The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-17
SANFORD TO JACKSONVILLE.
Some of the improvements Made
Along the Route.


Jacksonville. Fla, May ia trip by
rail from Sanford to Jacksonville yester-
DAY furnished an excellent opportunity to
note the progress of recuperation In orange
culture, and also what crops have been
cultivated since the orange groves were
frost bitten.
Coming out of Sanford, and when near
the Monroe station, made famous by the
terrible express "hold-up" of a few years
ago, the truck farms attract attention,
especially the big fields of choice celery
and lettuce A side track has been put in
at this point SO that car shipments are
made direct from the farms. The men now
in this business were formerly orange
growers but some of them have given up
that industry entirely
At the old Enterprise junction the train
made no stop, and the depot showed
marked signs of abandonment. And yet
1t used to be a lively place before the
Plant Systems purchase of the main line.
Now the East Coast Railroad runs train
into Sanford from Titusville and the
Plant System makes It's transfer of East
Coast passengers at the Orange City juno
ton of the Flegler System.
At Beresford, another new departure Is
seen. Instead of changing cars there for
DeLand the Plant System has put neat
depot and platform at the DeLand juno
ton, mile or more below Beresford anl
all transfers are now made there, thus
saving some three miles of travel.
At Beresford, years ago known as Alex
anders Landing, on Lake Beresford, there
used to be some of the finest orange groves
in the State, but to-day nothing is left IN
sight but stunted new growth two or
three feet high. However, quite a number
of crates of choice lettuce were shipped
from that station by express yesterday.
For many miles large deserted and d.
lapidated packing houses gave evidence of
the former existence of thrifty orange
groves. Some growers are seeking to re-
new their groves, and a Como, Pomona
and Sisco a new start of thrifty young
growth has already been made but it will
be many years before the deserted pack
ing house will be reopened, granting that
we have no more destructive freezes.
In many of the young groves vegetable
crops are being cultivated between the
rows of trees, while there are also many
thrifty truck farms scattered about. In
some sections cattle raising has become
quito an industry, especially at Denver.
Corn fields are plentiful everywhere, and
around Pearson the orange groves show
the most rapid recuperation, although the
trees are quite small.
AT Satsuma Heights and Palatka the cy
press lumber mills and factories are quite
extensive. and give steady employment to
many people. Smaller mills and turpen-
tine stills are to be found all along the
route. and these. with farming and vege-
table growing, give employment and ready
cash to many pc rsons once dependent
upon orange culture.
Glimpses of the st. Johns river, which
the train crosses twice, as well as of sew
eral creeks, revealed the rapid recupera-
ton of the much dreaded water hyacinth.
Curves in the river show large accumu-
lations, while some of the creeks are en-
tirely covered. 1t will not be long before
navigation will be impeded by this pest