Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-29
Mr.. A. c, BENNETT IN THE SOUTH.
Some of His Observations of the Country
and Its Inhabitants.

ana us lnnaDtantS.
Orlando, Florida, Dec. %, 1S9S.-Mr.
j. A. Gaynor. Grand Rapids, Wis.-Dear
Sir: l send you by this mail the sample
of cranberries sent me from Seattle,
Wash. It may be of interest to pre-
serve it till the January meeting. l
like this place very much. 1t is very
warm and nice / saw peach trees in
bloom, also strawberries. They often
have strawberries for Xmas but / did
not see any fit to pick. find parties
here have been using the steam Cali
fornia process against frost with success
and will send you their process as given
in Yesterdays paper with my next.
There are great many pine apples
raised here, the finest in the world and
they bring fancy prices, $500 dozen
for the large ones. They are all raised
under cover, that is stats two inches
wide with spaces about two inches be-
tween them. They are also raising the
camphor tree which is now popular
thing, as 1t is largely used in the manu-
facture of smokeless powder.
The orange groves killed by frost in
"a and '95 are beginning to bear, and
where they have been properly cared
for will be paying we'll from this on.
They are now picking some but most
all appear to have been gathered. The
neglected orchards are sorry looking
sight, and nearly all have been neg
lected. In Tennessee and Alabama
they were picking cotton, here it is all
picked. New potatoes are grown here
and are on the market at the same
price as the old ones. 40 cents a peck.
l saw cranberries at Defuniac Springs.
apparently bell and bugles, shipped
there in thick STAYED, water tight bar
rels and retailed at Is cents quart.
Here at Orlando they are not kept in
water but are in fair condition and KEEP:
in many stores. Eastern berries, that
have been kept in cold, storage, retail
at Is cents quart and sell we'll. Ba-
nanas grow here but are gathered;
see none on the trees Between Pen
sacola and Jacksonville we passed
through the pine timber country where
turpentine and srosin appeared TO be
The principal production, Near here
the most remarkable sight / saw was a
natural park or grove Of cabbage palm
etto trees about the size of our small
marsh line telephone poles with just a
little tuft of head the size of an um-
brella on the top, which is eaten. The
tree is SO to 80 feet high and looks sin
gular. The crackers (colored people)
here also eat sugar cane, stripping off
the outside and eating the inside like a
banana. They ride in separate cars, go
to separate churches and live IN settle
ments in or near the village; out in the
country some of them have nice gar
dens, but like the Indian, their homes
are devoid of everything we would call
comfort. There are thirteen lakes
within, or partly within the city limits.
The water is clear as caystal and very
soft, with plenty of rains to keep up
the supply. take another drive Mon
day out in the country to see twelve
acres of pineapples, all under the
Slated covers.
We are usually well, but have been
banging around and feel tired out. Mrs.
Edwards, who came with us, has stood
the journey well and is enjoying her.
self, expecting md extra good time on
our return to Defuniac Springs, when
we will be keeping house in our nice
cottage by the lake, called Oak Lawn
cottage. The lawn is all a mat of Ber-
muda grass, clipped close and shaded
| with water oaks and other shade trees.
Excuse this long letter. Yours truly.
A. G.. BENNETT.