The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-05
PROMISING ORANGE GROVES.
THE FUTURE OUTLOOK FOR THEM
VERY HOPEFUL.

Road Building at O-laadO-CIay the
Material, and II is Giving Much
satisfactiOn-FIorid Prospects
Steadily Improving
Orlando, Fla, April 3-The winter IS
over. All danger of damage by frost has
passed. and one can now count upon an
other year Of material Improvement in the
conditions. It is safe to predict a year Of
prosperity. The orange groves Of this sec
ton. so badly injured by the cold Of Feb.
Z. 1895. have made a most gratifying
growth. This has been especially marked
during the past three months. Never be-
fore in the history of orange growing in
this state have trees made more vigor-
Gus growth than since the beginning of the
growing season three months ago. 1t is
true. there are groves that are not doing
well 1t is also true that some groves will
be abandoned. These are on ground that
was not suitable for orange trees in the
first place. and on which trees never should
have been planted. Before the freeze own
ers were sinking money and labor in them
year after year, in a forlorn hope that they
might amount to something or the other.
hope almost as forlorn that they might
be able to sell them and get back the mon
ey they had invested. 1t is such groves
that will cut no figure hereafter. But
where trees were planted on suitable land,
and were in good condition when the
freeze struck them, they are coming on
in a way to inspire hope and confidence.
Indeed, there was never a time when con-
fidence in orange growing as a paying en-
terprise was stronger than now.
OF course we are suffering from the loss
Of incomes from orange groves, that came
annually up to last winter. This amounted
to an aggregate of about three quarters of
a million dollars per year TO orange coun-
". This no longer coming in our people are
hard pushed for ready money. But they
are cultivating field crops to meet home
consumption and for shipment. and are
learning that farming per Sc, can be made
profitable here.
There was a perceptible falling off in
the number of tourists and visitors during
the season now closing. The attraction of
fruit heretofore so conspicuous has been
absent. But business men see but little
falling of in the volume of trade, and buy
ers are paying as they go. Rents are paid
more promptly than year ago, showing
that those who live in rented houses-wage
earners mostly-are finding employment
and getting their pay for it.
Three or four years ago Orlando inau-
gurated a system of street improvement
Clay, found at may points, was put upon
the streets at a depth of six inches The
clay is of red color and after being roll
ed DOWN ana eNDOSeu becomes almost as
hard as a brick pavement. The city ex-
pended $4,000 in this kind of paving. II has
proven so durable and so satisfactory that
there is now considerable talk of adopting
this kind Of clay for a road material and
trying to inaugurate system for the
entire county. These clayed roads make
the finest kind of a track for bicycles. They
are only second to asphalt for this purpose
IT has even been claimed that II Is 'fas-
ter than asphalt. The bicycle club, sup
plemented by public spirited citizens and
the city council, is now putting clayed
track around the border of Lake Eola, a
pretty little sheet of water near the CEN
ter of the city. The course will be three
fourths of a mile long, circular, level, and
first class. The grading and leVeling is fin
tshed and the committee in charge is now
advertising for bids to put down the clay.
This clay road leaven Is working i'm an
other direction. The Plant system railroad
has offered to build one mile of clayed road
between Orlando and Winter Park-a dis
lance of FIVE miles, If the towns and in
terested citizens will take care Of the re-
mainder of the distance. There are two
routes from one town to the other one on
the east side of the chain of lakes, ex-
tending from here to Winter Park, the
other on the west side. Naturally residents
and property owners on these lines want
the road. This leads to a sharp rivalry be-
tween the routes, and to sharp bidding in
the way Of contributions to aid in the
work. The people are so much in earnest
that II now looks as II both routes would
be improved by the clay process. 1t was
reported last night that one route was full
ly provided for, while the other only lack
ed enough of subscriptions to cover a half
mile. II this is true, both routes will be
clayed, and this will give a belt drive
which will be one of the finest and most
picturesque in the state. Remember this
enterprise is to be undertaken and carried
out with the exception of mile by people
who one year ago lost incomes amount
ing to hundreds of thousands of dollars
and sources of incomes which represented
millions.-People who were represented as
Frustrated and hopelessly ruined by the
disaster which had swept over this sec
ton. Such people cannot be kept down.
A new telephone system has Just been
put in here The exchange was opened last
week and Is now doing a successful bust
ness. The gentleman who is doing It has
secured franchise on the streets of Win
ter Park and Is extending his lines to that
place. 1t is his purpose to go on to Matt
land, Longwood and Sanford, making a
sort of distinct long distance telephone of
the undertaking, which will eventually
cover most of the Florida peninsula, with
Orlando as headquarters.