The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-04-27
cITRA.

Turning backward the leaves Oh
time we see Citra as the queen OF all
the orange growing section Of Flor
ida. Her fruit had a perfection about
II. not only in outward appearance
but possessed the finest flavor OF any
received in the northern markets
rich, sweet juicy.
II was then that Messrs. Borland
Bros, the Citra Fruit Co., In wnicn
the Borland Bros. were directors and
chief owners; Mr.. A. 8. Kells' unique
and exceptionally beautiful Crescent
Grove" Bishop Hoyt e. Co.'s, under
the efficient management Of Mr.. II:
r. Stevens, Mr.. James A. Harris
mammoth grove were all shipping
their carloads of fruit. Mr.. Wyckof
and Mr.David Barcus. and others were
also among the larger and successful
orange growers of Citra and during
the shipping the mails often brought
handsome checks to these fortunate
growers.
oh, Citra, thou vert fair to look
upon In the beauty thou did'st al
ready possess: but finer still because
OF the wealth and power the future
seemed to hold out for thee.
When "old King Cold" so ruthless
~ drew his icy sceptre through this
fair picture, there was left TO the
owners of valuable groves little mo2e
than the remembrance of them.
A decade has passed. During that
passed into other hands and some Of
the gentlemen above referred to.
while they have productive property
and growing interests at other opints,
stood faithfully by their desert-like
fields here. Hope rose and fell. Year
after year, work and encouragement
OF summer was swept away by the
winter cold.
These have not been murmuring |
people. No, they have stood by |
their posts with Spartan-like endur-
ance and have proved themselves in
defatigable workers and of invinci- |
BILE spirit. What is the prospect to-
day? Most encouraging. A retired
merchant and gentleman of wide ex-
perience, who spent the winter here |
near the groves. was heard to en-
phatically declare, on the day that he |
left for. his home, the handsomest in
one Of the middle states. "for the next |
thirty years / consider the orange |
business the safest Of any in the
United States"
New names have been added to the
list of Citra orange growers. Among /
the heroic pioneer workers in this line
who have reason to rejoice over their
prospects are Messrs. Borland. Kells
Barcus, Wyckoff and Douglass.
Mr.. NJ. A. Rice, always sanguine.
expanding yearly in the face Of op-
posing forces. considerable labor and
money on his own grove, now accepts
a Ave year lease on the orange grove
cfudes the Barney grove and one half
of that known as the Clifford. He has
given his personal assistance TO the
difilcult and dangerous work OF re-
moving the large. heavy sheds put VI
for protection of trees. and has &C
complished without injury to the la
borers and very little to the trees.
The outlook for fruit is promising.
Mr.. Rice after last years exper-
fence feels that he has the secret of
controlling and DISCRIMINATING the
white fly.
On Easter morning at the Methodist
church the Citra people were glad To-
listen to Mr.. l.. ]. p Bishop, who was
on a visit here from New York. His
sermon on the Resurrection" was
most excellent. In the evening afte
a short service by the children. Mrs.
Bishop gave clearly and beautifully
an account Of her work in New York
City among the children of the poor
that OF uplifting humanity.
The church had been prettily dec
GRATED. To the left masses of pink
growing gersniums. in center front
scarlet. There were festoons Of BAN
boo and water lilies from the lake.
Mrs. Bishop stood to the right in
side the chancel and as she spoke
you could see the street 18th avenue)
ire large window of the city store.
the unkept urchin from the east side
who had strayed so far. his tattered
and soiied garments. and know some-
thing of the working of his mind and
heart intent upon the picture placed
on exhibition for Easter-that IA.
nous one, "The Descent from the
Cross" A gentleman In passing paus-
ed beside the boy. seeing his earnest
gaze. asked What is that? The boy
said, Don't YOU know? Don't you
know? That is Jesus, who was cruel