The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-09-29
S. {. WARMERS Big
ORANGE GROVE.
Seventy Acres of Different Va
rieties and Ages.
Seven Miles Down The River From
Palatka.

Palatka.
Editor Edgar A. Wright of the Florida
Grower, who was recent visitor TO Pa.
latka, also visited the orange groves OF
Mr.. S. c. Warner, which he describes
interestingly as follows:
One of the very pleasant experiences
the Stroller had on his recent trip TO
the Palatka country and ST. Johns River
section was the visit to the grove OF S.
c. Warner, which is located right on
the banks of that noble river.
Mr.. Warner has fairly earned all the
satisfaction that is now his. Thirty
seven years ago he commenced TO hew
his way through hammock wilderness,
and he has taken all the ups and downs
incidental 10 the experience of a Flori-
da citrus fruit grower during all the
years since that time. He now has
seventy acres in grove of different va
rieties and ages, and from the upper
gallery of his home he can look over
his blossoming acres in every direction,
and, through avenues of palms and
splendid oaks, view the St. Johns River
for miles. Being on the south bank of
the river and on point of land, he has
fine water protection to the north and
east, which is a considerable asset for
frost protection.
The river also affords him means of
transportation, all of his fruit being
packed in his own packing house on
the dock, the fruit being loaded into
the river steamers for Jacksonville, be-
ing transhipped to the Clyde Line
steamers for New York, all of Mr.. War
ner'S fruit being sold in that market.
MIR. Warner has one of the very best
private packing houses in Florida, and
can pack two TO three cars of fruit day
in season. He has lately renovated The
house and his arrangements seem per
feet
One of the very surprising things, 10
me, that | saw in this house was an
orange wrapping machine; in fact, there
were number of them, of Mr.. Warner S
own invention, which by many years
precede the wrapping machines that are
being tried out in California. These
machines automatically wrap the fruit
and print the wrapper al practically one
operation. Mr. Warner claims that the
wrap is a very tight one and very salts
factory, though the stem does not al
ways come inside the twisted part OF the
paper.
One of the conveniences in the mod
ern house is the power generated by all
arteSan we'll, being enough to run all ol
his machinery at no cost whatsoever eX
cept the original installation of the tur.
bine and the wear and tear. This well
is 1877 feet deep, 6 inches in diameter
and develops 3-horse power.
Another power arrangement that in
tereSted me nightly was gas launch,
in which we were taken for a very
pleasant ride by Mr.. Warner. This is
the family carriage, and il is in this We
hcle that all the trips TO town are made
Mr.. Warner acknowledging that he
hardly knew his way TO Palatka over
the roads. All supplies for the house
hold, and the daily mails, are brought
in this boat TO the plantation from Pa
latka, distance of seven miles.
Mr.. Warner is very enthusiastic Ex
change man and stated that the Coopera
tive method was the only natural way
for the growing of citrus fruit TO be
made successful in these days OF keer
competition by other citrus-g growing
countries. He stated that he kept il
close touch daily with the Tampa Office
and that he was enabled thereby TO &C
TO market at the right time and 10 obtair
the best of prices. That is the only
wav to become successful member o
any cooperative marketing agency
When men are hired by combination
of growers to market their fruit and tc
watch out for their interests the growers
should be willing TO pay some attention
to the advice of these paid men. One
would not think of hiring high pricet
lawyer and then diSrcgarding his advice
| MIR. Warner states that one time las
year he was offered Sis (. o. b. for hi
oranges and $2.25 for his grapefruit. Ht
put the matter up TO Mr.. Burton and wa
told not to sell. Later he received S2.2i
and So for this same fruit
Mr. Warner has SO acres of orange
with fair crop He states that rust i
more common than usual and that /
seems TO be different sort of rust thar
common, making the fruit rougher, tt
the feel. He has acres of grapefruit
and II acres of tangerineS, all OF goo'
crop. Last year he shipped total o
900 boxes of citrus fruit, and expect
to have fully 1900 boxes more this sea
son.
There are a number of other fin
groves along the river at this point, nc
tably the Brown and Johnson groves
These were viewed from the boat as w
sailed past. They appear 10 be in goo
condition, and each has its packing
house and steamer dock
There is no more charming place i
all Florida than the spot picked out b
these growers, and | wish that all Wis
tors to Florida this winter could Sc
these estates. The houses are we
back from the wafer front on risin
ground, the approach TO the river bein
through avenues of stately moss covere
oaks and feathery palms. Numberle'
varieties of the palm are TO be foun
here, Towering trees and shrubs abount
and the whole impression received b
the visitor is one OF delight.