The morning news., 1899-12-04
Florida Orange Culture Reviving

Owing to repeated freezes, Florida has
never recovered from the prostration of
her chief industry by the famous cold of
4-95, which ruined the trees, causing at
best setback of three or four years. even
If return of the former warm winter
weather permitted the new growth TO ma
ture, writes f. French of Florida in Amer
lean Agriculturist Excepting the occa-
sional groves in various parts of the state
that escaped because OF an unusually pro-
tected location, or from some lucky trick
OF the cold, all that remained were those
In Lee county, mostly on the south bank
or the Caloosahatche river which emp
ties into the Gulf long way south Of
Tampa, and some of those in the Manatee
river section, little further north. Their
partial escape put new heart into these
districts, and cultivation and planting
Went on apace, aided by growers from the
frozen-out parts so that the yield has
been sensibly augmented, and the quality
improved. In the flush times these lower
Gulf oranges were not thought much Of.
but high prices have stimulated higher
cultivation, with the inevitable happy re-
suit
Before the big freeze growers found
enough profit at 50 cents a box on the trees
to induce increasing acreage each year,
and this price was based on the aggre-
gate yield of 5000, 900 boxes. Since the
yield has been 100000 boxes or less. and
the price on the trees 81. so to 49, The lat
ter figure has been exceeded upon the
present crop, though to what extent It is
100 soon, now, to know. If, however, the
profit was encouraging at so cents 1t Is
easy to understand the all-over pleasant
FEELING of the grove owner when he pock-
cts the 50.
D 4
would induce orchardists from everywhere
to hasten hither, to the neglect of other
branches, and the overriding of this; but
no doubt the thought that the vacillatine.
frost line In Florida has been pushed into
the water at the southern extremity and
that there remains no guarantee against
freeze-up anywhere any winter, deters
many from venturing. Others are already
planting groves In Cuba and in Porto Rico,
where safety from cold is assured, and ex-
pense for fertilizer little or nothing.
Whether the West Indian climate and
soil can produce quality equal to that of
Florida is a question to be solved by ex-
pertinent. Thus far our state yields fruit
without rival when the final test against
which there is no appeal. and individual
taste has no value, is applied-that is the
market. California grows beautiful citrus
fruits and is supreme in methods of hand
ling, and good fruit comes from abroad
but Floridas have the right of way in the
markets, and on them the highest prices
are realized.
During the winter of '97-S some of the
official peninsular thermometer fingered a
short while at 15 degrees, a half inch of
Ice was reported as far south as Chuck
oloskee Island on the Gulf side and at
Miami, near the entrance of the east coast.
The Ice was described as being like pane
of window glass. In the latter case 1t
would not hurt trees If there had been
any, so, therefore, an influx of hopeful
orange people followed, and many groves
have been planted between the lower In
dian river section and Cocoanut Grove (the
farthermost southern poinD, and there has
been a sprightly boom in land for both
vegetables and fruits. This safe-f from-ice
Land lies mostly between the Everglades
on the west and Biscayne bay on the east,
with width of only four or FIVE miles,
and much OF it is so rocky as to be un-
tlllable; so that If the frost does not Sc
riously molest them. these entertaining
people will probably reap the substan-
tial reward which they certainly will have
earned, for &c every acre planted bears
a full crop every year. the yield win not be
sufficient to threaten the present high
prices.