The National tribune., 1909-03-11

eacn nave a punch CT bananas upon
them, when that particular stalk will
die. Another stalk will spring UP from
the clump of roots. each in its turn to
bear its burden of fruit and die. Bana-
mas do not seem, however, to be regard
ed as fruit crop, in spite of the regu-
larity of their bearing and the fair
quality of the fruit. Whether they
could be made a profitable crop is a
matter for future investigation and de-
termination. There are SO many prob
lens in Florida as to what can be sue
cessfully grown that they may be par
doned for not having pushed the banana
investigation to a settlement.
1t seems an ideal country for poultry
Numbers of fine turkeys were seen and
there are plenty of wild turkeys in the
thickets and jungles along the rivers.
Chickens do very well and also guineas.
No particular attention seemed to have
been paid to raising Neither chickens or
turkeys. since only feH were seen around
Timber.
As before stated, the great mass of the
timber, and which covers, as far as trees
standing 40 feet apart can be said to
cover, nine-tenths of the land, are long
leaved pines which make the finest kind
OF lumber, and the lumber business has
always been leading industry in that
section. Great saw mills are frequently
seen which are devouring the trees in
enormous quantities. This makes building
material very cheap and convenient. The
black oak grows spontaneously where the
pines have been cut off and the live oak,
for which Florida was once famous, is
quite abundant. Beside this they have a
water oak which resembles the live oak
so closely that it takes an expert to tell
the difference. The live and black oaks
grow plentifuily near the water, but they
also seem to do well wherever they are
planted. Village streets are shaded by
rows of handsomely shaped water oaks,
the growth of which is quite rapid. Sweet
gums are plentiful along the rivers, and
also beautiful scarlet maple, which, how
ever. does not seem to be of much value
for lumber. A hickory differing much
from that in the North grows very plenti-
fully and makes excellent handles, buggy
timber, etc. In the neighborhood of water
the cypress grows into splendid pyramidal-
shaped trees with q magnificent mast-like
trunk and furnishes the very best of lum-
Der both for outside and inside finish and
shingles.
There is no shingle that equals a hand
made cypress shingle. Those without
paint viii easily last a lifetime. I came
across one man who was making living
for himself and quite a brood of tow
headed children by making shingles. For
the first time in great many years 1 saw
'froe," and heard men speak of "riving
shingles" The process of making shingles
is to cut the log into butts of appropriate
length and then rive it with a froe. The
froe is large, heavy knife with handle
at one end and at right angles. The
workman sets the edge of this knife down
upon the end of the butt and strikes it
with a heavy stick and thus rives out the
shingles. In the old days men "rived"
shingles. clapboards and slaves nowadays
they split or saw them.
Orange Growing.
Everything in that part of Florida dates
from the great freezes of 1S94-95. Prior to
that time the country was the center of the
orange growing business of Florida. Much
finer and more savory oranges were grown
there than farther South. 1t was the old
well-known principle in fruit growing that
the best fruit always comes from near the
danger line. The Florida oranges are
superior to those grown in California or
Italy in their size and delicacy of flavor.
The freezes Of 1S94-95 destroyed all the