The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-11

has in his hand just what tree, nurnber 30
and so, In row 80 and so, needs In the way
OF fertilizing He analyses the soil, and 20
you. see he has the thing whipsawed and
knows just what his trees need.
In regard to his pinery, it Is a success.
This fall he will ship about eight hundred
crates, that is TO say his total shipment will
amount TO that, summer, fall and winter.
just now he is about through with the
summer crop, but there are several scatter
ing thousands of pines left, in the bud, half
grown, and some >ripening slowly.
1t would not surprise me II he shipped
more than the number given before he il
through with marketing his crop. He will
probably realize in the n,ighborhood OF
81, 200 net, and this consider is doing very
well from one acre, as he OF course has his
crop OF oranges, grape fruit and tangerines
yet to hear from.
In regard to the danger Of frost in
Florida there are groves all over southern
Florida more than thirty years old. Frost
does not bother the trees now to any extent,
after they get out Of the baby age, and grow
strong enough, in measure, to look out for
themselves.
And then again there Is a method in the
manners and customs OF orange growers
to-day which the orange growers Of those
back number times knew not Of. The modern
grower does not cultivate his trees when
there Is danger from FROST Heshas taught
his trees that In the present age Of this
work Of progress it is best for all self
respecting orange trees to take q rest be-
tween times and get things In readiness
for the spring bloom.
Now the settler Is up to snuff in regard
to all OF these points, and, besides, he helps
matters by digging little draining, or irri-
eating bitches all over his place, connect
ing them with the big drainage ditch which
OF course, runs through his property.
When the rainy season comes on how
it does rain. The lightning flashes and
the thunder roars and the rain descends
In floods, but although the settlers house
is built upon the sand, the rain and the
floods do no damage. AS fast as the rain
falls. It runs of through the labyrinth of
bitches on his place and 30 makes it's escape
to the sea.
Now, on the other hand. sometimes it
Is dry, and there is season Of drought.
Then the settler shuts up the gates until
the water in the pond rises and all the
little bitches fill, and so he irrigates his
trees. And so he whipsaws the thing
again both ways and uses the water for his
benefit
You people up North do not know any,
thing about tropical fruit. We are lux
rare and delicious.
Cut up one that is perfectly ripe and If
you put sugar on 1t you will spoil it. 1t
Is 30 filed with juice that out Of onc pine,
or apple, as we say down here, have fire.
quently got half pint Of clear juice.
Pineapples bring three cents a pound
here, though the other day bought forty
pounds for 80 cents. and only got ten apples
at that. Some OF them weighed Ave pounds
each. A ripe pineapple grown here in the
summer, or Of the summer crop. as they
say, Is the finest thing on earth.
BY the way, II you hear Of any one relating
tales OF making five or six thousand dollars
an acre out Of pines, just set him down
for dealer in fairy tales. From 81 900 to
1920 is fair average.
But in regard to grape fruit, that's diff
ferent. Now, suppose man has 100 grape
fruit trees to an acre. though that is little
too many-eighty would be better num-
ber-and bis trees are ten years old. / am
afraid to say what he would realize, for
fear that the reader would GLASS me with
one Of those same dealers in fairy tales
have been speaking about.
The settler has grape fruit Take one
OF his trees. for instance. and you must
remember that they are not yet seven years
old. Comparatively speaking, you can al
most reach the top OF one Of them with
your hand, and OF one Of these small trees
he last season picked grapefruit that netted
him $sl43. It's unsafe to estimate what |
an orange grove mixed with grapefruit
will bring.
They are called grapefruit fol lie reason |
that they grow in small cluste. s, instead |
OF being scattered all over the tree like
oranges. know OF a man here who owns |
grove fifteen years old, OF twenty acres, that |
brought him last year more than $4,000.
But, then, think Of the trials and tribu-
lations that man went through before he
got that grove on a paying and productive
basis. Florida is not a garden spot, and |
never will be unless hard work makes 1t 30.
You can have green grass and roses, but
you will have TO work for them, end work
hard, the same as for anything else, and
as most people have to do, I think, in no
matter what part OF the country they are
situated.
Supply OF Oilstones and Grindstones.