Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-15
THE FREEZE IN FLORIDA
How Vegetables and Orange Trees Suffered
in Ahe South.
Coolest Weather ON Record@SuAleh
Changes Ruined Many n Prosperous
Grower Of 0rangss and Pineapples.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

OAK VILLA, Fla, February 10, 1895.
While the weather forms an ordinary
topic of conversation the world over, in
Florida during the winter months it be-
comes a subject of absorbing interest, and
people watch the thermometer as during a
cold wave the mercury falls point by point,
hour after hour, with the same anxious
solicitude the Spectator notes the rise or
fall of stocks in which he is interested.
And we'll they may, for the point where the
mercury will stop in it's downward course
will decide the question, not whether few
rich men will be made richer or poorer, but
whether the inhabitants of whole state
will be able to live in comfort, free from
financial anxiety, during the next twelve
months, or their means for obtaining live
Ihood will be swept away.
Such time was the night of December
%. 1894, when the temperature fell from
80 degrees at o'clock pm. to 1G degrees
above zero at 3 am on the Goth, and
the fruit and vegetable~growers of the state
found their oranges and lemons frozen
solid and their crops OF early vegetables
ruined. But as hope springs perennial
in the heart of man. the market garden
ers Immediately procured fresh supplies OF
seeds and replanted their grounds, hoping
still to make crops that could be put In
market as early as any. The orange grow
ers carefully examined their trees, some
fertilized and hoed them at once, others
waited till at last the tiny leaf buds began
to burst through the bark and little leaves
to unfold, when they also went to work.
feeling that their capital had not been ser
iously impaired, that the trees they had
watched and cultivated for many years,
till they had in measure become their
companions, were spared to them, and
would In the near future yield more golden
haryests.
The Worst ON Record.
Such was the situation on February s.
Crops OF vegetables were again up and
growing, the trees thought it was spring,
the wild plum trees were white With BIOS
SONS, and the naples red with expanding
buds, when suddenly on the afternoon OF
that day the wind changed from the south
west to the northwest, bringing with 1t
an instant chill as II 1t came over long
miles of ice and snow. Then the ther-
mometers became again the centers OF at
tention, and as the mercury jumped down
four or five degrees an hour, SO dropped
Florida's l.sing hopes and courage ana
at fifteen degrees above the latter was way
down below zero. The crops of vegetables
that Mere 10 supply the markets Oh the
great cities in the early spring. and re-
ward their planters. were killed, ana SO
probably were most Of the bearing orange
trees as they were full Of sap. The lemon,
pomelo and young budded orange trees
were practically wiped out of Existence
in December. Pineapple plants. II not all
killed TO the ground. are probably SO seri-
ously injured that they can produce no
fruit this year.
Widcspread Destruction.
Those who raise vegetables for market
will probably replant the fruit growers
have nothing to do but rest and wait TO
see if they have anything left Labor con-
sequently is now a drug in the market
This is undoubtedly the worst freeze FOL
Florida of which there is any record OF
tradition A gentleman who was a boy OF
twelve at the time of the freeze OF 1S'i'
tells me that the temperature then went as
lew as degrees above zero, ana an the
orange trees in the state, even the wlld ones
in the forests, We're killed to the ground
,rhat cold wave came in February, when
the trees were full of new growth ano
bloom But then there We're no orange
groves of any size, only lew smai ones
though in the old city of st. Augustine
there was, as a rule, one Tree VI hAoie VA
every house lot.
Most orange trees when frozen put out
new shoots from the roots. and these lor-
tunately make bearing trees much sooner
than the little ones raised from the seeos.
The orange growers of-the state nave been
looking forward in fear and trembling to
the future of some half dozen years hence
when according to the past rate OF IN
crease, the orange crop, they were tolu,
would Jump from the 5O0o.eoo boxes OF iast
drum would be how to dispose OF such a
quantity. That fear has now, however iike
MANY another illusion, been dispelied. sui
I hope for our own comfort, as Well as iot
the enjoyment of others, that Florioa
oranges will not be entirely unknown In
northern markets during the next few
wears, but assuredly there Is no fear q d
surplus for long time to come. f. Is. U.