Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-06
In SUNNY FLORIDA
Some Of the Sights That
Northerners Enjoy.
AT ORANGE HARVEST
PINEAPPLE GROVES PROTECTED
FROM FROST.
Driving Through Miles Of Oak-Shaded
Roads - Beautiful
Homes.
Special Correspondence of Tho Evening Sta.

| Special Correspondence of The Evening Sta.
| ORLANDO, Fla, January %, 1904
| As sit on the veranda, overlooking the
| crystal waters of Eola lake. basking In
| sunshine and feasting eyes and olfactories
on roses, jassemines, honeysuckles and vio-
| lets blooming on every side in almost rank
profusion, l drop the letters telling me of
| the ice and snow which hold Washington
| in their cruel grip and wonder Can this
| be real or am l only dreaming that am
| in PARADISE" for paradise Orange county
seems to me winter home. The county
| is the heart of the orange growing region
| Indeed, it is one vast orange grove and
| pinery. The FLORIDA orange par excel
lence, mandarins, tangerines, kumquats
| grape fruit and pineapples are all produced
| in great quantities. Two hundred and
seventy-five thousand boxes of oranges will
be shipped from the county this winter.
The pineries very interesting. | have
| visited one covering nine acres, and except
| for the alleys left between the beds for
| convenience in gathering the fruit not an
| inch of the earth is visible. The canvas
| covering of this pinery, arranged to draw
| over the fruit in case of threatened frost,
| cost 5000. Ninety boxes Of pineapples
were shipped the day we were there, some
| weighing twenty pounds.
L saw one cluster of grapefruit, forty-two
| in number, on a branch not as large my
| wrist. All the orange and grapefruit trees
require props. The little kumquat trees are
beautiful. These little oranges are an i'm
portation from Japan the trees or bushes. for
| they are not taller than a man, are NINA
| ture orange trees. and are the most prolific
bearers Imaginable. From the ground to
| the topmost bough they are covered with
| the fruit of deep golden color. They are
oval rather than round, and are not peeled,
| but bitten right through, as you would eat
| a strawberry, and are deliciously spicy and
aroma tic.
Ia w "a had he
| licious Strawberries ever since our arrival,
the middle of December.
Orange county has two great attractions
in its lakes and its roads. Indeed the lakes
are a unique feature. There are LOO in
! the county; twenty within the limits of the
town of Orlando. And such beautiful lakes
some so small that you could throw a
stone across others big enough to float a
steamboat, but all with fine white sand
bottoms and waters clear crystal, mir
~roring skies. clouds and trees in fascnat-
| ingly beautiful pictures. 1t Is said there is
underground connection between them ALL
| for none ever stagnate or go dry. All the
drinking water here is delicious An emf
| nent New York physician, who is wintering
here, says the water is as pure as that of
Poland Spring, and that if its virtues were
known people would throng here to take 1t
incidentally.
| The boxes in which the oranges and pine
apples are shipped all made in the
neighborhood and one is well repaid for a
visit to the factories. The great pine logs
are cut into suitable lengths, then sawed
! round and round as you peel an apple, into
sheets as thin as pasteboard flattened I'M
der roller and cut into the right widths.
The ends are cut and morticed by machines
and the box, ready to be put together Is
sold for II cents. They are put together at
the packing house. They are all bound
after packing, with hemlock cords brought
from Maine
Gathering the Crop.
Gathering the oranges is beautiful sight;
all through the groves great hampers are
placed which overflow with the luscious
fruit. They are sorted at the packing
houses according to size.
The roads in this county are splendid. hav-
ing been constructed at great EXPENSE On
the sand, which forms the natural road bed.
Inearly foot of clay has been laid and the
roads are as smooth and hard as trunpikes
The clay Is secured by digging very deep
under the everything sand.
But the trees are the glory of these beau
tiful drives For miles In every direction
you drive through avenues of magnificent
live oaks, whose branches, with waving
pennants OF long gray moss meet overhead
Great sums have been spent in this sec
ton by northern and western people, in
building homes and identifying their
grounds. Among the handsomest places /
have visited are the homes of Mr. Com
stock of Chicago and Mr.. Domeriaue of New
York You drive through their estates for
miles between avenues of splendid trees
with roses festooned from tree to tree In a
continuous wreath, with orange groves on
either side. until you reach the ornamental
grounds about the residences-and / am
sure there is nothing like them In North
America, with patches of bamboo varieties
of palms, rare Towering tropical plants and
vines, camelias, roses, jessamine violets;
beds of every variety Of f1ower-all in full
bloom-one white camilla bush had 100 of
the WaXy blossoms open at once.
Protection From Cold.
One odd feature of tho osro,pds g., 49,
many of the tropical plants are provided
with tent-like arrangements of canvas. for
drawing around them. If cold threatens.
Winter Park Is a collection of beautiful
homes-a miniature Tuxedo Park-with a
fine race course polo grounds and golf
links.
Orlando, the county seat, Is a f1ourisbinry
and beautiful town Of $500 inhabitants,
with handsome court house. Methodist
Baptist, Presbyterian and Catholic church.
| es, and an Episcopal cathedral under the
! charge of Dean Spencer, where a beautif,i
| choral service Is rendered.
The bishopstead, the home of Bishop
| Gray and his charming wife, is one of the
| handsomest residences in town. the house
| standing In the midst of most tropical-look-
| ing grounds. The place. including the ele-
| giant furniture, was presented to the do
| cese by Mr.. Pell of New York
| Orlando has a delightful and cultivated
| society, whose hospitality to the stranger
| within their gates has true southern
| and many pleasant boarding places.
| It Is impossible to realize, until you come
| here. how tropical, how interesting and how
| different from the regions farther north
| this section Is. A freeze some years ago
| injured the orange groves and somewhat
| deprecated the value of lands. They are
| steadily rising again. but have not reached
| the prices before the freeze. OF course, l
| cannot Judge Of the money-making chances
| Of investments here, but for a winter home.
| pure and simple. / cannot imagine more
| enhancing region.