Times-promoter., 1909-01-22
FLORIDA LETTER
Maj. Dockery Discusses Gardens. Orange
Groves and Good Roads.
Maitland, Florida, Jan. 14th

wanting to know why didn't bring
some seed home. On the road as ]
went with the boys to college this
morning saw man digging his
crop for market. He thought he
would get three hundred bushels to
the acre and he said it was a poor
turn out. The favorite and most
common potato is called the Nancy
Hall ] call it the Nancy Hanks) a
yellow, dry and large yam, that ac-
cording to my taste is very poor
one, not to be compared with the
Wheeler Yellow Yams, but the people
here think it is fine and buy them at
a dollar bushel. The gardens here
are looking fine and furnish abund-
ance of our summer vegetables for
home and the markets, and if get
home this summer I shall have the
advantage of you folks in having
two summers in one year.
The truckers are now shipping let
tuce and celery by the car load to
the north and west. saw car load
marked for Memphis. The irrigating
and fertilizing the land for celery,
lettuce and other crops that they ship
from this part of Florida is very ex-
pensive and frequently the expense
eats up all the profit, and as often
they make big money on their labor
and investment.
Florida oranges are very low this
season, and the people are blue. The
roads are full of wagons going or
coming from the packing houses, and
the packers are busy from early morn
till late in the day. The packers are
fine looking young men, many of
them students from the northern col
leges who make the expenses of a
trip to the orange groves by packing
the fruit, which is nice, light work
and they can work in squads, and
find the work picnic. The fruit has
never been as low as now. Hereto
fore it brought from $1.O0 to $1.50 a
box. Now the highest price is rs
cents and some selling lower. They
account for it by the increased acre
age in Florida and California and the
increased importations from our Is
lands and abroad. ] saw a man from
Boston this morning setting out a.
thousand trees that cost him 75 cents
a tree and his help, two Enegro men,
at one dollar and half day each.
He had given six thousand dollars for
the place and was building a four
thousand dollar house, and expects
to be comfortable in short time.
The many splendid old homes rot
ting down and the many abandoned
groves to be seen in all parts of the
country is sad reminder of the old
adage ''There's many a slip between
the cup and lip"
/ have been asked my estimate of
Florida and / answer In the language
of some other man, that I wouldn't
give dollar for thousand acres Of
most of its soil, but / would give a
thousand dollars an acre for it's eli
mate. An all-wise and good God
made the earth for mans use and
his state with its poor soil but health
giving climate and semi-tropical pro-
iucts is susceptible and yet will de-
Jelop an empire Of wealth and pros
,erity.
! wish our board Of supervisors
'ould see the roads now being built
rom Orlando out into the country.
t Is expensive, of course. The taxes
am told in this county are 8 IL perl
ent. on very low assessment.
The convicts are worked on the
Dads and the entire system is man
ged under superintendent who is
lected by the board and is under /:
mple bond. The roads heretofore
ave had four or six inches of yellow
lay spread over the sand and packed
ITO the sand by steam roller, but
ow they are bringing mari twenty
r thirty miles by railroad hauling
nd spreading over q carefully pre-
ared road bed and it makes road i
1ual to the asphalt streets of city,
nd the autos go flying over them.
1e can now 60 from Maitland to Or
'ndo on the mari road and go the
x miles quick and comfortably.
Mississippi Hogs. !
That we will have meat next year