Panama City pilot. (Panama City, Washington County, Fla.) 1907-19??, 1908-01-30
Orange Growing.

which were taken from Dyers Point
as long ago as 1885 attest that when
that spot was the seat of the town of
Wells, built by the English between
1853 and SO, that fruit was grown
there.
At an early date there was also a
large grove opposite Panama City on
the east side of the bayou. At the
time of the big freeze there were
trees there nearly foot in diameter.
That grove probably dated back to
the early 3Os. At Parker, OH East
Bay, there were also old trees, and
wherever there was permanent resi-
dence in the early day one or more
orange trees were put out.
Since 1885 much has been done in
the way of growing citrus fruits about
the bay. Oranges, both sweet, Sat-
suma, Tangerine, and sour, kum-
kuats, grape fruit, and lemons have
been grown successfully at various
points. In the SOS Mr. Brackin set
out the trees that now constitute the
finest grove upon the bay. They sur
round his house at the West End, st
Andrew, and began to bear at an
early day. He was very particular
in selecting choice varieties, and has
some of the finest that grows in
Florida.
Capt Ware had some very fine trees,
as we'll as heavy bearing grape fruit,
while other citizens had one or more,
all of which have borne we'll. At Old
Town G. M. West in the SOS planted
some 10 trees, which bore before the
big freeze, which cut them down to
the ground. They grew rapidly how
ever in the following years, and he
now has trees that produced this
year upwards of ten boxes of fruit to
the tree. He also has some very fine
grape fruit, one tree bearing last
year for the first time some 225 fruit.
This grove occupies ground that
oranges were grown on by Ex-Govr
Clark, who lived there from 1927 until
1882. Some of the shrubs from the
old trees were removed from there
In 1890.
On the Peninsula in Calhoun county
there have been many trees planted.
The negros who moved there at an
early day set out orange and lemon
trees, and they began to bear in
very few years. Some of the
choicest fruit now grown on this side
of the bay is from trees transplanted
from the groves of these parties.
Hawk Masselena before the freeze
had a lemon tree that was tremend-
Gus bearer.
About Cromanton and at Mr.
Moshers place many trees were
planted, while as elsewhere nearly
every settler had one or more of them.
With little care they are now taken
through all the hard freezes, and it
is probable that with the knowledge
that with plenty of fires the trees
can be saved at all times, there will
never again be such total losses of
groves as there was in the big freeze.
| On North Bay Mr. Gay has some
very choice bearing trees, while Capt
( In fact there is no place about the
! bay but that this fruit can be grown
successfully and profitably. With
proper care, such as is given else
where in the State, fertilizing when
and as should be done, heavier and
finer oranges can be grown here
abouts than at any point in the state.
The farther north they are grown the
more juice they possess, and there
but few ever gathered here but that
surpasS the test for heaviness pre-
scribed by the Fruit Growers Asso-
citation.
If you have not already planted an
orange tree do SO this winter. They
are ornamental, their flowers deli
cately fragrant, and the fruit always
wholesome and gratifying to the taste.
There is no reason why every home
should not have its orange trees, and
if room enough, some other varieties
of the citrus family. 1t is undoubt-
edly true that the Satsuma orange
bndded on trifoliata stock is the
hardest tree, and the one to first
make trial with. Give the citrus
fruits trial by all means.
Mr. and Mrs Morrison, of Columbus,
Ohio. are guests at the hotel this week