
WERE in some cases, cut to the ground. rs
a precaution against borers and wood lice,
the trees and stumps in this grove were
whiteWashed which, the foreman says,
has accomplished the desired object. All
the trees present thrifty and
attractive appearance. There are forty
acres, containing over $500 trees, and when
the freeze came it caught some 1900 boxes
of fruit still on the trees The young trees
were cut to the ground and new shoots
are being trained on stakes from the
roots. 1t is hoped that the old trees will
hold out and form new tops from the
thrifty growth now taking shape. If the
trees escape the borers and die back it
is evident that this grove will again come
into bearing very early.
The Hover grove presents a smoother
surface, showing much better cultivation
than the Bradley grove has been given.
Col. George w. Cooley, the postmaster.
is the superintendent of this grove
and his store being opposite the
main entrance to it, he can
men employed there. Then his system of
cultivation seems to me to be the most
perfect that could be adopted. In the
Bradley grove the grass and weeds were
allowed to grow until the stems became
dry and woody. After moving they were
left to rot on the ground, but when the
blowing in process came about they We're
not sufficiently rotted to be covered and
mixed properly with the soik Then the
tooth harrow come along and dragged
big punches of them around, and this
has given the grove a rough and unpleas-
ant appearance. In the Hover grove a
smooth and attractive surface has been
obtained by three cuttings of the grass
and weeds which were left
to rot on the ground af-
ter each cutting. Being young
and tender they readily rotted sufficient
ly for blowing under. A double Golfer
plow turned the thin sod over carefully
and with great uniformity SO that 1 could
see very little grass anywhere on the
evenly turned surface. This blowing will
be followed by as careful and systematic
narrowing as soon as the grass turned
under has rotted a little more. The final
result will be a clean, smooth surface
ready for another crop of grass.
BY this system of cultivation Mr.. How
er has made his a really fancy grove, and
at the corner near the school house and
chapel, which he generously presented
the town, he has made the main entrance
Orange Park" and il really looks
like a park, there being no residence or
other buildings visible. The Bradley
grove is also but in another sense, fancy
grove, as a large square sign is over the
entrance gate to the residence, on which
it is stated that the grove belongs to the
Bradley Company and is exclusively fer
tilted with the fertilizer made at its fac
tory. This is purely business invest
ment but in the case of the Hover grove
it is more matter of public spirit with
10
smaller groves at Forest City. Poor men,
or men of moderate means, can
tiSation Ito to their groves this year for any
purpose. And not a few men supposed
TO be wealthy have not even plowed
their groves since the freeze, waiting,
they say, to see what the coming winter
will bring forth.
Another noted grove, but a winter rest
dence place, is that of l.. F. Dommerich,
a rich New York merchant, which he
purchased of Supt. B. r. Swoope, then of
the Plant system. 1t is on Lake Mime
haha, near Maitland, and was the all-the-
year-round home of Mr.. Swoope and wife.
After paying some $4,000 for the place,
Mr.. Dommerich expended an equal amount
of the finest in the state. When
the freeze came he met the disaster with
out murmur, being a clear-headed bust
ness man. and knowing how such reverses
come to all kinds of investments He at
once set his workmen to clearing away
the best possible shape. In the matter of
fertilizers, budding choice varieties, etc,
no expense was spared, and to-day but
snght traces of the freeze are visible. ex-
cept in the absence of fruit His super
1ntendent is a man OF action, experience
and good sense and when the family re-
turn this winter they will be more than
delighted with the signs of recuperatiOn
to be seen all over their lovely winter
resort. Men who spend fortunes al New
port, Bar Harbor and other noted summer
resorts can keep up as attractive and de-
hghtful winter homes in Florida, despite
an occasional freeze, at a much less an
nual expenditure. There is but one Flor
IDA, and people of means in search of
health and happiness for the winter
months will always invest here.
A CONSTABLE SHOT DEAD.