The Ocala evening star., 1911-04-03
OUTING At FAIRY ISLAND


Some Picturesque and Interesting
CoIntrs, Southwest Of this City
Saturday morning Mr.. and Mrs z. G.
Chambliss. Mr.. Fred Mefrert and Mr. r
r Carroll went down TO Mr. Cham
bliss orange grove on Fairy Island in
Mr.. Chambliss' big Cadillac automo-
bile. 1t is % miles the nearest way to
the grove. which is in Sumter county
and it lies in a southwesterly dIrec-
tion from Ocala.
On the way down the party took the
western route. leaving the straight
country road at Mr.. John Proctor's
corner and went through the scrub.
past the FoNworth or scrub still"
This route is several miles further
than the one taken on the return trip
which was through the Levon and Pc
dro sections. through the lands of the
McGehee and Rentz companies, over
their logging railroad lin several
places and on home via the Proctor
settlement and the lands Of the Flor
ida National Land Co. where they
passed a great many little cottages.
tents and cabins. lately erected by the
settlers on this land On the home
ward trip after getting through the
great stretch OF timbered lands. where
the mill people are operating. the car
passed through several miles of splen-
did farm lands in a high state OF cul-
tivation and thickly settled.
The roads in this section are in sad
need OF some work with the exception
of the thirteen miles straight west
from Ocala. II the road is good at all
it is through the fat woods and over
the little prairies. All through the
D fcrh orl-
fierce They are used mostly by the
turpentine and lumber wagons and the
sand is what Mr.. Chambliss calls
hand picked. ball bearing" but the
Cadillac under Fred's skillfuI handling
made the difficult roads without the
slightest trouble, and almost the en-
tire distance on the high speed.
The party saw hundreds OF head of
cattle along the route and they We're
nearly all in fine shape and with the
springs grass and rains they will soon
be ready for the slaughter pen right
off the range.
Fair Island grove consists of about
forty acres on high, dry hammock
land. gray or pepper and salt" with
a clay subsoil The grove is surround
ed by swamp on both sides and a beau
tiful spring fed creek OF clear water
on the other two. The grove was
budded on original sour Seeding trees
many years ago just they came up
in the hammock and only the small
growth. bushes and an occasional tree
was taken out The original grove.
then producing five TO eight thousand
boxes of fruit each season. was killed
, to the ground by the big freeze OF six
teen years ago. Mr.. Chambliss gave
\ Sc -a1
years afterwards, when he found the
trees making such fine growth again
that he budded them and had the
bushes and weeds cut out. \ few new
| trees were set out and budded in the
missing places and the grove is now
| looking fine and but for the early frost
and drought would have had several
thousand boxes Of fruit this season in
stead of the 1900 boxes that will be
gathered.
The grove contains many different
kinds of fruit of the choicest varieties.
including grapefruit. Mr.. Chambliss
shipped about 1900 boxes for the sea-
son Of 1901 and some yet remain on
the trees scatterd through the grove.
The party gathered as much of the
| frait-as the body Of the car would
hold. which was brought home. There
was ripe fruit with it's deep golden
color. small fruit and bloom on the
| trees all at the same time.
This grove has never had a plow in
it. The cultivation consists of hoeing.
and cutting the big weeds and small
brush once a year with a bush hook.
| The soil is as fine we have ever
seen and in vegetables, protected by
hammock and water as il is. would
make a fortune. Mr.. Chambliss in for
mer years had to haul the fruit twelve
miles. This year he delivered II to the
Rentz railroad four miles distant and
another season has good prospects of
a railroad within one mile OF the
grove.
| The grove now is a pretty sight
The trees have system in their
growth. standing where they original
ly grew and the grove contains hun
dreds of large and small sour orange
trees not yet budded. About in the
grove are mammoth live oaks, palmet-
tos. magnolia and other trees. under
and among which the oranges seem &c
do much better than without them. Oc-
Icasionally monarch of the forest
falls through the effects Of wind OF
age and il seems to have in mind the
oranges growing beneath its branches
1or tney are never injured one nuSt
tree, with many forks. had recently
come to earth and although there
were half a dozen orange trees within
the scope OF its branches. not one wa:
. injured.
At the noon hour the party ran the
car out to the bridge and across tn,
. beautiful stream beneath the shade OF
the primeval forest giants they ate q
!. splendid basket dinner Mrs. Chamblis:
had prepared. while they watched anC
fed the pretty trout and Dream in th'
crystal waters of the branch. The day
was a most enjoyable one and the
, trip one we'll worth taking. Every
. foot Of the country covered. aftel
leaving the hard road south OF town
until that point was reached on the
/ return trip. was new and never seer
before by the Star man.