The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-24

and shows an intelligent grasp of orange
culture. The covered trees show more
wonderful growth than those not covered
Mr.. Thomas, like many others, is pre-
pared to fire for protection to trees and
bloom, though they have had no previous
the great value Of their groves, they are
prepared to protect. II necessary.
/ AT Fort Ogden, w. j. Williams can show
a grove of very large trees full of fruit
and with no evidences of cold. The few
mentions of grove property are OILY sam
pies Of what can be seen all through South
1 Florida. There are scores of groves that
i could be mentioned.
AS space is limited, and our object is
only to give a few central points which
represent the surrounding country, we
will stop off at Winter Haven. Florence
Villa is the place for a pivot, and place
where our Northern friends can find one
of the most delightful homes for the win
ter right among thousands of orange trees
with fruit on them. Sit on the piazza and
look at the roses date palms, bananas
and all the tropical vegetation surround
ing this villa Ask Dr. Inman If the cold
hurt them last Februe.y He will say.
yes, 1t took the bloom generally off the
orange trees. The mercury on that Feb
ruary morning touched "a degrees. re-
NAMED for twenty minutes, then went
above the freezing point as fast as posi-
BILE. Seeing is believing. A tramp through
acres OF orange trees will convince one
that but little harm was done. One grove,
only three years from the bud, has fruit
all through it. There are 1000 acres of
trees around Winter Haven that will pro-
duce $4,000 boxes of oranges another sea-
son. The bearing surface is there. The
trees are healthy and in fine shape.
BY the time the orange grower from
Putnam county has made the trip I have
taken you, and has walked among few
thousand of these trees. he feels like flying
back to Putnam to see II he has not been
dreaming, and If there are not some
oranges on his trees. He will have seen
so many thousands of trees by that time
through the State that he will realize that |
Florida is not dead by any means. And |
whore the more fortunate ones have sue
ceeded from having a little milder tenn |
prature those farther north may hope the |
same higher temperature that gives crops
of oranges south will put surface on their
own trees. and IN couple of years will
give them crop.
Continue around Orlando, Leesburg and
east to Ormond; the groves are looking
fine, considering what they have passed
through. Very many OF them will have
some oranges this year. and generally will
have good crop another season. Normal
winters for Two years will put a crop OF
oranges on the market that Will astonish
the country. Give us reasonable weather
and Florida Will recuperate so fast In five
years time that no thought of the past
will enter our hrads. II anyone Is weak
in the spinal column on that subject. make
a six weeks trip throughs the State. You
Will feel your bank account grow, and
your enthusiasm Will make you feel ten
years younger. Try IL.
Draw a line from Ormond, on the east
coast. to Tarpon Springs. on the west; let
/ bow out and take In Lake Weir. South
Of this line there will be. large crop of
oranges produced next season. There ara
4 few locations that will require still an
,ther year to allow them TO produce much
fruit Generally speaking oranges will
,ome from all the indicated sections. In :
act, there will be few oranges next year
III along the st. Johns river to Jackson
Vile In two years the orange bearing !
rea north of the indicated line will pro- :
luce a moderate crop With no cxtraor- r
linary cold We can all feel good after two
ears, and all these claims win be proven.
The Manatee section was not visited, but r
he fact that It will put $4,000 boxes of /
ranges into market this season Is con- /
,lusiye evidence that 1t has orange groves /
n full bearing. You will find few thous- +
nd boxes Of oranges down the east coast. {
he orange producing area, as compared a
With other portions OF the State. is more G
estricted. But the trees show good life a
nd will come square to the front another >
ear with yearly increasing crop. Many a
oung groves are being set out farther n
outh The writer still has faith In nor II
lal winters. and that the old groves that =
,rmerly produced the immense crop which II
,ade Florida famous will, in two years Il
r very soon thereafter. again produce such a