Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-14
.fLORIDA'S FREEZE
The New Year Ushered in by a
Nipping and Eager Frost.
MUCH DAMAGE, BUT NO DISMAY
Characteristic F Features of a Flower
State White Resort.
GOSSIP ABOUT ROVES
GOSSIP ABOUT ROVES
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

ORLANDO, Fla, January g. 1898.
The advent of the New Year brought
with it shivers of apr ehens;on to the
growers" of this section. All Gay Satur-
day anxious eyes were fastened upon the
thermometer, which slowly Travelled from
tie fifties to the forties, and by night was
vending Its way to the freezing point. By
morning the frost had woven it's fairy
pail over flower and fruit; it's lacy folds
eHvIrored the orange trees and chung
tenaciously to the pineapples. During the
night the mercury fell to % degrees, Sun
day night it reached % degrees, but by
Tuesday the cold wave had passed the
Rubicon, counting it's victims what had
been left on the trees of the orange crop
of 1897 and all the ungather pineappes
Dismay changed, however, to congratulate
ton when it became apparent that neither
trees Tor plants We're permanently injured
1 ne 1ollage and tender shoots of the
Grange trees were curled up and will fall,
but TINS will not interfere very seriously
with this years bearing except to retard
the bloom. The pineapple plants were
well nipped, but this also is temporary
prostraticn, as the plants bear all he
year round, ard few months will find
them fully recovered from this blight nm
less Jack Frost should make a return trim
against which We devoutly pray Mr.
Harry l.. Beeman, who has been engaged
IN the orange culture for about twelve
years. and is also largely Interested in
pineapples does rot consider this freeze
as serious disaster to the fruit industry
being rothing more than what is naturally
10 DC expected in the cultivation of any
crop, an occasional dra WDack which threat-
ems temporary deficit" and DESTROYS
the prospects of a SURPLUS" a condition
which individuals, like nationalities soon
learn Low to grin and bear.
The freeze extended below Tamra and
from the gulf to Jupiter's inlet but the
thermometer did not reach as low Il point
on the east as it did on the west coast At
some points below here the temperature is
SAD TO have dropped to II degrees but this
is doubtless an eXaggeration as the result
does not prove it. No che appears at all
dlSccIraged; in fact. the damage is now Il
SUBJECT OF Jocular remark as individual
losses are discussed and Compar. H. TODAY
Is almost summary, and a drive through
the neighborhood this morning reveals
many of the orange trees unscathed by the
frost, and peach tree in protected sit
ualon loaded with bloom.
Vegetables Badly Hurt.
1t would take considerably more than
even the disastrous destruction of 1S94-J to
destroy the faith Of the FIoridian in the
value of the fruit industry. The havoc the
frost created in the black Chris mas week
OF lSt4 is merely u landmark in the mem
cry. as its results have become almost en-
urely effaced, the Old trees having recov-
ereC their vitality, the new ones are fast
reaching maturity, and many growers are
setting out new groves. In this commL-
nifty DR.. j. c. Merritt is having set out on
his Lake Sue place a twenty-acre grove of
what is known as the Washington navel
bud, on lemon stocks. The buds are of the
doctors own growing. 1t is said to be the
largest grove of this or Of any one variety
ir this county.
The setback to early vegetables and in
the more exposed situation their entire loss
seems to be considered the most serious
effect of this freeze, it will diminish al
least for some weeks the supply of
peas. beans, potatoes, egg plants, red
ripe tomatoes and the luscious straw
berry. upon which Florida has been luXuri-
ating; so far, however, the market does
not seem lacking in this particular as the
strawberry short cake still finds place
on the menu. Garden shrubbery lost its
bloom and we miss the flowers more If
possible than the fruit, as the supply of
the latter on hand seems ample, at least
for the present; but the fragrance and
color that greeted us abroad are gone, and
the soft green of the Bermuda grass, the
favorite here for lawns, has become as
tawny d lions name But presto,
change! A few weeks will remedy all this
and no frost can alter the charm of sky
and air and water, but rather lends an
IMMIGRATION which occasionally is wei
coined.
County of Lakes.
Orlando is situated on the line of two
great trunk railways, the f. c. and r.
and the Plant system, and is literally the
lake city of Florida, although she does
not wear the title. This county, Orange, is
said to contain one thousand lakes and
there eleven of these within the city
limits of Orlando. Two great lake sys-
TENS originate within this county,
the pearly chain flowing eastwardly toward
the St. John, and the other westwardly
to the gulf. The castwardly flowing are
said to have a distinct tidal action and
appear to pulsdte through some subterra
mean connection with the sea
1t is upon the shores of these lakes that
the orange grower plants his grove, and
his ideal home is built within the majestic
oak and towering pine, whose draperics of
moss droop in gray festoons to the ground,
intcrminsle1 with the clambering green fol-
iage and golden bloom of the jessamine.
that child of the forest, which refuses 10
live amid the luxury of domestic environ
nent. Lovely villas dot the borders of
Lakes Lucerne and EO.a, within the heart
of this city, winter homes of northerners
and westerners, who seek rest, health and
congenidl enjoyment here. Orlando prides
herself upon being one of the most health
full spots on the central ridge of the PENN
Sula.
She is also said to possess the purest wa
ter supply OF any city in this country.
The great solvent properties of the Orlando
water render II almost specific for many
diseases. The analysis of it claims 'abso-
lutte purity and freedom from all injurious
ard COMMUNICATING substances" and that
it lis not surpassed in the known world"
The supply is drawn from Highland lake
a beautiful sheet of water fifty feet deep a
mile above the city, which is fed by never
falling springs. This water so well sus-
tains its reputation that mineral waters for
table use are never called for at the ho-
tells.
Social and Club Life.
Every effort is made in Orlando to keep
UP the social end of the line. Polo. tennis