Times-promoter., 1909-01-28
TIDlNGs FROM FLORIDA
Maj. Dockery Gives Interesting lnforma.
ton About Palmetto State.
Maitland, Fla, Jan. %, 1909,

Maitland, Fla, Jan. %, 1909.
| We had a fine rain yesterday and
this morning. The air is balmy and
reminds me of our May mornings,
and not only the air, but the flowers,
the growing grass, the weeds and gar
dens remind me of home in the sp. ing.
I saw yesterday a half mile of wire
fence along the road coveIed with
yellow jessamine In full bloom. When
was mill boy | was accustomed
to seeing and admiring the jessamine
festooning the trees along the old Pee
Dee, but / never saw a continuous
half mile Of II as did yesterday.
Many of the o:ange people have
held their fruit like some of the cot
ton people, for 2 higher price, but
now the oranges, unlike the cotton,
are thoroughly ripe and deliciously
sweet and won't keep much longer,
aud is being gathered and sent to dis
tant markets.
The groves are beginning to have
their annual dressing. AS Old Hugh
ey would say, "old Beck has the blind
bride on" and after thirty or fo2ty
pounds of fertilizer have been scat
tered broadcast, turns the sand over
on it. Then with disc harrow or
cultivatof to level it, the work is done.
Pruning the grove is light work.
Only the sprouts that come out near
the ground nave to be removed. I
saw this morning tree loaded with
large fine fruit, buds and blossoms
intermingled.
Orange growing is on the increase,
here and elsewhere, where there Is no
frost. Near here is new grove of
ten acres, just finished setting by a
Boston man. He gave six thousand
dollars for forty acres Of sand, seven
hundred and fifty dollars for 1000
budded trees three years old, and with
three negro men. ut 81. 80 per day, was
three weeks planning them, but they
are planted right, in squares, right
angles and horizontals to fraction.
He is now building fine residence.
Others RPe buying and planting and
rejuvenating old groves all over the
It is q fascinating bus
ness.
! went to Orlando, six miles away,
his morning in buggy in forty min
ltes, much easier on the horse than
rom my home in DeSoto to Herman
10, four and one-half miles in one
lour- The yankees ask me frequent
y If we are building good roads. II
ell them yes, OF course Mississippi
3 abreast Of the times(I say this with
little mental reservation, or from
eading Jne reports of our supervis-
RS on the roads,. Ovr boy have the
hoice of going to school by rail, dirt Z
Dad or in a launch on the lake. They 5
ave fine gasoline launch and are 3
xperts in its management. The boat 8
ouse is about one hundred yards 5
ON our door and the lake extends to 6
le college, three miles away, and 9
ley make it comfortably in half an 3
our. q
Talking about ways of travel, ask q
in Orlando how many automobiles 8
ere in the town and was told that q
lere wero one hundred and thirty. q
ow will that do for town of six 81
ousand people? They go whizzing b
me in tn town or. country, or wher- d
Ter am. ] am told that some peo- 81
ople mortgage their homes to get *
oney to buy an auto. Most OF the y
achines ari brought with the own 50
rs. 81
The principal freight now on the Is
ilroad is commercial fertilizer, and 81
smell discounts polecat many *
aes over. and the hauling and scat q
Ing makes the smell universal. But 80:
Is necessary and won't laft long. fS'
9ossibly ! will tell of the st. John -
'er and the gardening next time.
.-.