Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-02-01
Romance Of Grape Fruit.
A GREAT ENTERPRISE BUILT UP BIZ A
NATIVE OF OXFORD COUNTY ON THE
COAST OF FLORIDA.

NATIVE OF OXFORD COUNTY ON TH
COAST OF FLORIDA.
One Of the publishers OF Suburba
Life, who recently visited Florida, ha
published in that magazine the followin
description of the Atwood Grape Frui
farm, the creation of Mr.. Kimball {
Atwood, o native of Buckfleld In TIL
county:
Talk about the fragrance Of orang
blossoms or the perfume of the Bermud
Lily fields, or the delicate odor waftet
from the rose gardens of Pasadena
Combine them all into one suprem
essence. If you will, and you will be pre-
pared for an experience of mine las
winter. 1t happened in this way:
Business and pleasure combined callet
me for fortnight in the South-a por
ton of it on the west coast OF Florida
One day my travelling companion ant
myself were luxuriating in idleness at I
famous hostelry at Tampa, wondering
where we should spend the morrow. Al
we discussed one plan after another, vi
were joined by chance acquaintance
"There is one place you fellows want Il
see before you leave" he remarked: I"
was down there yesterday, and 1t beat
anything l ever saw, and I've beer
around some. You see," be continued
"there was fellow from New York wht
came down here few years ago witt
the notion that there was fortune II
Grape Fruit, If enough money and enter
prise were put into the project. So be
went down the Manatee River ways
and bought a wilderness of bog and pal
metto, and out of it he has produced the
most wonderful Grape Fruit farm in THU
country. It's one Of the sights OF
Florida-25,000 trees In the bunch
Don't miss it,"
Naturally we were interested, AND
doubly so when we learned that the "fel
low from up North" was Kimball C.
Atwood of the Preferred Accident Com
pany, New York, and friend of my
travelling companion, who made dash
for the telephone booth to get in touch
with Mr.. Atwood.
The next morning found US, bright
and early, aboard one of the little steam
ers which make daily trips down the
Manatee River, en- route to Manavista,
the home of the Atwood Grape Fruit.
Those of you who have had the ex-
perieuce of being transported in forty
eight hours from the mid-winter OF New
York to the semi.tropics of Tampa will
know how we felt that morning, as we
wound in and out, following the turns
of the river, with air bslmy as June, and
with palms and palmettos, instead of the
familiar trees of the North, marking the
shore line.
At Palmetto Beach a carriage was
waiting, which took us directly to the
grove, some three miles away. It was
long before we saw any signs OF . grape
fruit tree, but strange, sweet, subtle
perfume seemed to FIJI the air, and ut
last remarked on it to the driver. Job,
that's the grove you smell, he said,
"the trees are in bloom, and when the
wind is right you can distinguish the
fragrance for miles"
At last we arrived, and there lay be-
fore me a sight shall not soon forget.
A model Grape Fruit farm of $50 acres,
with 5000 trees in bloom. All around
us, as far as the eye could reach, were
rows on rows of symmetrical trees, with
their shimmering green leaves hardly
concealing the modest white blossoms
which gave forth so largely of their Pc
culiar rich fragrance.
This was the Atwood Grape Fruit farm,
of which l had heard SO much. This
was the desert which had been made TO
WELD of it's richness, spot which
had been made to blossom as the rose.
1t seems hardly possible that, only a
few years before, the spot on which we
were standing was Florida jungle; but
such was the case. The story Is an in
tensely interesting one, and can be told
in few words. | pass it along to you
as it was told me that day.
In 1895, Kimball c. Atwood, after q
thorough investigation, purchased 100
acres OF hummock land, in its wild state;
later increasing his holdings by ninety
acres additional, which gave him an ex-
tended frontage on the Manatee River,
and affording excellent shipping facilities
when the need should arise. To clear
the land and plant the trees was stu
pendous undertaking, but the same bust
ness enterprise which bad made the Pre-
ferred Accident a success triumphed
over these seemingly impossible condi-
tons, and at last, in January, 1897,
16, 900 trees had been planted, and later
this number was increased to $4,000.
At the time this project was started,
there was practically no staple market
for Grape Fruit, and but few groves were
in existence; consequently, the entire
state had to be combed clean Of nur-
sery stock, to get together enough trees
to start this colossal enterprise. And
this was just the beginning.
Then followed the years Of patient cul-
tivating and developing, In order to
bring the stock to point where 1t would
yield, not only the desired quantity. but
also quality of rich, thin-skinned, juicy
fruit of such delicate flavor as to make 1t
superior to all others.
Again patience and business sagacity
won out, and the Atwood Grape Fruit
was reality.
With the first yield of the grove came
the necessity for packing hOuses and
shipping facilities, all of which were
provided on q generous scale.
A large pier was built, dwelling houses
for employees erected, and later on
spur track was built to the grove, afford
ing railroad as we'll as water transporta.
ton, and quick access to the markets of
the North.
1t is one thing to raise product,
however perfect and desirable, but quite
another to market it.
As | have before intimated, Mr.. At
wood was a successful business man be-
fore he took up horticulture as his hob
BY, for here is where the ordinary fruit
grower would have failed. Not so with
Mr.. Atwood. He realized that If he
could only get the attention OF the busy
American people directed to what ne
was doing the rest would be easy; and
so he went about it.
Thousands of dollars were judiciously
expended in advertising. The excel
lence of the Atwood Grape Fruit as q
table delicacy was made an insistent
note. Later, as the medicinal value OF
the fruit became more generally recog-
nized, this point was emphasized.
The demand grew steadily, while the
accommodating grove increased Its yield
in corresponding measure, until, this
year, the entire output of upward OF
loo, 900 boxes will be necessary to fill
the demand for the Atwood Grape Fruit.
Right here It should be noted that
only the most perfect fruit bears the
atwood. trade mark. l have known
Mr.. Atwood to refuse to allow this
brand to be placed on early shipments OF
absolutely perfect ripe fruit, because
they were not quite up to the standard
Ia .ok 60, uAkWondsc ',