The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-03-07
BEAUTIFUL
FROSTPROOF
STROLLER, in Florida Grower

Not many places in Florida have
anything on FrostproOf in the way OF
natural beauty and adaptability for
citrus fruit culture. 1t is located
amid the fine lakes of Polk county,
on the new line of the railroad from
Haines City to Avon Park
FrOstprOOf is an old" country in
spite of the fact that up to this year
ii has never had railroad connec-
ton with the outside world. Its at
fractions were such that the old
timers. who knew good thing when
they saw it, looked it over, were sat
isfied and settled there, making their
groves that are now paying them big
money.
There are certainly some splendid
cid groves at Frostproof. and the
locality seems to have lived up to
its name, in that much of the pro-
ducing orchards in that section went
through the "big breeze" The trees
were quite badly hurt, nearly all
We're cut back, but they survived,
and are now repaying the owners for
their care and faith.
1t did take some courage to 90 in
TO the backwOods to plant an orchard.
And it took courage to stick to it year
after year. hauling fruit to Fort
Meade, the nearest railroad point, a
distance of seventeen miles, at a cos,
OF about 80 cents box for trucking
alone. All this expense will now be
saved. for they have a railroad at
their door, are building a new sta
ton. and are expecting one, if not
two, up-tO-date packing houses.
Preacher Carson was one of the
early residents OF this section. He
has been gone to his reward six
years. but two sturdy sons now carry
OH the extensive orchard interests of
the Carson family, besides overseeing
other vast property interests in the
neighbOrhoOd that seemed destined to
make them rich before they get gray
headed.
Joe Carson was our guide over the
wonderfully picturesque country
about FrOstproof. Five miles from
the village is one of the finest lakes
l have yet seen in Florida. The
banks of Crooked Lake rise at times
to height of nearly one hundred
feet and the lucky man who brings
into bearing an orange orchard on
the country overlooking Crooked
Lake will have property of value
and a location for home that could
not be surpassed for beauty in all
Florida.
| had the pleasure Of being invited
to ride in a motor boat across this
charming lake. While there are a
few orchards on the shores, it is
largely wild country, covered with
very large pine, which in itself is
an indication of good citrus land.
The lake itself is very irregular in
shape. which give rise to the name
il bears.
The lake is about six miles long.
averaging one to two miles in width.
Here and there are intentions, maxi
ing wonderfully fine harbors, and
suggesting snugness from storm
and tempest. The shores are largely
sandy, but at times have that wecdv
appearance that suggests the game
black bass, the so-called trout of
Florida. The trout were not hungry
the day we were there. and the only
to enliven the journey about
the lake was the burning of a per- |
fectly good pair OF trousers on the
boats very warm 'muffler."
We went through some of the Car
son orchards. We tested the fruit
md pronounced it good. You've
esten a navel orange, suppose said
Toe. | replied that had eaten
thousands of them, but never had
yet found one in Florida that | call
ID real good. Joe said he had some
hat he believed would give me a new
and he delivered the goods.
All of the navels that | had hereto
ore seen in Florida had been rough.
arge, thick-skinned and coarse or.
lnges with not much besides sweet
less to recommend them. These
'avels were small in size, fairly thin
kinned. very Juicy and altogether