ESTIMATES

FOR

WASHINGTON

GRANGE GROPE ASSOCEATION.

ALSO,

Extracts from Florida Newspapers

ON THE

CULTIVATION OF THE ORANGE.

WINTER IN FLORIDA. &

Henry Ward Beecher says: “Letters have just come in from
Florida. They are picking flowers—there is no cold in their sky—
the gardens are all asprout, the air is fragrant with bursting orange
buds and new leaves, birds shower the air with delicious notes!
Yes, I do love the winter dearly, but had rather take it in Florida.”

Judd & Detweiler, Printers.

ESTIMATES.

Estimate of total cost to plant, and put into growing condition,
the one hundred acres of Orange Grove for the Washington
Orange Grove Association, to wit:

200 acres of choice land @ $15..... Sart cory Pai $3,000
6,000 seedling orange trees @ $1............020. 6,000
Wicarime) NO Wiaeren(@) PAV Cas sence e's once ee 2,000
Fencing, plowing, and harrowing @ $9.......... 900
Transporting and planting trees at @ 10cts...... : 600
WOReMNAMUYES, PUANOS We. Soles see's case brakes ieee 500

MR fice’. Souler sis A coaver ss ok ec, o: Steere nanan cee $18,000
Bor =); or tem acres. .......2. 0% SS CIGe AG Se seces 1,800

After the first year, the expenses can be reduced by careful
management on the part of the superintendent. The only
expenditures will then be for labor and fertijizing manures,
so as to keep the grove in the highest state of growth and
cultivation. It will be safe to suppose that during the sixth,
seventh, and eighth years of the Association the grove will
produce sufficient fruit to pay for all expenses of care and
cultivation.

Those who know the orange only as it appears for sale
in our Northern markets, picked when green, in order to
remain undecayed through a long voyage, perhaps to
be unsold for many weeks after reaching its destination,
can form little conception of the exquisite flavor, sweetness,
and juiciness of the orange, when gathered directly from
the tree, and at its full maturity. Those persons who have

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visited the different orange-producing countries of the globe
are unanimous in their verdict, that, in quality, the Florida
orange cannot be surpassed ~ Mrs. Stowe says, in “ Palmetto
Leaves :”

“The things that fill the New York market, called by
courtesy ‘ oranges ’—pithy, wilted, and sour—have not even
a suggestion of what those golden balls are that weigh
down the great, glossy, green branches of yonder tree.”

W. J. Purman.
Joun A. MAcponaLp.

From the report of Hon. D. Eagan, Commissioner of
Lands and Immigration, State of Florida:

ORANGE COUNTY.

This county is bounded on the south by Brevard, on the
west by Polk, Sumter, and Marion, and on the east and
north by Volusia county. Concerning its soil and resources
a correspondent of the Jacksonville Republican of a recent
date furnishes the following particulars, which we have taken
pains to verify as correct:

«“ This section is now universally recognized as the best in
Florida for the cultivation of the orange, in view of exemp-
tion from injurious frosts, accessibility to market, and facili-
ties of transportation; the county is more rapidly filling up
with settlers from the north and west than any in the State,
and is destined to be the great source of supply for this de-
licious fruit, which commands now three-fold the price of
the Havana orange.

«The population of Orange county is about 3,000, nearly
all white. The neighborhood is composed mainly of settlers
from Northern and Southern States, and a hearty and kindly
welcome is extended to new-comers. Touching its health-

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fulness, Col. B. F. Whitner, a near resident, and an author-
ity on the subject, in a recent letter to the Cincinnati Com-
meicial, says: ‘People from your country, or any other, can
move to the healthy portions of Orange county with perfect
safety, at any season, if they do not contract disease on the
route. There is no healthier region on the face of the earth
than the more salubrious portions of Orange county—spring,
summer, autumn, or winter, and no country can boast of a
superior climate the yearround. * * * It is elevated,
healthy, and beautiful. Hundreds of deep, pure, clear,
health-restoring lakes of all sizes, from a few rods to several
miles in diameter, embellish the scene,’” &c., &c.

Extracts from Florida Newspapers in Relation to Orange Culture.

From ‘‘ Jacksonville Tri- Weekly Union.”

But here in Florida we have the “ Mandarin” quite near,
if not in perfection. My friend from Messena said: “ You
have a finer garden for oranges than there is in all Italy.
You have no more cold; you have all conditions of success
that the Italians have, and you have all the ingredients
handy to make just the soil the orange likes. All you want
to do 1s to use the same care the Italians do, and your State
will grow rich in ten years out of its fruits alone.”

’ ee

From “ South Florida Journal.”

I have said that in this country fortunes—princely estates—
may be realized. Let us see how this is. Suppose not more
than 1,000 oranges per tree may be counted on. Now, if
there are even no more than fifty-six trees to the acre, then

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we will have at least 56,000 oranges, or (at two cents apiece,
which is the price paid for them at the wharf in Mellonville,)
the sum of $1,120 per acre. But, to be absolutely within
limits, beyond any doubts whatever, suppose again this sum
be halved; this gives $560 per acre. A grove, then, say of
five acres, may be relied upon for an income of, at least, $2,-
800; one of ten acres—a very pretty and the usual size—
for an income of $5,600 per annum. A grove of fifteen
acres would, of course, pay proportionately more. But if
attention and cultivation be faithful, the grove of five acres
will, in all probability, yield yearly $5,600; that of ten $11,-
200! And groves thus tended, will bear such crops for a
century at least, if not longer! Can there be any sounder,
safer, surer investment in the world? Include, in addition
to this, two or three thousand bananas, bearing bunches
worth usually $1, certainly fifty cents, per bunch, and it is
easy to see how profits would increase, as both bananas and
oranges grew older and multiplied.

The expense of starting a grove is not very great. To
clear and plant out a place of five acres would cost something
like this:

Five acres of land, at from $25 to $100 per

ets, SUOMMet fe bods ti cia favre cater tafe ms tec a eae $125 to $500
Grin pine and ClaTING 0 seis s ove ener 250 to 250
280 trees, three to four years old.......... 280 to 560
eI OMG CRCEH i lelsis ai. ccn'c o's cielietereteieteee 140 to 210
repress Pls US chcta wie le sie a blalele ein 150 to 175
WEIGH E: Se Sa istye weleiche la tdsiam ee went traetde 50 to 50
Whtensile, says < oo aswicicaicis'e 4 sic seo neem 50 to. , 75
Palings, enclosing lace. <s..6 <ierers nein alerts 200 to 200

Erovender for mule; IT year..: <2... ...= + en kOe

This gives a total of from.......... $1,345 to 2,120

I think the figures may be relied upon. A grove of ten
or fifteen acres would cost proportionately more to start. A
plain and neat, but comfortable dwelling and stable, includ-

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ing kitchen, &., may be built for from $800 to $2,000.
Living here is cheap, notwithstanding good health and tre-
mendous appetites, and labor may be obtained on reasonable
terms.

From ‘‘ Palatka Herald.”

Hart’s grove, just opposite Palatka, has only four hundred
trees, sweet seedling, occupying four acres, produces an av-
erage of two thousand per tree, and brought Mr. Hart every
year from $9,000 to $12,000. But persons planting the seed
for seedling trees should be careful in selecting the seed from
seedling and not budded trees, for the latter is not reliable,
often producing sour oranges.

From “Jacksonville Union.”

The orange grove at Welaka, belonging to Fenwick &
Hale, shows conclusively that an investment in an orange
grove is profitable. Many seem to think it useless to plant
a grove, believing it requires at least eight years to obtain
fruit therefrom.

This is an error. They have trees bearing, three years
budded, with full crops, and others’ bearing from two years’
buds. It has also been demonstrated, by Mrs. Crolly, of this
city, and by Mr. Hendricks, across the river, that seedlings
will bear fruit at the age of four years.

Many persons have held to the opinion that they must go
at least as far South as Enterprise, New Smyrna, or to Indian
River, in order to escape frost; but any person who will start
from Mrs. Mitchell’s grove, near this city, and follow up the
east side of the river, see the groves at Mandarin, Dr. Moore’s
at Julington, estate of Patterson opposite Green Cove
Springs, the grove at old Picolata, the Orange Mill groves,
and smaller groves through to Lake George, will be convinced
that they are a success on the Lower St. Johns.

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From ‘‘ St. Augustine Examiner.”’

Again, “Iam convinced the seedling makes the most
durable tree, and the most luscious fruit. It is true fruit
may be had from the budded tree in from two to four years,
when it requires from four to six for the seedling to bear.
A grove of seedling trees fifteen years old should average
1,500 to 2,000 oranges to each tree, and these sell readily
from one and a half to two cents each, purchaser paying for
picking and packing. This would give from twenty-two
and a half to forty dollars per tree per annum. I have seen
trees said to have been one hundred years old that yielded
annually from 7,000 to 10,000 marketable oranges. Can
the same space be made to give a greater return in money
value for the same outlay of capital and labor?”

From report of the Commissioner of Lands and Immi-
gration:

Figs, olives, bananas, plantains, guavas, grow with little
care. The pine apple requires nursing in Orange, but its
high rate in the market would more than repay the thrift.
Chinese tea might be introduced on hammock land and
would do well. Limes, lemons, shaddocks, grape fruit,
all the citrus family grow vigorously and without care.

Orange.—The Florida orange is the finest as well as the
largest fruit of the orange species. One who has not tasted
it ripe from its native tree does not properly know the true
spicy flavor of the fruit. Sweet seedlings cost from 25 cents
at two year to $2 at five; they can be set outin lake-margin
muck in the pine forest, for this tree loves a little shade, and
requires attention when young. At seven years they begin
to bear; at twelve or thirteen they are in maturity, but go
on increasing in fruitfulness for a hundred years. Sour
stocks bought at fifteen cents and budded begin to bear in
three years. Major Whitner, of Mellonville, has au orchard

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five years old which yields an income of $1,500 to $2,000
annually. An acrein bearing yields a net revenue of $1,000
to $2,000 per annum. Dealers pay at Christmas $2 per box
of 100, and a tree yields from 1,000 to 2,000; some times
old trees as high as 10,000. The profit of orange growing
is easily seen, for the market is inexhaustible.

* * * *

One tree alone is quite a fortune to the simple herdsman,
bearing as it does 3,000 to 4,000 oranges. The best fruit is
there. The shaddock attains great size, and the lemons as
large as pippins.

‘

From ‘‘ Ocala Banner.”

The Ocala Banner has been informed that “from fifteen
trees, which have hitherto been prized almost solely as orna-
ments to his grounds, Rev. James B. Owens estimates his
crop of oranges this season at thirty thousand, and he has
already shipped a large quantity to Jacksonville and other
markets. These trees were grown on open pine land, remote
from either water or forest protection.”

Mr. J. W. Jeffords, of Clear Water Harbor, formerly a
resident of this county, has sold his crop of oranges, which
comprise less than an acre, for $1,500.

A gentleman living near there tells us that from a single
tree he gathered 6,500 oranges and from his small grove of
less than three-quarters of an acre he gathered over 60,000
last season.

From ‘“‘ Jacksonville Republican.”’

LarGE OrAncEs.—F lorida has been prolific in large oranges
this season. We have noted several specimens in these col-
umns. On Tuesday some were on sale in a market-boat,
sent in by Mr. John R. Geiger, from his place, near Manda-
rin. Many of them measured fifteen inches in circumference,

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weighing one and a quarter pounds. Mr. Geiger has sent a
tine lot of oranges to market, grown on his own place.

We have received from Mr. J. L. Colee, some of the finest
specimens of oranges that we have seen anywhere in this
vicinity. They come from his grove, four miles from Pico-
lata, on the St. John’s. They average twelve inches in cir-
cumference, the trees only six years old. Mr. Colee has paid
great attention to the propagation of the orange, and we
doubt if there can be found anywhere in this vicinity a finer
grove, for its size and the age of the trees.

From ‘' Jacksonville Republican.”

«Thursday morning opened balmy and delicious, and an
hour’s run of the steamer carried the party to Major Rem-
bert’s orange grove, on Drayton island, at the entrance to
Lake George, in olden time the property of John C. Calhoun,

‘‘The party were welcomed with true old-time hospitality
by the proprietor, who at once gave a cordial invitation to
all to partake of the tempting golden fruit, which caught
the eye in every direction. Several varieties of oranges—
notably the ‘Golden Angel’—were pronounced the finest of
the season, and incapable of being surpassed anywhere.

“A number of lemon trees, the especial glory of the place,
were loaded with fruit of wonderful size and beauty, from
which the Major kindly selected some of the finest specimens
for the ladies.” x x * Ne

«The signs of recent improvements became more frequent,
and, pleasantly located on a gradual ascent, the homestead
of Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher was pointed out, with a thrifty
grove of young orange trees along its front.

TropicaAL Fruit Cutture.—The Augusta Constitutionalist
says: “ We understand that a company has been formed in
this city for the cultivation of tropical fruit, and is in treaty

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for a tract of six hundred and forty acres of land at Biscayne
Bay, at the southeastern extremity of Florida. This tract
was a military post duriug the Florida war, and has now
growing on it a large number of fruit trees, viz: Banana,
plantain, cocoanut, orange, lime, lemon, bread fruit, date,
guava, mango, aud others too numerous to mention.

Among the most prominent persons who have engaged
in Orange culture in Florida, are:

Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Rev. Charles Beecher.

Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.

H. 8. Sandford, late Minister to Belgium.
Gen. Van Valkenburg, of N. Y.

Ingram Fletcher, Esq., of Indianapolis, Ind.
Hon. Charles St. John, M. C., of N. Y.
Dr. Schenck, of Philadelphia.

A. J. French, Esq., of Wisconsin.
George W. Wylly, of Savannah, Ga.

J. G. Morris, of Ohio.

Wm. B. Randolph, Esq., of N. O.

Geo. W. Weiser, of Steubenville, Ohio.
Frederick De Bary, of New York City.
And many others.