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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
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 https://archive.org/details/floridaitsclimatOOdewe 
 
FLORIDA. 
 
 v\\ 
 
 ITS 
 
 mi SOIL, AND PEODOCTIONS; 
 
 WITH A SKETCH OF ITS 
 
 .-V M ^ isr 'u ^ I. 
 
 BLE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE 
 
 i " 
 
 . j'ECES OF THE STATE, AND THE 
 ^""^UCEMENTS WHICH IT OFFERS 
 
 TO 
 
 ‘ V: MIGRANTS. 
 
 
 o i; 
 -j. 
 
 A' 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 L. F. DEWEY k CO., 
 
 JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. 
 1868. 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
INTEODTJCTIOI. 
 
 Gur correspondence is filled with a multitude of questions 
 about Florida, her climate, condition, capacity and prospects. 
 These inquiries are mainly from earnest men who are contem¬ 
 plating immigration, and whose very arixiety points them out as. 
 the class of men from which the most desirable accession to our 
 population will come. 
 
 The impossibility of giving adequate and satisfactory answers 
 to this multitude of questions, by letter, has led us to the compi¬ 
 lation of this pamphlet. 
 
 Our object is, not to make a “ book” on Florida, but simply, 
 to give, in few words, information that may be relied on as cor¬ 
 rect, and that will as fully as possible respond to the questions 
 that are asked, as well as to those that would naturally suggest 
 themselves to the minds of those who are looking to this State as 
 their possible future home. 
 
 We shall consult the most authentic sources of information, 
 and, while we may not always cite the authorities referred to, we 
 ntend to give a truthful statement in regard to any matter 
 touched upon; and wherever positive statements of fact are 
 made, they may be implicitly relied upon. 
 
 The whole subject naturally presents itself under various 
 heads, and will be so treated. 
 
 - - 
 
 Intkoduction, 
 
 History,. 
 
 Geography, .. 
 
 Society,. 
 
 Climate,. 
 
 Soil,. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 2 
 . “ 3 
 . “ 5 
 
 i( 
 
 “ 12 
 . “ 22 
 
 Productions, .Page 28 
 
 Field Crops,. “28 
 
 Garden Vegetables, “ 35 
 
 Fruits, . “38 
 
 Miscellaneous,. “ - 4 
 
 General INFOR3IATION, “ 48 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868. by 
 L. F. DEWEY & CO., 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 Northern District of Florida. 
 
917.59 
 
 FG63 
 
 
 HISTORY. 
 
 
 ^ Some little knowledge of the history of Florida is indispens- 
 able to a right understanding and appreciation of her present 
 ^condition; for, without such knowledge, the scantiness of the 
 ^ present population of the State is perfectly inexplicable, when 
 ^ taken in connection with its natural fertility, its genial climate 
 and the immense scope of its possible agricultural production. 
 If Florida has such a desirable climate and such a variety and 
 power of vegetable growth, “ why are there not more people 
 there?” is an inevitable question, which is best answered by a 
 ' glance at her past history. 
 
 Florida was first discovered in 1497, by Sebastian Cabot, a 
 J navigator, sailing under the English Flag; but formal posses- 
 ^ sion of her territory was first taken, in behalf of Spain, by De 
 Narvaes in 1525. In 1562 it is probable that a temporary 
 settlement was formed near the mouth of the St. Johns by 
 . Ribault, a Frenchman. 
 
 In 1564, under the protection of Admiral Coligny, a settlement 
 ^ of Huguenots was formed under the leadership of Lardoniere on 
 j the south bank of the St. Johns, and about six leagues above 
 its mouth. This settlement was called Carolin, and was com- 
 XP^etely destroyed by the Spaniards under Menendez in 1565, 
 who massacred all that escaped death in the fight “ not as 
 Frenchmen, but as heretics.” This murderous act was fully 
 '>^avenged by a Frenchman, De Gourgas, who, in 1659 led an 
 fH^expedition especially against Fort Carolin, and massacred the 
 '^Spanish garrison “not as Spaniards but as murderers.” 
 
 In 1565, the same Menendez founded a Spanish colony at St. 
 Augustine, thus establishing the first permanent European town 
 on the continent of North America. 
 
 In 1584, as the result of various expeditions, the area of Span- 
 ^ ish occupation and conquest had become so extended that the 
 authority of Spain was acknowledged by the natives, not only 
 throughout Florida, but as far west as the Mississippi, and as 
 far north as the mountains of Georgia. 
 
 In 1586 St. Augustine was attacked and plundered by a party 
 i of English adventurers under Drake. In 1611 it was pillaged 
 ^ ^ by the Indians; and in 1665 was sacked by another party of 
 English pirates under Davis. 
 
 In 1689 Pensacola was settled by the Spanish. 
 
 
 867944 
 
4 
 
 In 1702 St. Augustine was unsuccessfully attacked by Gov. 
 Moore, of the English Colony of South Carolina. In 1725 Col. 
 Palmer of Georgia also failed in an effort to take the city; and 
 in 1740 Gen. Oglethorpe, of Georgia, was signally repulsed in 
 a similar undertaking. 
 
 In 1763 the whole territory of Floi-ida was ceded by Spain to 
 Great Britain, but the entire population of the territory, at the 
 time of the cession, did not exceed six hundred. 
 
 In 1767 Doct. Turnbull, an English colonist located at New 
 Smyrna, imported fifteen hundred Corsicans and Minorcans 
 having deluded them by unstinted promises of land and employ¬ 
 ment at high wages, and then subjected them to a systematic 
 oppression, similar and scarce less severe than slavery, till after 
 the lapse of some ten years, they escaped in a body from his 
 servitude, and betook themselves to St. Augustine, where they 
 settled down and ultimately became a prominent and valuable 
 element of the population of that section. 
 
 In 1781 the Spanish captured Pensacola, and the English 
 again lost possession of Florida; and in 1784 the territory wai: 
 once more formally ceded to Spain. 
 
 In 1812 Fernandina capitulated to troops of the United States 
 but was, during the next year, re-delivered to the Spanish 
 Government. 
 
 In 1814 the English forces, under command of Col. Nichole 
 entered and manned the forts at Pensacola, although the whoh 
 territory was nominally under the control of Spain ; and in 18U 
 Gen. Jackson attacked and captured Pensacola in behalf of th( 
 United States. 
 
 In 1819 Florida was purchased by the United States, and wa; 
 formally ceded by Spain. In 1822 a territorial government wai 
 established; in 1845 Florida was admitted to the Union; and ii 
 January 1861 she seceded. 
 
 Such is a brief abstract of the leading facts in the history o 
 Florida. What a picture it presents ! Discovered in 149/, per 
 man ently settled in 1565, ceded to Great Britain in 1763, with .■ 
 population of only six hundred, after a colonial existence of tw< 
 hundred years, re-ceded to Spain in 1784, sold and ceded to th* 
 United States in 1819, receiving a territorial government in 1822 
 admitted to the Union in 1845, seceding in 1861, and re-con 
 structed in 1868; sacked and pillaged repeatedly by Europeans 
 shifting its nationality from time to time and losing almost it 
 entire population in each change; harrassed and plundered b^ 
 repeated Indian wars from 1816 to 1858, and just as prosperity 
 began to dawn, plunged unnecessarily into the useless slaughte; 
 of a hopeless rebellion, she has suffered every evil, political anc 
 social, that does not involve absolute extinction. 
 
 The wonder truly is, not that she has not attained a mon 
 
5 
 
 flourishing condition, but that she exists at all, and that her 
 boundless forests, her lovely rivers and her beautiful lakes are 
 not fast locked in the silent embrace of a moveless desolation. 
 
 Without such reference to her previous history, there would 
 be an irreconcilable discrepancy between the present condition 
 of Florida and that which might naturally be expected from a 
 consideration of her fertility, her climate, and her resources. 
 
 aEOGEAPHY. 
 
 The geography of Florida is unique, and is of special interest, 
 because many of the important characteristics of the State which 
 seem to be contradictory, if not impossible, are easily explained 
 by a consideration of its peculiar position and geographical 
 character. 
 
 The shape of Florida is somewhat like that of a boot upside 
 down, the foot part extending northwardly, and the leg pointing 
 to the south. The foot part thus extends some 350 miles, from 
 East to West, along the parallel of 31® North Latitude and 
 from 80° to 88® West Longitude from Greenwich ; while the 
 part that would represent the leg, or the peninsular proper, 
 extends Southwardly from 31° to 25® North Latitude, thus 
 reaching over some 400 miles. 
 
 The State contains 59,268 square miles, or 37,931,520 acres. 
 
 The whole territory lies within the region denominated as 
 “ hot” by the Physical Geographers, and is in the same Latitude 
 with Northern Mexico, the Desert of Sahara, Central Arabia, 
 Northern Hindostan, the Northern portion of Burmah, and the 
 southern portion of China ; but its comparative degree of heat is 
 not accurately indicated by its latitude, for accurate scientific ob¬ 
 servation shows it to be isothermal with Southern California, 
 Louisiana, the Bermudas, the Island of Madeira, Barbary, 
 Egypt, Northern Arabia, Persia, Northern Hindustan, Thibet 
 and China. Moreover, the results that might be expected from 
 its geographical location are materially aflected by its peninsular 
 shape, and its oceanic surroundings. The main portion of its 
 surface is included in a peninsular projection extending south¬ 
 wardly between the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf Stream, which, 
 in its exit, traverses its Eastern coast for about 300 miles. 
 
 The peninsula averages in width about ninety miles, and is 
 fanned by the Gulf winds on one side and the Trade winds on 
 the other, and thus, with so slight a breadth, every portion is 
 exposed to the balmy and vivifying influences of almost constant 
 
 * 
 
6 
 
 oceanic winds, and, from all these geographical peculiarities has 
 resulted a pleasantness and salubrity of climate, and a power of 
 vegetative production so wonderful as to be almost incredible. 
 
 The surface of the State is, as a whole, remarkably Idvel, 
 though this is more characteristic of the Eastern and Western 
 portions than of the central part. From the Apalachicola East¬ 
 ward to the Suwannee, and Westward about the same distance, 
 the surface is somewhat rolling, and an occasional ridge of what 
 are called hills lends a sort of variety to the somewhat mono¬ 
 tonous succession of pine, hummock and cypress lands stretching 
 as far as the eye can reach over an almost dead level. 
 
 Perhaps the most marked of the geographical features of the 
 State is to be found in the enormous extent of her coast line, 
 which on the Atlantic and the Gulf exceeds eleven hundred 
 miles, and the coast line is also remarkable for the great number 
 of large bays and estuaries, which furnish facilities for commer¬ 
 cial intercourse that in the near future will hasten the develop¬ 
 ment of the resources of Western and South Western Florida be¬ 
 yond the expectations of the most sanguine. 
 
 Another marked geographical feature of the State is found in 
 the number of large and navigable streams. The Apalachicola, 
 the Suwannee, the St. Mary’s and the St. Johns would be 
 noticeable rivers anywhere, and the St. Johns is one of the most 
 surprising rivers on the globe. When it is considered that not 
 an eminence in East Florida attains the height of 200 feet, the 
 St. Johns, fed in great degree by the oozing waters of the Ever¬ 
 glades, and winding through a very level region, will strike any 
 stranger with astonishment as he ascends it and finds its average 
 breadth for 150 miles to be more rather than less than two miles. 
 The ebb and flow of the tide are quite perceptible at the upper 
 end of Lake George, more than 150 miles from the mouth of the 
 St. Johns. 
 
 Although the general character of the soil of Florida is sandy, 
 still few portions of the whole United States are more bounti¬ 
 fully provided with water, and that easily accessible. Springs of 
 all kinds, some of clear sweet water, some strongly impregnated 
 with sulphur, and others characterized by various mineral admix¬ 
 tures, are so abundant as to be little noticed. Some cf these 
 springs are of gigantic proportions, so large that complete rivers 
 rush at once from the very bowels of the earth, and to those who 
 have never seen them, or those similar to them, a plain and 
 simple description of these becomes almost incredible. 
 
 Two of the most famous of these springs are thus described 
 in Williams’ History of Florida. “The Wakulla Eiver rises 
 about ten miles N. W. of St. Marks, from one of the finest 
 springs in Florida, or perhaps in the world. It is of an oval 
 form, the largest diameter of which is about six rods. It is of 
 
ED unknown depth and perfectly transparent. In looking into it, 
 the color resembles a clear blue sky, except near the border, 
 where it has a slight tinge of green from the reflection of the 
 surrounding verdure, which hangs over it in drooping branches 
 and waving festoons. The Eastern side presents a rugged, rocky 
 precipice ; all else is an abyss of boundless depth. Squadrons of 
 fishes are seen careering around “ their own w^orld” in perfect 
 security. The water is moderately cold, and highly impregnated 
 with lime. 
 
 The beauty of the fountain, the luxuriance of the foliage 
 around it, and the calm retirement of the whole scene, render 
 this one of the most charming spots that West Florida afibrds.” 
 
 “ The big spring of Chipola, oflers a very diflerent scene. Here 
 also a river bursts from the earth, with a giant force, from large 
 masses of rugged rocks, with furious rapidity, as though impa¬ 
 tient of restraint. The orifice opens to the South-west, from a 
 high swelling bank, scattered over with large oak trees. East 
 and West the orifice may be thirty feet, by eight feet wide. A 
 large rock divides the mouth almost into two parts, at a consi¬ 
 derable depth below the surface. The water acts as a prism ; 
 all objects seen through it on a sun-shiny day, reflect all the 
 colors of the rainbow. This spring at once forms a river, six 
 rods wide, and eight feet deep, which joins the Chipola river 
 at about ten miles distance.” 
 
 Such is the description of the sober historian. Silver Spring, 
 in Marion County, is another of these remarkable springs, large 
 enough to admit to its very source the steamers that navigate 
 the Ocklawaha River. 
 
 And in any part of the State, from the sands of the sea beach 
 to the clay soils of the central portion, good water can easily 
 be reached in wells of from 10 to 20 feet in depth. 
 
 A mere glance at the map will show almost innumerable 
 lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks, very uniformly scattered 
 throughout the whole surface of the State. 
 
 SOCIETY. 
 
 In considering the condition of society in Florida, and in the 
 formation and appreciation of conclusions reached, it is first 
 and always to be borne in mind that Florida, although in fact 
 the oldest settled State in the Union, is, with perhaps the 
 single exception of Oregon, probably the most sparsely settled, 
 exhibiting in 1860 a population of only 2.31 to the square mile. 
 
 Again in comparing, as is natural, this State with any of the 
 
8 
 
 Northern States, it is to be remembered that she started and 
 has progressed under very different circumstances from those 
 attending the growth and progress of any other State, either 
 North or South, and has had far more than her proportion of 
 obstacles and obstructions to contend with, both politically 
 and socially. 
 
 In other States, whatever government has been originally 
 adopted, the same has thereafter remained in force, except as 
 affected by the rebellion, with very little alteration ; and thus 
 in those States, age and stability have added force to all the 
 elements of growth, strength and prosperity, and have tended 
 graduall}’- and naturally to overcome the influences adverse to 
 the development of each. But from the earliest period in her 
 history, Florida has had no stable and permanent growth, but 
 has been tossed about from nation to nation like a veritable 
 political shuttlecock, with no opportunity to grow in strength, 
 and actually weakened by successive changes. 
 
 In other States, whatever may have been the circumstances 
 of their original settlement, and however diverse may have 
 been the character and derivation of the different elements of 
 their population, the equality of right before the law, the com¬ 
 mon enjoyment of the same opportunities and privileges, and 
 the common participation in administering democratic govern¬ 
 ments have all uniformly and powerfully tended by gradual 
 but rapid assimilation towards a liomegeneity of population. 
 But all such tendencies in Florida have been effectually check¬ 
 ed by her frequent and successive changes of nationality. 
 There has not been, and there could not well have been, that 
 intimate commingling of races which prevails elsewhere, and 
 is indispensable to political and social progress. 
 
 Florida, though in fact an old State, has all the character¬ 
 istics of an entirely new settled State. Its circumstances and 
 its political uncertainties have not only not attracted immigra¬ 
 tion, but have really from time to time driven from her valuable 
 elements of population. The better portion of the Spanish 
 population departed when the English took possession, and 
 when, in turn, the territory was re-ceded to Spain, the English 
 settlers who had just began to receive rich rewards for their 
 agricultural investments, and by whose skill a brilliant 
 future had began to appear, took their departure, some volun¬ 
 tarily and some under government compulsion ; and so again 
 and again, the progress made by each nationality was abso¬ 
 lutely lost in the occupation of its successor. 
 
 Thus the State is still a wild and new State. The'rank, 
 growth of the forest trees over-shadowed and concealed the 
 vestige of successive occupations, and the traveller is often 
 astonished to find in the middle of dense forests the ruins of 
 
0 
 
 mills, and houses, and the remains of ditches and canals on a 
 grand scale, silent but significant mementos of a recent though 
 an almost forgotten past. 
 
 The scanty population of less than 200,000 is scattered over 
 an immense territory of nearly 60,000 square miles, and has 
 been engaged almost entirely in agriculture ; and the main and 
 hitherto all absorbing object of that pursuit has been the rais¬ 
 ing of cotton. The pre-eminence given this crop, and the 
 prevalence of slave labor have conspired to stimulate the 
 universal Southern passion for the acquisition of land, and 
 thus have all combined to crowd out all diversity of occupa¬ 
 tions not directly concerned in and tributary to the raising of 
 cotton. There has been no tendency to settle in villages and 
 communities, but the general tendency has been towards a 
 dissipation rather than concentration ot population. Whether 
 or not cotton has been ^‘king” it has certainly been a social 
 tyrant, and decreeing its votaries to the vast solitudes of 
 remote plantations, has prevented the formation of those small 
 villages as centres of population, where, as in the Northern 
 States, the Church, the School, the Press and Post Office are 
 recognized as the essential instruments and means of social 
 progress,—necessities of social existence, that must be had 
 rather than as conveniences or luxuries. 
 
 Accordingly disappointment will surely meet those who, 
 coming from other sections, and particularly from the North, 
 anticipate the enjoyment here now of the same social advan¬ 
 tages to which they have been accustomed at home. All such 
 means of social culture and improvement are easily possible 
 here as elsewhere, but here as elsewhere they must follow,— 
 they cannot precede,—an absolute and entire change in the 
 methods of agriculture, and an increase in the diversity of 
 occupations. It is hard to change the habits, whether social or 
 agricultural, of communities, and as hard to implant new social 
 wants except by the introduction of agencies of a new and 
 different character Hence we need strong immigration of 
 new men with new views and new desires first, and then the 
 means of gratifying the social needs of a progressive society 
 will follow. 
 
 Schools and Churches are to be found in all the towns and 
 villages throughout the State, but there has hitherto been no 
 public school system in the Southern States, as such systems 
 are known in the North and West. In all of these the popula¬ 
 tion has arranged itself, and naturally enough, under the 
 aristocratic tendencies of slavery, into the three divisions of 
 Planters, Poor Whites and Slaves—safety forbade the educa¬ 
 tion of the slaves,—the poor whites neither desired nor could 
 afford the expense of private schools, and the Planters, having 
 
 2 
 
10 
 
 the means, preferred private to public schools. And of course 
 the local governments, administered in the interests of the 
 wealthy classes, would neither establish nor enforce any 
 system of public free schools. 
 
 But the ratification by the people of the new constitution 
 gives assurance of the thorough reconstruction of the State 
 under much more favorable auspices in all directions. The 
 establishment and provision by adequate taxation for the sup¬ 
 port of a sufficient system of public schools is a leading feature 
 of the constitution, and can easily be so administered as to 
 meet all the present and future educational wants of the State. 
 
 When the inducements of various kinds which Florida holds 
 out to immigration shall be fully known in other sections of 
 the country, it is confidently anticipated that a tide of popula¬ 
 tion from the North will flow in that will enable the material 
 resource of the State to be developed, and then all desirable 
 social advantages and opportunities will follow. 
 
 The spirit of the people, taken as a whole, is good, as good as 
 under the circumstances could reasonably be expected by 
 thoughtful and observing men. In estimating properly the 
 present social condition of the State, special reference 
 must be had to the radical revolution that has been wrought 
 in all matters, social and political, within the last few years. 
 The collapse of such a rebellion, and the complete dissipation 
 of the dreams indulged, have, of necessity, left a degree of sore¬ 
 ness and disappointment resulting in a bitterness of feeling 
 which is not unnatural, and which could not reasonably be 
 unexpected by any sensible man. 
 
 And one of the results has been a sort of natural settling of 
 the population into three classes, the native whites who favor¬ 
 ed secession ; the loyal whites wdth the Northerners, and the 
 Freedman,—and much time must necessarily elapse, under the 
 most favorable circumstances, before these classes, so recently 
 placed in such diverse and antagonistic relations to each other, 
 can quietly settle down together to stand upon the same plat¬ 
 form of enjoyment, of identically the same rights, and the exer¬ 
 cise of the same powers and privileges. It would be simply pre¬ 
 posterous to suppose that in so short a time the small class of 
 privileged slave owners forming the most compact and abso¬ 
 lute social and political oligarchy known to history, should 
 with perfect equanimity see themselves, by the legitimate and 
 logical consequences of their own folly, shorn of their political 
 power, and not onl}^ reduced to the common level of simple 
 democratic citizenship, but constrained to feign cheerfulness 
 in the extension of all the rights of equal suffrage and politi¬ 
 cal right to those over whom they had within a few years 
 exercised all the rights of the most absolute owi^ership and 
 
11 
 
 complete control, and in addition to all this, to regard with 
 instant and spontaneous atlection the representatives of that 
 loyalty and unionism that have brought these wondrous 
 changes about. 
 
 Having reference, then, to all these things, it may be said 
 with truth that the existing feeling of the whole people of 
 Florida towards immigrants is good,—as good as could with 
 reason be anticipated. 
 
 While it is undoubtedly true that a stranger could not rea¬ 
 sonably hope to meet with as much cordiality and courtesy in 
 the South, as in those more fortunate regions that have never 
 been tossed inihe boiling cauldron of secession, or been curs¬ 
 ed with the pressure of the iron heel cf conquering armies in a 
 bitter civil war, it is also true that there is absolutely nothing 
 to deter an immigrant who seeks to better his condition from 
 settling in Florida, except the absence of that courtesy and 
 kindness which he would receive at the West; or even in the 
 South, before the terrible struggle for the death of slavery had 
 perverted the minds and embittered the hearts of men. 
 
 In our correspondence, the question is often asked, “ Is it safe 
 for a Northern man to come to Florida ? ” The answer is, that 
 there is no sort of danger whatever. 
 
 The immigrant of good character and habits will be readily 
 received by all. Southern men and women are not super-human, 
 and cannot be expected suddenly to absolve themselves from the 
 domination of those trains of political thought and those preva¬ 
 lent social notions that have ruled them for years, or to sympa¬ 
 thize at once with the political ideas of a triumphant Radicalisrn. 
 
 But the whole population of the State is becoming rapidly 
 convinced that “ men, money and labor,” are to be the watch¬ 
 words of success in the future of Florida ; and indeed a recent 
 movement has been made in concert, and associations are being 
 formed in the various counties to co-operate with the Bureau of 
 Emigration about to be established under the new Constitution, 
 in the promotion of Immigration, by offering all practicable in¬ 
 ducements within their power ; and, at a recent public meeting 
 in Jacksonville, in which were representatives from all parts of 
 the State, the most eminent and influential men in the State, of 
 all parties, united in expressing a determination to do all that 
 could be done to promote the immigration upon which the future 
 prosperity of the State must mainly depend. 
 
 Indeed, any good citizen, that proposes to pay special atten¬ 
 tion to his own affairs, will be welcomed by all, and this without 
 any sacrifice of principle, or any abridgement of his rights of free 
 thought and free speech. 
 
 Northern men and women, who may come and persist in 
 associating e^Uclusively with each other, and se(]uester themselves 
 
12 
 
 diligently from all social intercourse with old residents, will 
 be allowed thus to indulge their social predilections without let 
 or hindrance. 
 
 But those who come with a disposition by individual general 
 effort to contribute to the common good, and assist the common 
 progress, and who will by social and kindly intercourse assist in 
 the doing away of unfounded dislikes and unreasonable preju¬ 
 dices, however boldly, and openly, and frani^ly, if only with a 
 right purpose they may vindicate their right of individual inde¬ 
 pendence of thought and action, will not only be tolerated, but 
 respected and cherished. 
 
 Still, it is as undoubtedly true of Florida as it was of Kansas, 
 and indeed is of every new state, that a want of the means and 
 appliances for social comfort and advancement must,for a time, be 
 expected by new comers, and the best way in which immigrants 
 may avoid the consequent inconveniences and deprivations, is by 
 coming in groups of five or more families, and thus secure from the 
 first those social interchanges which are of the first importance 
 everywhere. 
 
 Another and a commanding recommendation for such a group¬ 
 ing of immigrants is to be found in the fact that much of the 
 most valuable land, both for fertility and accessibility, is included 
 in large tracts, which w’ere originally government grants, and 
 whose owners are disinclined to divide and sell in smaller parcels. 
 
 Such large tracts are often valuable, but larger than single 
 settlers need or will buy, while a colony of men who desired to 
 settle together and form a community can combine their means, 
 and thus easily secure to each such portion as he desired, at 
 reasonable rates. 
 
 And this subdivision of large plantations is the indispensable 
 first step to be taken before any general agricultural prosperity 
 can be hoped for. 
 
 CLIIATE. 
 
 The climate of Florida is one of its chief attractions. Mild in 
 Winter, and not excessively hot in Summer, the temperature is 
 more equable than that of any other State of the Union. The 
 thermometer rarely falls below 80 , or rises above 95 . From 
 
 the records contained in the Spanish archives at St. Augustine, 
 we learn that the mean temperature of the Winter months for 
 lOO years, average a little over 00 ^ , and of the Summer 
 months 86 , Farenheit. Constant mention is made of the daily 
 
 recurring sea-breeze, which cooled off the after part of the day, 
 and gave a delightful atmosphere for nightly rest. Here in 
 
13 
 
 
 Florida the many whose constitutions are feeble, or impaired by 
 disease, can find a refuge from the inclement winters of the 
 Northern States. 
 
 It is not enough, however, for those who think of making 
 Florida their future home, to know that her winters are delight- 
 lul. They want the facts about the climate, and especialh^ 
 about its healthfulness, all the year round. 
 
 Hence, no question can be more important, and in fact, none 
 is more frequently asked, than the question, “ How does the 
 climate of Florida aftect the health of immigrants ? ” The most 
 unaccountable misapprehensions are very widely prevalent in 
 regard to this topic, so that the received idea seems to be that 
 Florida is the land of swamps, and her atmosphere surcharged 
 with the most noxious and miasmatic vapors, to an extent that 
 makes the very hope of health and long life within her borders 
 futile. 
 
 Now, in fact, if the sanitary statistics of the country, and the 
 official reports of sanitary officials are entitled to the credence 
 customarily conceded to them, not a single State in the Union can 
 show as clean a bill of health as can be exhibited by Florida. 
 And this is the more remarkable when it is recollected that a 
 very large proportion of the transient population of the State is 
 made up of invalids from other sections, who have come to Flor¬ 
 ida as the last resort,—despairing of any sanitary improvement 
 elsewhere. 
 
 For very many years St. Augustine has been known far and 
 wide, as one of the most healthy locations in the whole country, 
 or, indeed, in the world. For a hundred years her streets have 
 been filled with invalids from all parts of the world; and the 
 climate of St. Augustine is the climate of East Florida. North¬ 
 erners have long resorted to Florida, to find in her mild and 
 genial climate a relief from the piercing winds and frigid tem¬ 
 perature of the Northern and Middle States ; while the cool and 
 wholesome winds of the Atlantic and the Gulf have operated 
 to bring annual crowds from Alabama, Georgia and the Caro- 
 linas, to escape the blazing sun and torrid heats of those States. 
 Those who, from frequent visitation and repeated experiment, 
 are best informed, all unite in declaring the climate of Florida to 
 be unequalled in the world for comfort and health. 
 
 That many die, and of consumptive complaints, is undoubtedly 
 true ; but of most of them it may be said that the}" were doomed 
 before they left home to try a Southern climate as their last 
 hope, and that their lives have often been prolonged where they 
 had long been beyond all hope of complete restoration. Many 
 a man, now in Florida, is enjoying a fine state of health, who 
 would have had, anywhere else, but slight hope even of life. 
 
 Some of the lands in various portions of the State are low, and 
 
14 
 
 at the same time are exceedingly rich; and there, as In all re¬ 
 gions where a rank and luxuriant vegetable growth is general, 
 will also be found those types of disease which elsewhere uni¬ 
 versally characterize such regions. But all such diseases assume 
 a much milder type than in other sections where they are 
 prevalent. 
 
 That.there is much swampy land in the State is true, and it is 
 also true that the dense vegetable growth of the swamps and 
 lagoons, and low hummocks must, of course, whenever vegetable 
 decomposition occurs, furnish a great deal of the food that 
 nourishes Fevers and kindred diseases; but the effects of these 
 causes are measurably counterbalanced by the almost constant 
 breezes that fan the atmosphere, and purge its evil humors, and 
 the immense preponderance of pine forests, open to the breezes, 
 and perfuming the air with their pleasant and wholesome odor. 
 
 In a series of letters from an old resident of Florida, recently 
 re-published in Ocala, the climate and healthfulness of Florida 
 are quite fully treated, and an extract from the pamphlet is here 
 inserted, as more authentic and more satisfactory than any 
 original matter which we can furnish :— 
 
 “ The climate of Florida and especially that of the Peninsular, 
 taking it the whole year around, is much more agreeable than 
 any other in the United States; and indeed it would be difficult 
 to find a climate in any part of the world so agreeable as this. 
 The winters are delightful, five days out of six being bright and 
 cloudless, and of the most agreeable temperature. In the 
 Southern portion of the Peninsular frost is never felt, and even 
 far North as the Suwannee River there are generally but two or 
 three nights in a whole winter that ice as thick as a half dollar , 
 is found. Carver, in discussing the winters of the Peninsular, 
 remarks : ‘ So mild are the winters in East Florida that the most 
 delicate vegetables and plants of the Carrabee Islands experience 
 there not the least injury Irom that season ; the orange tree, the 
 bananna, the plantain, the guava, the pineapple, &c., grow lux¬ 
 uriantly. Fogs are scarcely known there, and no country can 
 be more salubrious.’ 
 
 “ The winter in Florida resembles very much that season 
 which in the Middle States is termed the ‘ Indian Summer,’ ex¬ 
 cept that in Florida the sky is perfectly clear, and the atmo¬ 
 sphere more dry and elastic. Rain but rarely falls during the 
 winter months in Florida; three, four, and not unfrequently five 
 weeks, of bright, clear, and cloudless days occur continuously. 
 This is one of the greatest charms of the winter climate in Flor¬ 
 ida ; and in this respect it forms a striking contrast with almost 
 every State in the Union, and especially with Texas, California, 
 and Oregon. 
 
 “ Contrary to what might be expected, the summer weather 
 
 t 
 
15 
 
 in East Florida is mucli more agreeable, and its beat less op¬ 
 pressive (though its duration is much louger) than that which 
 is experienced in the Northern and Middle States. This is 
 attributable in a great mfiasure, to its peninsular position, which 
 causes it to be fanned on the East by the Atlantic breezes, and 
 on the West by those of the Gulf of Mexico, both of which can 
 be distinctly felt in the centre of the State. Besides this, the 
 North-east trade winds play over the whole Peninsula. The 
 summer nights are invariably cool, and even the hottest days 
 are seldom oppressive in the shade. This is more than any 
 State North of Florida can boast, and is probably owing to her 
 peninsular character. Paradoxical as it may seem, the ther¬ 
 mometer ranges nuich liigher during the summer months in 
 New York, Boston and Montreal, than in St. Augustine, Tampa 
 or Key West. In the former cities the thermometer frequent¬ 
 ly ranges as high as 100 and 105 in the shade, and that too, 
 without any breeze to relieve it, whereas, it but rarely reaches 
 as high as 90 at any of the latter places. I am credibly in¬ 
 formed that a register kept at Key West (the extreme South 
 of Florida) for fourteen years, exliibited but three instances, 
 during the whole period, in which the mercury rose as high as 
 94 in the shade. Bur, did it rise even to 104. such is the con¬ 
 stant prevalence of refreshing sea-breezes, that less inconve¬ 
 nience would be experienced from it than when it was 85 in 
 the humid and stagnant atmospheres of other climates. 
 
 ^‘General Lawson, Surgeon-General of the Army, in his 
 official report of the climate, diseases, Ac., of Florida, remarks : 
 
 ‘ The climate of Florida is remarkably equable and agreeable, 
 being subject to fewer atmospheric variations, and its ther¬ 
 mometer ranges mucli less than any other part of the United 
 States, except a portion of the coast of California. For ex¬ 
 ample, the Winter at Fort Snelling, Minnesota Territory, is 48 
 degrees colder than at Fort Brooke, Florida ; but the Summer 
 at Fort Brooke is only about 8 degrees warmer. The mean 
 annual temperature at Augusta, Georgia, is nearly 8 degrees, 
 and that at Fort Gibson, Arkansas, upwards of 10 degrees 
 lower than at Tampa ; yet in both these places the mean Sum¬ 
 mer temperature is higher than at Fort Brooke, Tampa Bay. 
 In the Summer season tlie mercury rises higher in every part 
 of the United States, and even in Canada, than it does along 
 the coast of Florida. This is shown by meterological statis¬ 
 tics in this Bureau. 
 
 “The Summer in Florida may be said to be seven months 
 long ; so that the duration of warm weather is nearly twice as 
 long as in the Middle States. The weather during the whole 
 of these seven months is, however, generally of a very pleas¬ 
 ant temperature, the night being uniform cool, and sultry days 
 
16 
 
 
 of very rare occurrence. Indeed, so agreeable are the sum¬ 
 mers in East Florida, there is little choice between them and 
 the wirters ; and many of the oldest inhabitants say that they 
 prefer the former. 
 
 “ The seasons in Florida are probably as favorable as in any 
 other State in the Union, There occurs there, as in every 
 other State, occasional droughts of too long duration, and 
 there is sometimes a superabundance of rain ; but, as a gen¬ 
 eral rule, the seasons are regular and well adapted to all the 
 valuable staples of that country. Frequent showers occur 
 during the months of March, April, May and June, and about 
 the first of July what is termed ‘ the rain}'- season ’ commences 
 and continues till about the middle of September. Although 
 it rains about every day during this season, it scarcely rains 
 all day. These rains fall in very heavy showers, accompanied 
 by thunder and lightning, and seldom last longer than four 
 hours each day. They generally commence at 1 o’clock, P.M., 
 and are entirely over by 5 o’clock, F.M., leaving for the re¬ 
 maining twenty hours of the day a cloudless sky and a de¬ 
 lightfully cool atmosphere.* One of the great virtues of the 
 Florida climate is, that nearly all the rain falls during the 
 productive season of the 3 "ear ; and that during the winter 
 months, when rains are but little required, they seldom fall. 
 The reverse of this occurs in Texas, California, Oregon, and 
 in nearly all the Mexican States. 
 
 “ As respects health, the climate of Florida stands pre-emi¬ 
 nent. That the peninsular climate of Florida is much more 
 salubrious than that of any other State in the Union, is clearly 
 established by the medical statistics of the army, as well as 
 by the last census returns. In proof of this the most conclu¬ 
 sive evidence can be presented ; but it will be suliicient here 
 to quote a few remarks from the official Report of the Surgeon- 
 General on this subject. General Lawson states : ‘ Indeed, 
 the statistics in this Bureau demonstrate the fact that the 
 diseases which result from malaria are of a much milder type 
 in the Peninsula of Florida than in any other state in the 
 Union. These records show that the ratio of deaths to the num¬ 
 ber of cases of remittent fever has been much less among the 
 troops serving in any other portion of the Lmited States. In 
 the Middle Division of the United States the proportion is one 
 death to thirty-six cases of remittent fever ; has in the North¬ 
 ern Division, one to fifty-two ; in the Southern Division, one to 
 fifty-four ; in Texas, one to seventy-eight; in California, one 
 to one hundred and twenty-two ; in New Mexico, one to one 
 
 *The average here is too high. We are assured that they do not average more 
 than one hour per day.— Ed. Ba>'NEr. 
 
17 
 
 hundred and forty-eight; while in Florida it is but one io iwo 
 hundred and eighty-seven. 
 
 “‘The general healthfulness of many parts of Florida, 
 particularly on its coast, is proverbial. The average annual 
 mortality of the whole Peninsula, from returns in this office, 
 is found to be 2.06 per cent., while the other portions of the 
 United States (previous to the war with Mexico) it is 3.05 per 
 cent.^ 
 
 “In short, it may be asserted, without fear of refuta* 
 tion, that Florida possesses a much more agreeable and salu¬ 
 brious climate than any other State or Territory in the 
 Union.” 
 
 This proposition seems to be vindicated beyond a possible 
 doubt by the statistics of the U. S. census of 1860, and this in 
 reference to a special class of diseases in regard to which 
 Florida stands in an unfavorable light because the very large 
 elements of her population composed of invalids are in the 
 main those who come here seeking relief from pulmonary 
 complaints. Yet from the census of 1860 we gather that 
 the proportion of those who died from consumption in various 
 of the States in the Union, during the year ending May 31, 
 1860, was as follows : 
 
 In Massachusetts, 1 in 254 ; in Maine, 1 in 289 ; in Ver¬ 
 mont, 1 in 404 ; in New York, 1 in 4T3 ; in Uennsjdvania, 1 
 in 580 ; in Ohio, 1 in 6T9 ; in California, 1 in 721 ; in Vir¬ 
 ginia, 1 in 757 ; in Indiana, 1 in 792 ; in Illinois, 1 in 878, and 
 in Florida, 1 in 1,447. 
 
 Solon Robinson says, “As to the salubrity of tlic climate, 1 
 fully believe its average equal to Indiana or Illinois, and cer¬ 
 tainly no worse for immigrants, from au}^ of the Northerii 
 States, than Central New York was in its early settlement, 
 for those who went into its forests from New England. There 
 are here, as there, miasmatic localities, and localities where 
 mosquitoes are as pestiferous as they are in the Montezuma 
 marshes—no worse, and certainly no worse than I have often 
 found them at various points around New York.” 
 
 We have compiled the following tables, mainly from a 
 record of Meteorological Observations kept by Dr. A. S. 
 Baldwin, through whose kindness we are enabled to give them 
 to the public. Jacksonville is situated in Latitude 30 15' 
 
 North, Longitude 82 ^ West. Place of Observation, 14 feet 
 above mean low water. The mean of three daily observations 
 is given. The highest and lowest ranges of the Thermom- 
 
 O 
 
 O 
 
18 
 
 eter each month, for five years, from 1857 to 1861 inclusive, 
 are shown below :— 
 
 Months 
 
 1857 
 
 1858 
 
 1859 
 
 1860 
 
 1861 
 
 Remarks, 
 
 H. 
 
 L. 
 
 H. 
 
 L. 
 
 H. 
 
 L. 
 
 H. 
 
 L. 
 
 H. L. 
 
 January 
 
 72 
 
 16 
 
 76 
 
 38 
 
 76 
 
 30 
 
 76 
 
 40 
 
 
 
 Ice one to two inches 
 
 February 
 
 81 
 
 44 
 
 77 
 
 39 
 
 79 
 
 39 
 
 79 
 
 44 
 
 75 
 
 42 
 
 
 March 
 
 85 
 
 41 
 
 83 
 
 34 
 
 84 
 
 45 
 
 83 
 
 40 
 
 83 
 
 43 
 
 thick, Jan. 19 and 20, 
 
 April 
 
 81 
 
 47 
 
 86 
 
 49 
 
 89 
 
 53 
 
 92 
 
 58 
 
 85 
 
 54 
 
 
 May 
 
 91 
 
 61 
 
 91 
 
 66 
 
 92 
 
 64 
 
 92 
 
 58 
 
 94 
 
 64 
 
 1857. 
 
 June 
 
 91 
 
 73 
 
 92 
 
 73 
 
 94 
 
 70 
 
 97 
 
 69 
 
 98 
 
 73 
 
 
 July 
 
 89 
 
 68 
 
 96 
 
 74 
 
 95 
 
 70 
 
 98 
 
 74 
 
 92 
 
 70 
 
 
 August 
 
 95 
 
 75 
 
 94 
 
 75 
 
 91 
 
 75 
 
 93 
 
 73 
 
 91 
 
 73 
 
 At 7 A.M., Nov. 25, 
 
 September 
 
 92 
 
 64 
 
 86 
 
 64 
 
 92 
 
 70 
 
 89 
 
 65 
 
 92 
 
 59 
 
 
 October 
 
 81 
 
 42 
 
 85 
 
 62 
 
 84 
 
 50 
 
 87 
 
 53 
 
 86 
 
 57 
 
 1860, the Thermornc- 
 
 November 
 
 82 
 
 27 
 
 79 
 
 39 
 
 79 
 
 35 
 
 80 
 
 25 
 
 79 
 
 45 
 
 
 December 
 
 80 
 
 39 
 
 78 
 
 40 
 
 79 
 
 36 
 
 72 
 
 32 
 
 74 
 
 38 
 
 ter stood at 25 ® 
 
 Earliest frost in the five years, October 27, 1857. Latest 
 frost, April 28, 1858. Latest frost in 1859, February 14th. 
 
10 
 
 Summary of twenty years’ observations of the Thermometer, 
 taken at Jacksonville, Fla., by Dr. A. S. Baldwin, showing the 
 mean temperature of each month and year reported, also the 
 means of twenty years, for each month and the whole year. 
 
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A Table showiug the number of inches of Rain which fell at Jacksonville, each 
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22 
 
 SOIL. 
 
 At first sight the Northern and Western farmer will bo 
 inclined to believe much of the soil of Florida nearly worth¬ 
 less, So far from the truth however is this impression that it 
 will not hold good even of the forests lands ; the “ black jack” 
 ridges and the low “ flatwoods.” The soil is generally sandy 
 with more or less admixture of clay, lime and organic matter. 
 The greater portion of the lands in Florida may be designated 
 as pine lands ; the pitch and yellow or long beard pine (Pinus 
 Labrusca) being the principal timber. In the hummocks it is 
 mingled with white, live and water oak, gum, bay, hickory, 
 magnolia, cabbage palmetto, &c., &c. 
 
 The classification of lands in common use being based upon 
 their elevation and the character of their vegetable growth, 
 does not indicate very fully the quality of the soil. There are 
 the hummock, pine and swamp lands. Then there is the high 
 and light hummock, and the low or heavy hummock; of pine 
 lands there are the first, second and third rate. The charac¬ 
 teristic of hummock land as distinguished from pine is in the 
 fact of its being covered with a growth of underbrush, while 
 the pine lands arc open. Whenever, then, the land is not so 
 low as to be called swamp, and produces an undergrowth of 
 shrubbery, it is called hummock. 
 
 The late Dr. Byrne, an old resident of Florida, in a series of 
 letters written in 1860 gives a description of the lands in Flo¬ 
 rida, so accurate and so well adapted to our purpose, that we 
 copy it nearly entire. 
 
 “ There is in every State and Territory in the Union,' a very 
 large proportion of barren and poor lands ; but that the ratio 
 of these lands differ greatly in different States, Florida has a 
 due proportion of poor lands ; but, compared with other States, 
 the ratio of her la^rren and worthless lands is very small. With 
 the exception of the Everglades, and her irreclaimable swamp 
 lands, there is scarcely an acre in the whole State of Florida 
 that is entirely worthless, or which cannot be made, under her 
 tropical climate, tributary to some agricultural production. 
 Lands which in a more Northern climate would be utterly 
 worthless, will, in Florida, owing to her tropical character, 
 yield valuable productions. For example, the poorest pine 
 barren lands of Florida, will produce without manure, a lux¬ 
 uriant crop of Sisal Hemp, which yields more profit to the acre 
 than the richest land will when cultivated in sugar, cotton or 
 tobacco. So it is with numerous other valuable tropical pro¬ 
 ducts that are adapted to the lands, that in more Northern 
 climates would yield nothing to agriculture. Besides this, 
 
23 
 
 there are iu Florida no mountain wastes—no barren prairies 
 —and there are but few acres in the whole State not under 
 cultivation, that arc not covered with valuable timber. 
 
 I shall here give a brief sketch of the different descriptions 
 of the lands in i^loriia. 
 
 Pine lands (pitch and yellow pine) form the basis of Florida. 
 These lands are usually divided into three classes, denoting 
 first, second and third rate pine lands. 
 
 That which is denominated “ first rate pine land” in Florida 
 has nothing analogous to it in any of the other btates. Its 
 surface is covered, for several inches deep, with a dark vege¬ 
 table mould, beneath which, to the depth of several^ feet, is a 
 chocolate colored sandy loam, mixed with the most part, with 
 limestone pebbles, and resting on a substratum of marl, clay, 
 or limestone rock. The fertility and durability of this descrip¬ 
 tion of land may be estimated from the w^ell-known fact that it 
 has, on the Upper Suwannee and in several other districts, 
 yielded, during fourteen years of successive cultivation, with¬ 
 out the aid of manure, four hundred pounds of 8ea Island Cotton 
 to the acre. These lands are still as productive as ever, so 
 that the limit of their durability is still unknown. 
 
 The “ second rate pine ” land, which form the largest propor¬ 
 tion of Florida, are all productive. These lands afford fine 
 natural pasturage; they are heavily timbered with the best spe 
 cies of pitch and yellow pine; they are for the most part, high, 
 rolling, healthy and well-watered. They are generally based 
 upon marl, clay or limestone. They will produce for several 
 years without the aid of manure, and when cow-penned, they 
 will yield two thousand pounds of the best quality sugar to the 
 acre, or about three hundred pounds of Sea Island Cotton. 
 They will, besides, when properly cultivated, produce the finest 
 Cuba tobacco, oranges, lemons, limes, and various other tropi¬ 
 cal productions, which must in many instances render them 
 more valuable than the best bottom lands in the more northern 
 States. 
 
 Even the lands of the “ third rate,” or most inferior class, 
 are by no means worthless under the climate of Florida. This 
 class of lands may be divided into two orders; the one com¬ 
 prising high rolling sandy districts, which are sparsely covered 
 with a stunted growth of “ black jack ” and pine; the other 
 embracing low, flat, swampy regions, which are frequently 
 studded with “ bay galls,” and are occasionally’ innundated, 
 but which are covered with luxuriant vegetation, and very 
 generally with valuable timber. The former of those, it is now 
 ascertained, owing to their calcarous soil, is well adapted to the 
 growth of the Sisal Hemp, which is a valuable tropical produc¬ 
 tion. This plant, (the Agave Sisiliana) and the Agave Mexi- 
 
24 
 
 cana Hemp, also known as the Maguay, the Pulke Plant, the 
 Century Plant, &c., have both been introduced into Florida, 
 and they both grow in great perfection on the poorest lands of 
 the country. As these plants derive their chief support from 
 the atmosphere, they will, like the common air plant, preserve 
 their vitality for many months when left out of the ground. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to add, that the second order of the 
 third rate pine lands, as here described, is far from worthless. 
 These lands afford a most excellent range for cattle, besides 
 being valuable for their timber and the naval stores which they 
 Avill produce. 
 
 There is one general feature in the topograjjhy of Florida, 
 which no other country in the United States possesses, and 
 which affords a great security to the health of its inhabitants. 
 It is this, that the pine lands which form the basis of the coun- 
 tiT, and which are almost universally healthy, are nearly every 
 where studded at intervals of a few miles, with hummock lands 
 of the richest quality. These hummocks are not, as is generally 
 supposed, low Wet lands; they never require ditching or drain¬ 
 ing ; thev vary in extent from tAventv acres to fortv thousand 
 acres, and will probably average about 500 acres each. Hence 
 the inhabitants have it everywhere in their power to select 
 residences in the pine lands, at such convenient distances from 
 the hummocks as will enable them to cultivate the latter, with¬ 
 out endangering their health, if it should so happen that any 
 of the hummocks proved to be less healthy than the pine woods. 
 
 Experience in Florida has satisfactorily shown that residen- 
 ('cs only half a mile distant from cultivated hummocks are en¬ 
 tirely exempt from malaria diseases, and that the negroes wlio 
 cultivate those hummocks, and retire at night to pine land 
 residences, maintain perfect healtli. Indeed it is foujid that 
 residences in the hummocks themselves are generally perfectly 
 healthv after thev have been a few vears cleared. Xewlv cleared 
 lands are sometimes attended with the develo[)merit ol more or 
 less malaria. In Florida the diseases wliich result from those* 
 clearings are, as I stated in my former letter, generally of the 
 mildest t}q)e, (simple intermittent fever;) while in nearly all 
 the southern States they aie most fre(|uenLly of a s(‘vere grade 
 <.)f bilious fever. 
 
 Thotopographical feature here noted, namely, a genteel in- 
 terspersion of rich hummocks, surrounded by high, dry rolling, 
 healthy pine woods, is aji advantage Avhich no other State in 
 the Union enjoys; and Florida forms in this respect, a sticking 
 contrast with Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, whose Sugar 
 and Cotton lands are generally surrounded by vast alluvial re¬ 
 gions, subject to frequent inundations, so that it is impossible 
 to obtain,.Avithin many miles of them, a healthy residence. 
 
25 
 
 Ifc would seem paradoxical that the malaiia diseases of East 
 Florida (abounding as it does in rich hummock lands, and'ex- 
 posed to a tropical sun,) should generally be of a much milder 
 form than those which prevail in more northern latitudes. 
 That such, however, is the fact, there can be no doubt; for 
 this fact is proved by an aggregate of evidence (extending over 
 more than twenty years,) which it is impossible to resist. It 
 is suggested, in explanation of this fact, that the luxuriant 
 vegetation which in the Southern and Middle States, passes 
 through all the stages of decomposition, is, in East Florida, 
 generally dried up before it reaches the putrefactive stages of 
 decomposition, and that consequently the quantity of malaria 
 generated is much less than in climates more favorable to de¬ 
 composition. This view is strengthened by facts that the soil 
 of Florida is almost everywhere of so porous and absorbent a 
 character that moisture is seldom long retained on its surface; 
 that its atmosphere is in constant motion, and that there is 
 more clear sunshine than in the more northern States. It is 
 further suggested that the uniform prevalence of sea breezes, 
 and the constant motion of the atmosphere in the Peninsula, 
 tend so much to diffuse and attenuate whatsoever poison is 
 generated, that it will generally produce but the mildest forms 
 of malaria disease, such as intermittent fever. 
 
 The lands which in Florida are, par excellence, denominated 
 “ rich land,” are first, the “ swamp landssecond, the ‘‘ low 
 hummock landsthird, the “high hummocks,” and fourth, the 
 “ first-rate pine, oak and hickory lands.” 
 
 The swamp lands are, unquestionably, the most durably rich 
 lands in the country. They are the most recently formed 
 lands, and are still annually receiving additions to their surface. 
 They are intrinsically the most valuable lands in Florida, being 
 as fertile as the hummocks, and more durable. They are evi¬ 
 dently alluvial and of recent formation. They occupy natural 
 depressions of basins, which have been gradually filled up by 
 deposits of vegetable debris, &c., washed in from the adjacent 
 and higher lands. Ditching is indispensable to all of them in 
 their preparation for successful cultivation. Properly prepared, 
 however, their inexhaustible fertility sustains a succession of 
 the most exhausting crops ^\dth astonishing vigor. The great¬ 
 est yield of sugar ever realized in Florida, was produced on this 
 description of land, viz: four hogsheads per acre. That this 
 quantity was produced On Dummitt’s plantation near Xew 
 Smyrna, is a fact well known to those conversant Avith sugar 
 planting in East Florida. Sugar cane is liere instanced as a 
 measure of the fertility of the soil, because it is one of the most 
 exhausting crops known, and is generally grown without rest 
 or rotation. It is not, lioAveA^er, a fair criterion bv Avhich to 
 
 4 
 
26 
 
 i 
 
 judge of the relative fertility of lands situated in dilferent cli- 
 niaiX^s, for we find on the richest lands in Louisiana of sugar 
 per acre, is not more than one hogshead, or about half that of 
 East Florida. 
 
 This great disparity in the product of those countries is 
 accounted for, not by any inferiority in the lands of Louisiana 
 or Texas, but by the fact that the early incursions of frost in 
 both these States renders it necessary to cut the cane in October, 
 which is long before it has reached maturity, while in East 
 Florida it is permitted to stand, without fear of frost, till De¬ 
 cember, or till such time as it is fully matured. It is well 
 known that it ‘riassels” in East Florida, and it never does so 
 in either Louisiana or Texas. When cane tassels ” it is evi¬ 
 dence of its having reached full maturity. In consequence of 
 the heavy outlay of capital required in the preparation of this 
 description of land for cultivation, and from the facility of 
 obtaining hummock land, which requires no ditching nor 
 draining, swamp land has been but little sought after by persons 
 engaged in planting in Florida, and there is now at least a 
 million of acres of the best description of this land vacant in 
 the country, and which can be secured at less than two dollars 
 per acre. Vast bodies of it lie convenient to navigation and 
 railways, and doubtless will soon be sought after with avidity, 
 as soon as the sugar planters of Louisiana and Texas become 
 apprized of its character, and of the many advantages which 
 sugar planting in Florida presents over any other State in the 
 Union. 
 
 Loiu Hummocks, which from the fact of their participating 
 of the nature of hummocks and swamps, are sometimes termed 
 Swammock, are not inferior to swamp lands in fertility, but 
 perhaps are not quite as durable. They are nearly always’ 
 level, or nearly so, and have a soil of greater tenacity than that 
 of the high hummocks. Some ditching is necessary in many 
 of them. The soil in them is always deep. These lands are 
 also extremely well adapted to the growth of the cane, as has 
 been well attested by the many plantations which were former¬ 
 ly in operation here on this description of land. There is not 
 nearly so large a proportion of low hummock as there is of 
 swamp lands. 
 
 High Hummocks are the lands in the greatest repute in 
 Florida. These differ from low hummocks in occupying high¬ 
 er ground, and in generally presenting an undulating surface. 
 They are formed of a fine vegetable mould, mixed with a sandy 
 loam in many places two feet deep, and resting in most cases 
 on a substratum of clay, marl or limestone. It will be readily 
 understood by any one at all acquainted with agriculture, that 
 such a soil, in such a climate as Florida, must be extremely 
 
 % 
 
27 
 
 productive. This soil scarcely ever suffers from too much wet; 
 nor does drought affect it in the same degree as other lands. 
 High hummock lands produce with but little labor of cultiva¬ 
 tion, all the crops of the country in an eminent degree. Such 
 lands have no tendency to break up in heavy masses, nor are 
 they infested with pernicious weeds or grasses. Their extraor¬ 
 dinary fertility and productiveness may be estimated by the 
 fact m several well known instances, in Marion County, 
 (Clinch’s, McIntosh’s &c.,) three hogsheads of sugar have been 
 made per acre on this description of land, after it had been in 
 cultivation six years, in successive crops of corn, without the 
 aid of manure. 
 
 To sum up its advantages, it requires no other i)reparation 
 than clearing and plowing to fit it at once for the greatest pos¬ 
 sible production of any kind of crop adapted to the climate. 
 In unfavorable seasons it is much more certain to produce a 
 good crop than any other kind of land, from the fact that it is 
 less affected by exclusive dry or wet weather. It can be culti¬ 
 vated with much less labor than any other lands, being re¬ 
 markably mellow, and its vicinity is generally high and healthy. 
 These reasons are sufficient to entitle it to the estimation in 
 which it is held over all other lands. 
 
 The first-rate pine, oak and hickory lands are found in pretty 
 extensive bodies in many parts of the State, particularly in 
 Marion, Alachua and Hernando counties. From the fact that 
 those lands can be cleared at much less expense than the swamp 
 and hummock lands, they have heretofore been preferred by the 
 small planters, and have proved remarkably productive. 
 
 There are, besides the lands already noticed, extensive tracts 
 of Savanna lands, which approximate in character, texture of 
 the soil, and period and mode of formation, to the swamp lands, 
 differing only in being destitute of timber. Some of these lands 
 are, however, extremely poor. 
 
 Probably the largest bodies of rich hummock land in East 
 Florida are to be found in Levy, Alachua, ]\Iarion, Hernando 
 and Sumpter Counties. There are in Levy County alone, not 
 less than one hundred thousand acres of the very best descrip¬ 
 tion of sugar lands; and there is but a small proportion in any 
 of the five counties here cited, that will not produce remunera¬ 
 tive crops of Sea Island and Short Staple Cotton, without the 
 aid of manure.” 
 
 The lands on the St. John’s River, taken as a whole, arc not 
 as fertile as in some other sections of the State. There are, how¬ 
 ever, thousands of acres of rich hummock land within a mile of 
 the river, which are as yet an unbroken forest, and the pine lands 
 are much better than the average of the whole State. Besides 
 there is an abundance of muck on the banks of the river and 
 
28 
 
 its tributaries, which furnishes a most excellent fertilizer. 
 Lime, marl and shells are also easily obtained, and have been 
 used with very beneficial results. 
 
 In Middle Florida, the Counties of Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson 
 and Madison, have large quantities of high, rolling hummock 
 land; also the County of Jackson in West Florida. They are 
 much more undulating than in East Florida, and are underlaid 
 with a stiff red clay. They are by far the best lands in the 
 State for short staple Cotton, to which they have been almost 
 exclusively appropriated. There is in Volusia County, a range 
 of low hummock, a little back from the coast, from a half to 
 two miles wide, and extending from the head of the Halifax to 
 the head of the Indian Eiver, some fifty miles, as well adapted 
 to sugar cane as any land in the State. The Gulf hummock 
 in Levy County, comprises perhaps the largest body of rich 
 land in Florida. It was bought up years ago at from five to 
 ten dollars per acre by private parties, by whom it is mostly 
 held at the present time. The Florida Kailroad runs through 
 it, and it will no doubt become, at an early day, one of the 
 garden spots of the State. The clearing of the hummocks, 
 however, is expensive, and, as in every new country, we may 
 expect to see the lands more lightly timbered first brought 
 into cultivation. 
 
 PRODUCTIONS. 
 
 FIELD CROPS. 
 
 0 
 
 In no State of the Union can so extensive a variety of valua¬ 
 ble productions be successfully cultivated as in Florida. Most 
 of the crops grown in the temperate zone flourish in the northern 
 portion of the State. Nearly all the Peninsula is adapted to the 
 cultivation of semi-tropical fruits. At least one-fourth of the 
 entire area of the State is south of the line of frost, and v;ill grow 
 successfully the tropical productions of the West Indies. Here¬ 
 tofore Cotton has been the principal staple. Indian Corn has 
 been largely raised, but not in sufficient quantity to supply the 
 home demand. Tobacco and sugar have been grown to some 
 extent. Of late, however, attention has been turned to other 
 productions, and a new era in the development of the resources 
 of Florida has already commenced. On the St. John’s river and 
 along the railroads, the culture of vegetables for the northern 
 
29 
 
 markets is receiving much attention, and is no longer an experi¬ 
 ment. Fruit growing, hitherto neglected, is being prosecuted 
 with energy, and cannot fail to become one of our most important 
 interests. There are large quantities of land in Florida yet in a 
 state of nature, admirably adapted to the culture of cane, and 
 there is little doubt that within a few years. Sugar will become 
 an important staple. In giving an account of the more import¬ 
 ant productions, we have condensed into a small space much in¬ 
 formation concerning their cultivation, &c., which to those unac¬ 
 quainted with the climate and soil of Florida, will prove we doubt 
 not, both interesting and useful. We place first on the list, 
 
 INDIAN CORN. 
 
 It is to the mass of the people the “ staff of life.” It is grown 
 in all parts of the State. On rich bottom lands from 50 to 60 
 bushels per acre is raised, while on ordinary pine lands, without 
 manure, 10 bushels per acre is a fair crop. February is the best 
 month to plant. The common method is to plant in hills, four 
 feet apart each w^ay, thinning out to one or two stalks to 
 each hill at the first plowing. Three plowings are usually given; 
 the last early in June. The hand-hoe is used at the first and 
 second plowings, to cut up the weeds not turned under by the 
 plow. It is customary, in the latter part of July, after the Cot¬ 
 ton crop has been laid by, to strip off the blades and bind them 
 in bundles for fodder, but we doubt if it will pay at the present 
 cost of labor. During the fall months the ears of corn are broken 
 off and stored in the crib without husking. This is to prevent 
 the depredations of the wevil upon the grain after it is stored. 
 
 COTTON. 
 
 In 1S60 Florida produced 63,322 bales of ginned cotton. 
 The crop of last year, though much less in quantity exceeded in 
 value that of 1860, but did not pay the cost of cultivation on the 
 whole. Without doubt, however, it will continue to be cultivated 
 and to be an important staple, but will not, as formerly, monop¬ 
 olize the capital and industry of the country. Both the long 
 staple or sea-island, and the short staple or upland Cotton are 
 cultivated. There is but little long cotton grown west of the 
 Suwanee river, except in the County of Gadsden, and scarcely 
 any short cotton east of the Suwanee. April is the month for 
 planting. Many commence the last of March. The picking 
 season commences the last of August, and continues until Christ¬ 
 mas. 200 to 300 pounds of short Cotton per acre is a fair yield 
 upon ordinary soils, but 5001bs per acre is not an unusual crop on 
 strong land. Long Cotton produces from 100 to 200 pounds 
 per acre as an average crop, but under favorable circumstances, 
 
 
30 
 
 300 and even 400 pounds have been raised. We cannot enter 
 into the details of its culture, and give no estimates upon the 
 cost of cultivation. It is generally conceded that the plantation 
 system must pass away, and the large landed estates be divided 
 up into small farms, to be cultivated in the main by those who 
 hold the title to the soil. This change, of course, is not to be 
 effected in one year or five, but there is reason to believe that 
 this generation, even will see it consummated. Whether cotton 
 will continue, under the new system, to be our most important 
 staple is, of course, problematical, but the conditions under 
 which it will be cultivated will be so different, that an estimate 
 of the cost of cultivation under the present method, would be of 
 little value. 
 
 SUGAR. 
 
 Sugar Cane has been cultivated in small patches for home 
 consumption, and to some extent for market. The adaptability 
 of the soil and climate of Florida to its culture has long been 
 known, but owing to a variety of causes, its resources in this 
 direction have hardly begun to be developed. As early as 1823, 
 Vignoles writes as follows :—“ Respecting Sugar, the recent 
 successful trials that have been made upon it, have determined 
 the curious fact that it will grow in almost any of the soils of 
 Florida, south of the mouth of St. John’s river; the great length 
 of summer, or period of absolute elevation of the thermometer 
 above the freezing point, allows the cane to ripen much higher 
 than in Louisiana.” Williams, writing in 1837, says:—“This 
 (Sugar,) ought to be the staple of the country. Experiments in 
 every part of the territory prove that all our good lands will 
 produce Sugar Cane as well as any other crop.” Further on he 
 says:—“A general impression has prevailed that sugar could not 
 be made to advantage unless a great capital is invested; but 
 • experience abundantly proves that a small capital may be as 
 
 profitably employed in the culture of Cane as in any other pro¬ 
 duct.” The truth of the above statements have been proved 
 by recent experiments. A correspondent of the Evening Post, 
 writing from Enterprise the past winter, says:—“ Sugar cane 
 has been raised with success for many years. I saw on the farm 
 of 0. C. Arnett, on the lake, the largest field I have yet found 
 in the State. , He cultivated ten acres. His land is hummock, 
 and has been cultivated without manure for nearly twenty years. 
 Mr. Arnett’s crop was not planted until the middle of February, 
 instead of the usual time, between Christmas and the last of 
 January. He banked the earth around the cane throughout 
 the season, leaving a deep furrow between the row’s. He has 
 just finished manufacturing his crop, and finds that it has produ- 
 
31 
 
 ced at the rate of 1,500 lbs. of Sugar, and 300 gallons of Molas¬ 
 ses to the acre.” Allowing a gallon of Molasses to make five 
 pounds of Sugar (a low estimate), and we have 3,000 pounds to 
 the acre, from land which has been cultivated without manure 
 for near twepty years. Solon Eobinson, who spent the past 
 winter in Florida, gives an extended account of the experiments 
 of Mr. W.W. Holden, of Orange County, in the culture of Sugar 
 Cane, from which we extract the following: “ Mr. Holden’s 
 place is upon just such land as composes the great body of East 
 Florida—that is, dry sandy soil with clay deep down; the most 
 common growth long-leaf pine [Finns palnstris)^ some oaks, hick¬ 
 ory, holly, and other trees, and a natural growth of weeds that 
 would astonish a northern farmer. With good cultivation in a 
 favorable season, Mr. Holden estimates a fair crop of corn at 20 
 bushels per acre in that vicinity. His crop last year was 17h 
 bushels per acre. Since the war he- has been experimenting 
 with Sugar Cane upon such land as I have described—that is, 
 good, fair quality, sandy, pine land; such as gave 17J bushels 
 of’corn to the acre; and this is the result. He had, the past 
 season, 2^ acres of ‘ plant cane,’ (a term used to distinguish it 
 from that which grows after the first year from the rattoons) 
 worked in the same way and to the same amount as he worked 
 his corn ; and planted the same distance apart in February. It 
 is usual to make beds for the cane. He did not, but cultivated 
 flat and not as much as would have been profitable. He has 
 (January 15,) just finished grinding, and has 20 barrels of beau¬ 
 tiful Sugar, worth 13c. per lb. at the mill, and 11 barrels Syrup 
 worth 75c. per gallon. He uses a three-roller iron mill, driven 
 by a pair of horses, and it required himself, three men and two 
 boys ten days to work up the crop.” Mr. Eobinson estimates 
 the cost of the above crop at $450. Estimating 225 lbs. of Su¬ 
 gar to a barrel, at the prices mentioned the crop would amount 
 to $873.75, or $388.33 per acre. Beyond question, the ordinary 
 yield of Sugar per acre, in Florida, is nearly twice as great as 
 in Louisiana, and the soil is much easier tilled. The Cane pro¬ 
 duces well from the rattoon for three to five years, and even 
 longer in the southern portion of the State. Experiments which 
 have been made in fertilizing indicate that swamp muck is one 
 of the very best manures for this crop. Of this there is an 
 abundance within the reach of almost every man’s farm. But 
 there are thousands of acres of rich hummocks yet in a state of 
 nature, which are susceptible of producing, for a series of years, 
 without manure, as fine crops of Sugar as any that grow in the 
 West Indies. The idea has been prevalent that Sugar Making 
 must be conducted on a large scale to make it profitable, but this 
 is an error. “ 1 am now well satisfied,” says Mr. Eobinson, 
 ‘•that small farmers can grow Cane upon any good pine land by 
 
 \ 
 
32 
 
 manuring, and can make Sugar as easily as Yankee farmers 
 make cider,” and he adds : “ Undoubtedly it would be more 
 remunerative, indeed extremely profitable, on a large scale.” 
 
 SWEET POTATOES. 
 
 Next to Indian Corn, the most important article of vegetable 
 food in common use is the Sweet Potatoe. They do best on a 
 light soil, well manured. The yield per acre is from 100 to 300 
 bushels, depending upon the season, culture and quality of soil. 
 They are propagated from the seed, like Irish Potatoes; from 
 draws, and from the vines. Under the first method, the Potatoes 
 are planted in hills or drills early in the season, and cultivated 
 very much the same as Irish Potatoes. By the second method, 
 the Potatoes are planted thickly in a bed; when they have 
 sprouted two or three inches, the young shoots, called draws^ 
 are broken off and set out in the field. This must be done in 
 damp or showery weather. The third is by cutting off and 
 planting out pieces of the vines, after the plants have commenced 
 running. The crop raised from vines is later, but frequently not 
 inferior either in quantity or quality to that raised by the other 
 methods of propagation. The early crop begins to mature about 
 midsummer. The crop is a profitable one, and deserving of 
 more attention, as a market crop, than it has hitherto received. 
 Sweet Potatoes bear shipment well, and always command good 
 prices in the Northern Markets. 
 
 IRISH POTATOES. 
 
 This crop does not produce as well as at the North, but is 
 off in time to be followed by a crop of Sweet Potatoes the same 
 year. They should be planted in January, although good crops 
 are sometimes obtained from later planting. A covering of muck, 
 grass or coarse compost is very beneficial. The' Potatoes are fit 
 for digging in May. They can be shipped without difficulty, and 
 at a moderate expense, to the northern markets, where they are 
 worth eight to nine dollars per barrel. The culture is essentially 
 the same as that practiced at the North. 
 
 RICE. 
 
 There is much low land in Florida, well adapted to the cult¬ 
 ure of Pice. It has been raised to quite an extent for home 
 consumption. Forty to sixty bushels per acre of rough rice is an 
 average crop. It is not likely to become a staple crop, still it 
 may be cultivated to advantage in many locations. It is much 
 used as an article of food by all classes. 
 
33 
 
 TOBACCO. 
 
 Cuba Tobacco was largely cultivated in the county of Gads* 
 den before the war, and to some extent in some other portions 
 of the State; but it is now almost entirely neglected. The cul¬ 
 tivation is somewhat tedious. There is no crop that requires so 
 constant attention. Three cuttings in a season are produced 
 from the same stalks. Tobacco is an exhaustive crop, and re¬ 
 quires a fertile soil. Still its cultivation on a small scale may 
 be made extremely profitable. 700 lbs. to the acre is an average 
 yield. 
 
 INDIGO. 
 
 Under the British occupation of Florida, Indigo was the prin¬ 
 cipal staple. It is a sure crop, but its culture has been wholly 
 abandoned. The plant grows wild in many parts of the State, 
 and will doubtless at some future time be cultivated extensively. 
 The plant has become naturalized or is indigenous, and is found 
 growing wild in various parts of the State. 
 
 SISAL HEMP. 
 
 Dr. Henry Ferine introduced the Sisal Hemp into South 
 Florida some 25 years ago, from Yucatan. It is a purely tropi¬ 
 cal plant. The soil and climate south of the line of frost is well 
 adapted to its growth. Heretofore the difiiculty has been in 
 devising some economical method of separating the fibre from 
 the pulp. A machine has been invented recently, which is 
 cheap, and believed to be efiBcient. Concerning its culture the 
 late Wm. C. Dennis, of Key West, says : “ It is no longer an 
 
 experiment here, as to the growth of the plant, the amount of 
 the product or the value of the fibre. It requires no replanting, 
 and very little care after the first year or two. A ton of clean¬ 
 ed hemp can be made to the acre, worth at least $300 per ton. 
 
 CASTOR BEAN. 
 
 The Palma Christi, or Castor Bean, grows luxuriantly. In 
 the southern portion of the State it is perennial, and attains the 
 size of a small tree. It is frequently seen in gardens and in 
 waste places. We do not know that any experiments have 
 been made in its cultivation as a field crop; but we deem it 
 worthy of attention. 
 
 SILK. 
 
 Much has been said and written about the breeding of Silk 
 Worms, and production of Silk, in Florida. At one time Silk 
 
growing received considerable attention at St. Augustine. The 
 conditions for a successful prosecution of the business seem pe¬ 
 culiarly favorable. The mulberry is a native of our forests. 
 Cocoons of the Silk-Worm are often found upon them. The 
 climate is more mild than that of Italy. There is no reason 
 why this valuable staple should not be largely produced. 
 
 COFFEE. 
 
 We know no reason why Coffee could not be grown success¬ 
 fully south of the 28th parallel; but we have not been able to 
 learn from any reliable source, that any experiments have been 
 made in its culture. More than forty years ago, a Philadelphia 
 Company sent out an expedition to explore the country and se¬ 
 lect suitable spots for the cultivation of the Coffee plant; but 
 the project was abandoned, Congress refusing the grant of lands 
 required by the Company. If our climate and soil should be 
 found suitable for the culture of Coffee, it could not fail to be¬ 
 come, in a few years, an important staple. 
 
 TEA. 
 
 The efforts which have been made heretofore to introduce the 
 culture of tea into the United States, do not seem to have met 
 with the success which had been anticipated. The soil of Mid¬ 
 dle Florida is said to resemble in quality that which is so much 
 sought after in Assam by Tea-growers, and its culture may be¬ 
 come an important branch of industry at some future day. 
 
 PEAS. 
 
 The common English Pea is not cultivated as a field crop. 
 The Cow Pea is extensively grown and produces excellent crops. 
 It resembles the bean family in the appearance of its foliage and 
 the manner of its growth. It is common to sow them between 
 the rows of corn at the last plowing. They will produce from 
 10 to 15 bushels per acre, besides a large amount of forage. On 
 account of the luxuriant growth of vine, on poor soils even, its 
 culture as a green crop, to be turned in, has been recommended. 
 
 PEA-NUTS. 
 
 The Pea-Nut, Pinder, Goober or Ground-Pea, as the plant is 
 variously called, grows well on almost any warm, light soil. 
 The seed should be planted early in the spring. The after cul¬ 
 tivation is simple. A hundred bushels to the acre is an average 
 crop. They are worth $2 50 to $3 00 per bushel. The nut pro- 
 duces an oil, which is said to be equal to the finest olive oil. 
 
35 
 
 RAMIE. 
 
 The'Eamie plant has been recently introduced into Louisiana. 
 It is believed it will become an important Southern staple. The 
 plant produces a fibre of fine quality and glossy whiteness, which 
 is used in manufacturing cloths, either by itself or mixed with 
 silk or wool. It is a hardy and vigorous grower, and, in this 
 climate, perennial. The Eamie belongs to the family of Urtica- 
 cece^ of which the common nettle is an example, and to which the 
 hemp plant belongs. It is claimed that the fibre of the Eamie 
 is stronger than the best European hemp; that it may be spun 
 as fine as that of flax, and that it is doubly durable; that it will 
 produce from three to five annual crops, each equal to the best 
 gathered from hemp. 
 
 ARROW ROOT. 
 
 The Koonta, or Indian Arrow-root, grows wfild in the south¬ 
 ern portion of the peninsula. It was formerly manufactured 
 quite, extensively ; the sole labor consisting of bringing it from 
 the forest lands and conveying it to the mill; the simple stirring 
 occasioned by the digging being sufficient to secure a better 
 crop than the one just removed. 
 
 The Bermuda Arrow-root also flourishes, producing, even on 
 pine lands, from 200 to 300 bushels per acre. The yield of 
 merchantable Arrow-root Flour, obtained by imperfect mills, is 
 from six to eight lbs. to the bushel. 
 
 WHEAT, RYE AND OATS. 
 
 Wheat has been grown in the northern part of the State, but 
 is so uncertain a crop that it is not cultivated. Eye and Oats 
 are raised to some extent, chiefly as forage crops. They should 
 be sowed early in the winter. Unless the crop ripens before 
 warm weather comes on, very little grain will be obtained. 
 
 (2.) dAEDEN YEGETABLES. 
 
 Under this head we shall notice the crops usually cultivated 
 in market gardens, to the production of which the soil and cli¬ 
 mate of Florida are admirably adapted. The growing of vege¬ 
 tables for the northern markets has not, until recently, received 
 any attention. In view of the fact, however, that vegetables 
 grown here can be placed in the markets of the northern sea¬ 
 board cities from a month to six weeks earlier than from any 
 
36 
 
 1 
 
 \ 
 
 other point, many have been encouraged to experiment, while 
 some parties have engaged in the business quite extensively. 
 The chief difficulty which has been encountered is that of trans¬ 
 portation. Mistakes have also been made in picking too green 
 or too ripe; and careful packing for shipment, has not received 
 sufficient attention. The delays incident to transhipment at 
 Savannah or Charleston, have been such that in several instances 
 shipments of Tomatoes have become utterly worthless on reach¬ 
 ing New York. This year, however, the connections are closer, 
 and we do not hear so much complaint. There is little doubt, 
 however, that before another season, a line of steamers will run 
 between Jacksonville and New York. This will save from one 
 to two days time on the passage, beside the injury arising from 
 re-shipment. Direct steam communication will enable the gar¬ 
 deners on the St. Johns river to place in the New York market, 
 in good condition, and with little risk, if properly packed. Toma¬ 
 toes, Cucumbers, Green Peas, Snap Beans, Melons, Green Corn, 
 &c., &c., as early in the season as required, and at a fair profit. 
 We have little doubt that Plorida will become, at no distant day, 
 the early market garden of all the northern cities. Another 
 year will see the business largely increased.* 
 
 « 
 
 TOMATOES. 
 
 The Tomato is easil})^ cultivated, and produces abundantly. 
 If the soil is not already in good condition, fertilizers should be 
 used. It is bad policy to attempt to raise any garden crop on 
 poor soil. It ripens from May to July. Early lots sell for 
 almost marvelous prices in New York—$1,200 has been netted 
 from a single acre. Col. Eodman, who has had much experi¬ 
 ence with this crop, says it will yield from 400 to 500 bushels 
 to the acre, in ordinary seasons. By the use of cold frames 
 there would be no difficulty in having ripe Tomatoes at Jack¬ 
 sonville in March, and by the aid of an ordinary hot bed they 
 could be had during the entire winter. South of Palatka they 
 are ripened in the open air every month in the year. 
 
 CUCUMBERS. 
 
 In May last, Florida Cucumbers were quoted at $10 per 
 hundred in the New York Market. At this rate they would 
 be an exceedingly profitable crop. The plant has to contend 
 
 * Our statements as to the time of ripening, &c., of the various crops, 
 apply to the latitude of Jacksonville, unless otherwise stated. As far 
 south as Enterprise, nearly all the vegetables cultivated in a market 
 garden, can be ripened any month in the year. 
 
37 
 
 with few of the enemies which prove so destructive at the North. 
 It is ready for market about the same time as the Tomato, and 
 bears shipment exceedingly w^ell. 
 
 MELONS. 
 
 There is no country where the Watermelon attains greater 
 perfection than in Florida, and we might add, where they can be 
 raised with less care. The Muskmelon and Cantaleup also 
 flourish. Melons and Cucumbers should be planted in March; 
 April will do, however, for Melons, and'sometimes is necessary 
 —the first plants being occasionally destroyed by cold weather. 
 Watermelons being bulky, and liable to injury from handling, 
 are not so well adapted for shipment as Tomatoes and Cucum¬ 
 bers; but thousands have been shipped the past season, and 
 profitably laid down in New York. They are abundant all 
 through June and July. 
 
 PEAS. 
 
 Soils that contain some lime, quite rich and moderately moist, 
 are the best for Peas. The month of January is the best time 
 to plant. The crop will then be ready for market in April, at 
 which season Green Peas command high prices in New York. 
 They bear shipment well, and will be found a profitable crop. 
 
 BEANS. 
 
 Beans of all kinds grow well, particularly the Lima Bean, 
 which should be planted early in March. The Lima or Butter 
 Bean, as it is commonly called, is found in almost every garden. 
 Of its value as a market crop we .are unable to speak. Snap 
 Beans are very prolific, and their culture for shipment North is 
 worthy of attention. 
 
 CABBAGES AND TURNIPS. 
 
 Cabbages succeed best in winter. Sown in the Fall they will 
 produce fine heads in the Spring months. A rich and moist soil 
 is best suited to this crop. Turnips can be had fresh nearly 
 every month in the year. In the summer they do not bottom 
 well, but are a valuable winter crop. Cauliflower, Brocoli, and 
 Kohl Babe are grown without difficulty. The latter is very 
 common in our market. 
 
 BEETS, &c. 
 
 Beets do best in a deep, rich, moist soil. For winter use 
 plant in September or October; for Summer, in January or Feb- 
 
 0 
 
38 
 
 ( 
 
 ruary. Carrots and Parsnips should be treated in the same 
 manner. None of these crops produce as well as at the North. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS CROPS. 
 
 Nearlyif not quite all the vegetables usually cultivated in a 
 good family garden can be raised for home use. Squashes are 
 grown with great ease and of the best quality. Onions grown 
 from “sets” seem to produce best. Lettuce, Radishes, Cellery, 
 
 &c., &c., grow to perfection ; also Peppers, Parsley, &c. As¬ 
 paragus and Rhubarb succeed with the usual attention. The 
 Egg Plant does finely. Okra is found growing in every garden. 
 
 It is highly prized by the old residents. The edible part is the 
 green seed-pods; from these the celebrated gumbo soup is made. 
 
 They are also boiled and served as Asparagus. 
 
 It may be observed that with proper care and attention, fresh 
 vegetables may be had for the table every day in the year. For 
 a family to be thus supplied would be desirable, both on the 
 score of health and economy. In warm climates vegetable food 
 is more wholesome than animal, and we urge upon all new 
 comers the importance of giving early attention to the kitchen 
 garden. 
 
 Whatever opinion may be formed as to the adaptation of 
 Florida to the successful cultivation of farm and garden crops, 
 there can be but one opinion as to its fitness for the growth of 
 tropical and semi-tropical Fruits. In this respect Florida en¬ 
 joys a monopoly which, when fairly developed, will make her 
 one of the richest and most important of the United States. 
 Oranges, Lemons, Pine Apples, and various other tropical 
 Fruits, will yield an average profit of at least one thousand 
 dollars per acre yearly It is the adaptability of the climate 
 to these productions, that makes even the inferior lands of 
 Florida susceptible of producing crops more valuable than 
 those of the best lands in other parts ol the Union. The cult¬ 
 ure of Fruit in Florida, without doubt, offers greater opportu¬ 
 nities for practical and energetic Fruit Growers, than in any 
 other part of the Union. It is the appreciation of this fact 
 that is awakening such an interest in the .business, and bring¬ 
 ing to our shores large numbers from nearly every State. To 
 supply, as far as possible, the general want of information 
 
 f 
 
39 
 
 upon the subject ol' Fruit Culture in Florida, we have collated 
 the following pages, from the materials in our possession, and 
 from individual observation. 
 
 ORANGES. 
 
 The Orange belongs to the citrus family, in which arc inclu¬ 
 ded the Lemon, Lime, Citron, Shaddock and similar fruits. The 
 varieties are numerous. In their native state they continue 
 flowering nearly all the summer, and for a considerable portion 
 of the year. Every stage of growth, from the flower, bud, 
 ripe fruit, can be seen on the same tree. The sour Orange 
 and the bitter-sweet grow wild upon the St. Johns and Indian 
 rivers, and in many other parts of the peninsula. A corres 
 pondent of the New York Worlds writing from Indian River, 
 says : “ In the primeval woods on the banks are vast gardens 
 
 of the sour wild Orange, the juice of which is acrid as vinegar, 
 and when mixed with sugar and water makes an excellent 
 beverage that has many tonic qualities, that act as a prevent¬ 
 ive or cure to the light fevers of the country. These Oranges 
 are to be found in nearly every part of the woods, and we often 
 had to clear the ground of vast quantities of the fruit before 
 we could pitch our tents.” The Orange is a sure crop. The 
 tree is long-lived, and has very few enemies. The scale insect, 
 {coceus heoperidum,) which first made its appearance in 1838, and 
 for a time proved a formidable enemy to the Orange tree,has near¬ 
 ly or altogether disappeared. North of the 30th deg. of latitude, 
 except on the St. Johns and Apalachicola rivers, the crop is 
 somewhat doubtful, being liable to be cut off by frost. Once, 
 indeed, since the settlement of the country—in 1835,—the Or¬ 
 ange and most other fruit trees were destroyed as far south as 
 the 28th degree of latitude. • x\t that time there were trees 
 growing at St. Augustine more that one hundred years old. 
 
 The Oranges of Florida are celebrated for their superior 
 quality. At present the best method of establishing a grove 
 is to set out the wild Orange trees, and, at the proper time, 
 bud it with the sweet orange. The sour trees may be dug up 
 at any time during the winter, and transplanted. They are 
 usually cut off three to four feet from the ground at the time 
 of taking up. During the summer months shoots large enough 
 to bud will start out ; two or three of the best are selected, 
 and the others rubbed off. The buds grow the first year. The 
 tree usually commences bearing the third year from transplant¬ 
 ing. By the fifth year a grove well cared for, ought to average 
 100 to the tree. The trees should be set 20 feet apart, which 
 gives about 100 to the acre. Wild trees can be had in Jack¬ 
 sonville at about $50 per hundred. They are brought from the 
 
40 
 
 f<: 
 
 r 
 
 \ 
 
 hummocks on the upper St. Johns. When the supply of wild 
 Orange trees is exhausted, as it will be, doubtless, within a 
 few years, resort to nursery stock will be necessary. But their 
 propagation is not difficult. Grown from the seed, at the end 
 of three years the trees will be five to six feet high, and an 
 inch or more in diameter. These should be set out in the orch¬ 
 ard and budded, as described for the wild stocks. 
 
 The Orange will grow upon almost any soil,|but in order to 
 secure good crops, a moderate degree of fertility is required. 
 There is no place where the tree does better than upon the 
 shell hummocks, indicating that lime is a valuable fertilizer. 
 This can -easily be supplied in the shape of marl or shells, in 
 any part of the State. Swamp muck is also a good manure. 
 
 A grove in full bearing should average 500 to the tree. 
 Many trees will bear from 1,000 to 3,000 per year. Mr. C. F. 
 Reed, of Mandarin, raised 12,000 from three trees the past year 
 —one tree bearing 3,200, one 3,300, and one 5,500. Some of 
 them weighed as high as 19 ounces. William Edwards, Esq., 
 of Micanopy has a fine grove of 72 trjees in bearing, some of 
 which bear from 2,000 to 3,000 Oranges each. 
 
 In Jacksonville Oranges have sold, the past season, at from 
 twenty-five to sixty dollars per thousand. Taking 500 as the 
 average per tree, and 100 trees to the acre, and we have 50,000 
 Oranges from an acre, which, at forty dollars per thousand, 
 which may be taken as the average price, will give $2,000 ; 
 while at twenty-five dollars, the lowest price at which good 
 Oranges were sold, we have $1,250 as the income from a single 
 acre. It requires no great outlay of capital to start an Orange 
 grove, and its care involves no more labor than the care of an 
 apple orchard of the same size. We leave it for parties inter¬ 
 ested to calculate the profits arising from an Orange grove of 
 ten acres in full bearing. We are quite sure that the credit 
 side of the sheet will show that the profit of growing the Orange 
 is larger in proportion to the expenditure of money and labor, 
 than that derived from the cultivation of any other crop grown 
 in the United States. The largest grove in the State is situa¬ 
 ted on the east coast, near Cape Carnareval. It is known as 
 Dummit’s Grove, from the name of the proprietor. It contains 
 some 1,350 bearing trees, which have produced, in a single 
 year, 700,000 Oranges. The soil is alight sandy loam, under¬ 
 laid with a rotten limestone. We believe this is the only 
 grove in the State exceeding 1,000 bearing trees. 
 
 LEMONS, LIMES,"CITRONS, 
 
 It will be unnecessary to go into detail regarding these 
 fruits, since the remarks which we have made with regard to 
 
 I 
 
41 
 
 the soil, climate and culture required for the Orange, will 
 apply equally to them. The Lemon is, perhaps, a trifle more 
 hardy than the Orange. The Sicily Lemon, budded on the sour 
 or bitter-sweet Orange, does finely. Last fall, R. B. Crane, 
 Esq., of this city, sent to a friend in New York, some speci¬ 
 mens of Oranges and Lemons, as samples of what Florida can 
 raise ; in the collection was a small branch upon which grew 
 seven lemons. Six of these averaged 13 inches in circumfer¬ 
 ence, and the whole weighed just seven pounds. They were 
 raised by M. I. Phillips, Esq., two miles from Jacksonville. 
 
 The Lime is a prolific bearer, and a most wholesome and 
 excellent fruit. In south Florida the tree is in bearing nearly 
 the whole year. The green fruit makes a fine preserve. They 
 are easily propagated and come into bearing early. Doubtless 
 a good business could be done at raising them for the juice, 
 which is an article of commerce. 
 
 The Citron grows on a straggling bush, which requires sup¬ 
 port while the fruit is ripening. We have seen them six to 
 eight inches in diameter, of a rich yellow color, hanging from 
 the slender branches, fitting emblems of the golden fruits of 
 autumn. The Citron does well wherever the Orange flourishes. 
 
 The Shaddock resembles a large Lemon. It is a coarse 
 fruit, and of little value except for culinary purposes. 
 
 The Grape Fruit is similar to the Shaddock. 
 
 All the above can be propagated by budding, more easily 
 even, than the Orange. 
 
 PEACHES. 
 
 The Peach attains its highest degree of perfection at the 
 South. The trees possess more vigor and greater longevity 
 than at the North. But little attention has been paid to the 
 cultivation of the better varieties, but they seem to do equally 
 well with the native seedlings, from which the greater portion 
 of the fruit brought to our market is produced. So well adapt¬ 
 ed is the climate to the growth of the Peach, that they are 
 found growing wild by the road-sides and in the corners of 
 the fences. With direct steam communication, there will be 
 no difficulty in shipping them to New York, where during the 
 months of June and July they would command high prices. 
 D. Redmond, of Augusta, Georgia, late editor of the Southern 
 Cultivator, says : “ When the peach tree receives any thing 
 
 like proper culture, or attention in our climate, it is liable to 
 no diseases ; and is far more thrifty and long-lived than in 
 more northern localities. We have no yellows, nor similar 
 malady : and all that is necessary to keep the tree in perfect 
 health is judicious pruning (shortening in) and frequent stir¬ 
 ring of the surface soil around it.” 
 
GRAPES. 
 
 The South is the true home of the Grape. It is found wild 
 in the forests of Florida, and growing luxuriantly. In the 
 southern part of the State three crops of grapes in a year are 
 gathered. The Black Hamburg, White Muscat, Golden Ches- 
 salas, and other foreign Grapes, grow and fruit finely in the 
 open air. The Concord succeeds well, and is so much improved 
 that it is nearly equal in quality to the Slack Hamburg. The 
 Scuppernong is cultivated more widely than any other variety. 
 It makes a fine wine by the addition of a little sugar; equal 
 to any manufactured in California, as we have been assured 
 by good judges. Over 2,000 gallons have been made from an 
 acre. But little attention has been given to vine culture, and 
 doubtless varieties may be found better adapted to our soil 
 and climate than any of those mentioned. 
 
 FIGS. 
 
 Of all the fruits cultivated in the South, says a distinguished 
 horticulturist, the Fig requires the least care, and is one of 
 the most productive and useful. It is propagated readily from 
 cuttings, which usually bear the second year. During the 
 summer months the Fig may be found upon the breakfast ta¬ 
 bles of all lovers of fine fruit. When ripe it is mild, rich and 
 luscious, without being cloying even to those of the most del¬ 
 icate appetite. Being very perishable, it is valuable only for 
 the home market. The dampness of the climate does not ad¬ 
 mit of its being put up like the figs of commerce. This diffi¬ 
 culty may doubtless be overcome by artificial means, and 
 would make the Fig an article of great commercial value to 
 the State. A moist and fertile soil is best suited to the fig; but 
 it grows readily in almost any location. Every one in Florida 
 who owns a foot of land may literally “ sit under his own vine 
 and fig tree.” 
 
 POMEGRANATES. 
 
 The Pomegranate is common in Florida. There are the sweet 
 and sour varieties. The bush is a pretty ornamental shrub, 
 and with its beautiful blossoms and pendant fruit is decidedly 
 ornamental. The rind is very bitter, and has been used as a 
 substitute for Peruvian bark; but the juice, which is contained 
 in little sacks surrounding the seeds, is a pleasant acid, and 
 quite agreeable. 
 
 APPLES, PEARS, AND QUINCES. 
 
 These fruits have been cultivated in the northern part of the 
 State, but we cannot recommend them as worthy of general 
 
43 
 
 attention. There are instances of the Pear having been grafted 
 on the wild Hawthorn with good results. The Quince, too, 
 may succeed moderately well under favorable circumstances. 
 
 PLUMS, CHERRIES, 
 
 The Plum grows wild all over the State, and some of the 
 varieties are scarcely inferior to many of the cultivated sorts. 
 The tree is not subject to ‘‘ black knot,” or other serious mala¬ 
 dies. Doubtless the better varieties can be successfully worked 
 on the wild stocks. The Cherry does not succeed well; the 
 Currant, also, has been reluctantly discarded. Apricots and 
 nectarines succeed cjuite as Avell as the Peach. 
 
 BERRIES. 
 
 There is no place where the Blackberry is more perfectly at 
 home, than in Florida. The running variety, or Dewberry, 
 commences ripening early in April and continues in bearing till 
 May, when the high Blackbeny comes on, and continues in 
 bearing until July. The Lawton was fruited by Dr. Sanborn 
 last year. He says: “It did well, but needs moist ground.” 
 The Huchleberry grows everywhere, and is plenty in market 
 during the month of May. The Strcmherrij is easily cultivated 
 and bears abundant crops. It requires a moist and fertile soil. 
 The fruit commences ripening in March, and the vines, if freely 
 watered, will continue in bearing for six months. Wilson’s 
 Albany is, perhaps, the best variety for this latitude. Hovey’s 
 Seedling also does well. The Mulberry grows wild, and bears 
 two crops in a year. The northern Gooseberry and Cranberry 
 do not succeed. 
 
 THE OLIVE. 
 
 The Olive has been successfully cultivated, and is deserving 
 attention. Trees grown from the seed commence bearing the 
 tenth year, and are fully productive about the twentieth or 
 twenty-fifth. 
 
 THE BANANA AND PlNE-ArPLE. 
 
 In all the southern portion of the Peninsula the Banana does 
 finely. In the northern part of the State they require protec¬ 
 tion in winter. The Pine-apple also succeeds admirably in 
 South Florida. It and the Banana are raised from suckers, 
 which come into bearing about eighteen months after being 
 planted. The stalks die after fruiting,,and give place to suck- 
 
44 
 
 ers which spring up around the parent stock. The Banana 
 grows to the height of ten feet; the Pine-apple to a height of 
 about three feet. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 Of strictly tropical fruits, that are worthy of attention, in 
 addition to those above noticed, may be mentioned the Guava, 
 Sappadillo, Sugar-apple, Tamarind, Alligator Pear, Pawpaw 
 Plantain, Cocoa-nut, and perhaps the Date. All the above we 
 have seen growing luxuriantly in South Florida. The Cocoa- 
 nut is a large tree, rising above all the other trees of the forest. 
 The fruit is ripening the year round. The Pecan-nut can be 
 raised without difficulty, and probably the Almond. 
 
 There is a broad field for experiment in connection with the 
 productions of Florida. She is still a “ terra incognita,” to a 
 great extent. Her capacities are comparatively untested and 
 unknown. They await the hand of industry, enterprise and 
 skill to develop them, and to make the “ land of flowers ” not 
 only the most salubrious, but in the variety and value of its 
 productions, the most wealthy portion of the Union. 
 
 w MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 STOCK, 
 
 On much even of the poorer land in the State is to be found 
 a large growth of Oaks, scattered amon^ the Pines, which fur¬ 
 nishes abundance of most, on which, in the genial climate of 
 Florida, with little care or protection, hogs can be raised ad 
 libitum. They are to found everywhere, throughout the for¬ 
 ests of the whole peninsula, half-wild and in good condition, 
 finding easily an independent support. Kept, or rather un¬ 
 kept, as they are, they are a nuisance ; but the fencing in of a 
 sufficient range,” and the occasional distribution of a little 
 feed, would enable a farmer to raise hogs enough to furnish a 
 considerable revenue. 
 
 The whole territory is likewise covered with a more or less 
 thick coat of divers Avild grasses, which retain their greenness 
 to a greater or less extent throughout the year. Cattle maintain 
 themselves in good condition entirely without care. In the 
 southern portion of the peninsula, are found large moist prai¬ 
 ries, called savannahs, covered with tall grasses, which afford 
 very good nutriment to cattle. Upon them large herds of cat¬ 
 tle pasture, which are driven up occasionally by their owners; 
 
45 
 
 the beeves selected out, and the calves marked. Capt. McKay, 
 of Tampa, has been engaged in the cattle trade for a number 
 of years, running a line of steamers to Cuba two to three times 
 a month, loaded with Florida beeves. During the war the 
 Confederate authorities drew large supplies of beef from Flori¬ 
 da. Some of the heavy cattle men own as many as 25,000 
 head, and have made fortunes out of the business. 
 
 Sheep also do well in Florida. It is doubtful if as fine a 
 quality of wool could be raised, as far north ; but the mutton 
 is of a superior quality. 
 
 TIMBER AND LUMBER. 
 
 Florida is, beyond question, the best timbered State in the 
 Union. Out of about 38,000,000 acres, only some 3,000,000 is 
 included in farms, and of the rest nineteen-twentieths, exclu¬ 
 sive of the area covered by rivers and lakes, is covered with 
 heavy forests. On all the least moist and more level portions 
 the Pine is the prevalent forest tree,—either the yellow or the 
 pitch Pine. It grows with great beauty, and attains a large 
 size, furnishing some of the handsomest Pine Lumber to be 
 found in the markets of the world. The extent of the Pine 
 lands and the possible amount of Lumber that could be manu¬ 
 factured, would be almost incredible to one who has never vis¬ 
 ited Florida. There are probably more than 30,000 square 
 miles of heavy Pine forest within the limits of the State. 
 
 In the moister lands, along the rivers and creeks and on the 
 margins and swamps, an almost infinite variety of trees is to be 
 found, of which the more valuable for timber and lumber are 
 Live Oak, White Oak, the Hickory the Ash, the Birch, the 
 Cedar, the Magnolia, the Sweet Bay, and the C}q)ress. Of all 
 these varieties a great abundance is to be found throughout 
 the State. Of Pine of the best quality, of Cedar and C}'press 
 in particular, the supply for any pur]:>oses of manufacture, 
 may well be said to be inexhaustible. The larger proportion 
 of what has loosely been called swamp in Florida, is simply 
 low hummock, with a soil of inexhaustible fertility, and cover¬ 
 ed with a dense growth of mainly C}q)ress, Magnolia and 
 Sweet Bay. The timber of the C 3 rpress more nearly resembles 
 that of the northern Basswood than any thing else. It is not 
 quite as close-grained, perhaps, but it is about the same weight 
 and toughness, and is fully as easily worked, and can be used 
 nearly as well for all the pui’poses to wLich Basswood is appli¬ 
 ed. It is more easily split than Basswood; but it is, with that 
 exception, as susceptible of being wai’ped and bent into desira¬ 
 ble shapes. For clothes-pins, for fork and rake and broom 
 
4C 
 
 handles, and for pails and tubs, C}’press furnishes an excellent 
 material; while the red Cedar of the coast and swamps and 
 rivers, would yield the best known material for the pails and 
 tubs of a nicer and more costly description. 
 
 The timber of the Magnolia also is susceptible of a variety of 
 uses; similar to Basswood in color and fineness of grain it can 
 be brought to a fine polish, and is already being used for the 
 nicer and finer kinds of wheelwright and cabinet work. Of 
 this timber the supply is very large. 
 
 The wood of the Eed or Sweet Bay, in fineness of texture and 
 in its other valuable qualities, stands next to Mahogany, and 
 will, ere long, be in demand for cabinet work ; it abounds in 
 the State. 
 
 The resources of Florida, in the direction of the manufacture 
 of wooden ware, and of tools of all descriptions made from 
 wood, have not only as yet never been developed, but have 
 hardly been suspected. If an inexhaustible abundance of ma¬ 
 terial, at the cheapest possible rates, and very great accessibility 
 by water communication, are of any value and importance in 
 promoting the success of wooden manufacture, then this bids 
 fair to become a leading industrial pursuit in this State. 
 
 Soon after the close of the war, the business of manufactur¬ 
 ing Lumber was overdone, and was engaged in by many un¬ 
 accustomed to the work, consequently failure of course occur- 
 ed, and many mills stand idle. WhoeA'er shall purchase these 
 mills and convert them first into manufactories of wooden 
 ware will have an excellent prospect of a large and lucrative 
 business. 
 
 NAVAL STORES. 
 
 The extensive Pine forests of Florida already furnish em¬ 
 ployment to a large number engaged in the production of 
 Naval Stores. In 18G6 over $100,000 worth of Spirits of Tur^ 
 pentine was manufactured; also, large quantities of Rosin. 
 The trees in Florida have a much longer running season than 
 those of North or South Carolina. They are boxed in the win¬ 
 ter. On the approach of warm Aveather they commence run¬ 
 ning, and continue until cold Aveather in the fall. The crude 
 turpentine AA'hich collects in the boxes is remoA'ed every month. 
 It is Avorth about 75cts. per cAvt., Avherever there is a still. One 
 liand Avill take care of 12,000 boxes, Avhich Avill yield 50 bbls. 
 of spjri.ts of Turpentine, and 200 bbls. of Rosin in a good sea¬ 
 son. Rain or Avater transportation should be near at hand, as 
 freight is an important item. The business lias been yearly 
 increasing, and has been remunerative. 
 
47 
 
 f 
 
 GAME AND FISH. 
 
 The great abundance of Oysters, Fish and Game to be found 
 in the greater portion of the State, form an inducement ol' 
 force with many, both on the ground of business and economy, 
 as well as on account of the opportunity afforded to sportsmen. 
 Every where on the coast, both of the Ocean and the Gulf, 
 excellent Oysters abound. The Oysters of St. Andrews 
 Bay are celebrated through the South, and' those of Indian 
 River are larger, finer and still more abundant. And off more 
 than half the Florida coast. Turtle in immense quantities and 
 of great size, are continually taken ; but the capacity of these 
 waters for Oysters and Turtle is almost inexhaustible. 
 
 Fish, too, of the best quality, is to be found on all the coasts 
 and in all the lakes and rivers, forming a cheap, easily attaina¬ 
 ble and very wholesome article of diet, and giving opportunity 
 for business in this direction to almost any extent. It is no 
 exaggeration to say that the bays and inlets, as well as rivers of 
 Florida swarm with valuable fish—Mullet, Bass, Sheeps-head, 
 Trout—salt-water and fresh, and innumerable other varieties, 
 abound; and latterly it has been discovered that very valuable 
 Shad Fisheries may be carried on in various localities. 
 
 Turkeys, Duck, Squirrels, Deer and Bear are to be found 
 throughout the State, and perhaps no part of the United States 
 can furnish a more exciting or agreeable winter hunting ground 
 than Indian River and the Gulf coast. 
 
 While the larger portions of the North and West are covered 
 with snow, and the frost holds absolute and iron sway, the 
 hunter in the Indian River region, may comfortably camp out, 
 month after month, with a single blanket, taking as he needs 
 his Sweet Potatoes from the ground, and the Orange, Lemon 
 and Banana from the plantations along the route, and in the 
 contiuous sunshine of an unending Spring, surfeit himself with 
 the pursuit of game. 
 
 The gathering of Sponge, and the taking and preservation 
 of Fish, Game and Turtle for the northern market, pursued 
 somewhat in the past, are bound in the future to furnish lu¬ 
 crative occupation to the labor and enterprise of multitudes. 
 
 Key West is the headquarters of the Sponge business. Large 
 quantities are annually gathered in the shallow waters along 
 the coast: The Key West Dispatch says that over four thou¬ 
 sand dollars worth of Sponge have been shipped from that 
 port within the last two months. These shipments do not in¬ 
 clude the finer quality, known as the sheep-wool, but are con¬ 
 fined to the grass and glove Sponges alone. The recent impe¬ 
 tus to this business gives employment to two hundred men and 
 boys, thus affording those fond of ‘^sponging” an opportunity 
 of engaging in it in a profitable way. 
 
 i 
 
 7 
 
48 
 
 SALT. 
 
 The Manufacture of Salt was carried on all along the coast 
 during the war, and to some extent at the present time. The 
 late Wm. C. Dennis, Esq., of Key West, had just completed at 
 the commencement of the war, extensive Salt Works on the 
 Island of Key West, for the manufacture of Salt by solar evap¬ 
 oration. Mr. Dennis had given much attention to the subject, 
 and was confident of success, but the war coming on the busi¬ 
 ness was abandoned. The water of the Gulf is said to be salter 
 than that of the Atlantic, and all along the coast are excellent 
 locations for extensive Salt Works. 
 
 &EIEEAL IIEOEIATIOI. 
 
 HOW TO GO ; AND THE EXPENSE. 
 
 The usual, and perhaps the cheapest, and upon the whole 
 the most comfortable route to Florida, is by Steamer from New 
 York, direct to Fernandina or to Savannah, and thence to 
 Jacksonville. Settlers coming by this route, can forward their 
 heavy baggage and household furniture by sailing vessel from 
 New York, or Boston, or Philadelphia. 
 
 Another route is by Railroad, via Washington and Richmond 
 to Charleston or Savannah, and thence by Steamer to Jack¬ 
 sonville ; or by Railroad the whole distance. The latter is most 
 rapid, but least uncomfortable and most expensive. By Steam¬ 
 er, the expense from New York is from $35 to $40, and by the 
 all-railroad route would probably be $50. These routes requii-e 
 from three to five days. 
 
 A cheaper route would be !)y sailing vessel from any of several 
 of the northern ports, from which vessels are frequently clearing 
 for Florida, seeking freights of lumber. Many of the vessels 
 are neat and roomy, and easily could, and if required undoubt¬ 
 edly would, afford very comfortable accommodation for passen¬ 
 gers. The expense by this route would be much less than by 
 any other, and passengers, at little cost, could bring with them 
 their household goods and furniture, and the thousand articles 
 of comfort that are as desiraljle as they are ex])ensive to replace. 
 A passage thus by sailing vessel, would require, upon an aver¬ 
 age, some ten days, although within tlie past season, vessels 
 have made the passage by sail from New York in five days. 
 The accessibilitv of Florida bv such a varietv of routes is not 
 
 4 * 
 
49 
 
 the least recommendation she can offer to those proposing to 
 change their location. 
 
 WHEN IS IT BEST TO START ? 
 
 As far as the mere question of preparing for business, wheth¬ 
 er agricultural or other, or of engaging in it is concerned, an 
 arrival at any time within three months after September 1st is 
 well-enough timed, but on account of health and comfort, the 
 immigrant may as well so time his departure, as to arrive in 
 October, November or December. 
 
 Thus he will escape the severe weather of the most uncom¬ 
 fortable season of the year, and will have opportunity for par¬ 
 tial acclimation during the season which is most favorable to 
 health here. The continuous warm weather of June, July and 
 August is somewhat trying to the vigor even of long residents, 
 and would be much more so to new comers. Any predisposi¬ 
 tion to fever or bilious complaints generally, would be aggra¬ 
 vated by an arrival before the 1st of September, and in any 
 event, it would be more prudent to avoid any such danger. 
 
 Again, if one is disposed to settle upon new land, time will 
 thus be given to clear and prepare for a summer crop whatever 
 land is desired; while if the settler prefers to purchase an im¬ 
 proved farm, he will then be in season to put in a winter crop 
 of vegetables or grain, or to establish his vineyard or fruit or¬ 
 chard, as he chooses. 
 
 MEANS OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION. 
 
 Owing to the same cause before referred to, viz: the want of 
 a stable and long-continued government; and also on account 
 of the sparseness of the population, Florida is not well provided 
 with roads and other artificial facilities for internal communi¬ 
 cation. Post Routes are not numerous, and roads are hardly 
 worthy of the name, and few at that. Luckily, a very large 
 proportion of the Pine land being burned over to renew the 
 grass, is nearly destitute of underbrush, and therefore presents 
 little obstruction to travelling on horse-back. 
 
 This difficulty of communication over land is enhanced by 
 the almost entire lack of any public means of conveyance, so 
 that the traveller is compelled to rely upon his own resources 
 in great measure. 
 
 But the abundance of lakes and navigable rivers relieves 
 large portions of the State by furnishing frequent opportuni¬ 
 ties of journeying by boat. The Apalachicola and the St. Johns 
 and Indian Rivers, with their numerous tributaries, give the 
 means of very extensive and very convenient intercommunica- 
 
50 
 
 tion by boat. A journey from the mouth of the St. Johns to 
 the extreme southern point on Indian River, only involves the 
 necessity of a very short portage by land, from Salt Lake to 
 Saced Point, and a few insignificant “ haul-overs,” as they are 
 called; and one can make his way to the very centre of the 
 State by boating up the Ocklawahee and its connections with 
 numerous lakes. 
 
 Steamers run regularly on the St. Johns, the Ocklawahee 
 and the Apalachicola. Steamers also touch at regular inter- 
 ' vals along the w'hole western coast, from Pensacola to Key 
 West. 
 
 Railroad communication is effected, by daily trips by car from 
 Jacksonville to Savannah, and Quincy, Tallahassee, and Fernan- 
 dina; and from Cedar Keys semi-weekly. The Railroad from 
 Jacksonville westward is already projected to Pensacola, and will 
 soon be completed to the Apalachicola River. Other Railroads 
 are in contemplation by different routes through several sec¬ 
 tions of the State, and such is the face of the country, and the 
 abundance of timber, and the agricultural richness and capacity 
 of the State, that under circumstances of a favorable character, 
 a very great improvement in the means and facilities of inter¬ 
 nal intercommunication, within as hort period, may be counted 
 upon with certainty. 
 
 As will appear elsewhere in this pamphlet, the State is pe¬ 
 culiarly adapted to the raising of various vegetable crops, with 
 a certainty of great profit, as the character of climate will ena¬ 
 ble the producers to reach sufficient markets at the Korth so 
 early as to defy competition. And the consummation of the 
 hopes and "wishes of the producers of these crops only requires 
 sufficiently frequent and direct communication with the great 
 cities of the North. 
 
 A line of staunch sea-going steamers direct from New York 
 to Fernandina has been established during the past season, 
 and there can be but little doubt that the results of the exten¬ 
 sive experiments in the raising of vegetables in the valley of 
 the St. Johns, that have been carried on during the present 
 season, will very soon secure the establishment and support of 
 direct steam communication between the St. Johns region and 
 New York, which, more than any other single arrangement, 
 will make the future of Florida a certaintv. 
 
 PRICES OF LANDS. 
 
 It is difficult to give satisfactory replies to the many ques¬ 
 tions in reference to the price of lands. In fact land is from 
 fifty cents to one hundred dollars per acre. There are in the ' 
 State, probably, 18,000,000 acres of U. S. Government lands, 
 all of which are open to entry under the homestead law. While 
 
51 
 
 the best of these lands and those most accessible have already 
 been entered, there is still an immense amount of very good 
 land upon which settlers can effect entries for homesteads. 
 
 There is also a large amount, probably more that 0,000,000 
 acres of land, belonging to the State, which is open to purchase 
 at from fifty cents to five dollars per acre. Of this, also, only 
 the less accessible and that of least intrinsic value is in the 
 market. Here, as in the other sections of the country, the value 
 of land in the market depends upon its vicinity to the villages 
 and cities, and upon its facilities for communication, as much 
 as upon its intrinsic w'orth. Plantations that are partially 
 cleared and having some improvements, such as buildings an3 
 fences, are worth from $3 to $10 per acre. Along the St. Johns 
 improved lands, especially those in the vicinity of Jacksonville 
 and Palatka, are much higher. Lands having Orange gi’oves 
 in bearing, while estimated at from $50 to $150 per acre, but 
 are scarcely to be bought at any price. 
 
 Average Pine land, somewhat removed from the settle¬ 
 ments, can be purchased in small lots at not unreasonable 
 prices, and in large lots can be had at a very cheap rate. Col¬ 
 onies of immigrants by combination, could thus buy homes for 
 all at a slight expenditure. 
 
 The value land, of all kinds, is rapidly increasing in the 
 more desirable portions of East Florida, and the confident ex¬ 
 pectation of immediate reconstruction under the new Consti¬ 
 tution, will add rapidly to the enhancement of prices. 
 
 Much of the choicest land in the State,—that wdiich w^as se¬ 
 lected years ago by men most familiar with the quality of land, 
 has for many years remained in the hands of the original 
 grantees of the Spanish and English Governments, or their 
 heirs. These grants w'ere, many of them, of enormous extent. 
 A vicious and unequal system of taxation, loosely administered, 
 has hitherto favored this long-continued sequestration of the 
 more valuable lands. Belonging to non-resident parties, diffi¬ 
 cult of access and never fairly assessed, they have measurably 
 escaped taxation on that account. They have constituted a 
 practical land monopoly of the w'orst description, and have 
 operated largely to obstruct the settlement of the immense 
 territory of tlie State. 
 
 But the new Constitution, adopting an equitable and im¬ 
 partial system of taxation, by wdiich the burdens of the State 
 Government will be equally borne by all the property of the 
 State, wall, in its just and legitimate operation, very soon com¬ 
 pel a fair valuation and taxation of all these immense vacant 
 and unproductive tracts, and thus they will come into market, 
 and make possible the rapid development of the agricultural 
 resources of the State. 
 
52 
 
 Generally, it may be said that the price of land need be no 
 obstacle to deter the immigration of any—an abundance of 
 good land can be had at reasonable prices. 
 
 BUILDINGS, THEIR CHARACTER AND EXPENSE. 
 
 As is true of all other newly settled regions, the customs 
 and fashions prevalent at large, do not require as expensive a 
 style of dwelling houses or places of business, as in older-settled 
 sections, and in consequence of this, as well as on account of 
 the mildness of the climate, the strong, tight, and expensive 
 houses of the North would be not only not needed, hut w^ould 
 in fact be out of character. 
 
 A man who would feel constrained, in order to sustain a 
 character for respectability as a reputable farmer at the North, 
 and indeed in order to make his family comfortable during the 
 rigorous winters there, to expend from $1,500 to $2,500 for a 
 farm dwelling-house, would not require, and indeed would not 
 think of expending more than $500 to $1,200 for a dwelling- 
 house in Florida. 
 
 A very large proportion of the dwelling-houses in Florida, 
 not only on the farms and plantations, but in the towns and 
 villages, are built by covering a frame with a weather-boarding 
 of common boards, nailed on vertically and then battened, 
 while the inner partitions are made in the same way, or lathed 
 and plastered, as the occupant chooses. And these simple 
 houses, neatly white-washed, with their invariable roomy piaz¬ 
 zas, so entirely indispensable in this climate, and looking out 
 through the dark shade of the oak, the magnolia, the oliander 
 or the china tree, are not only pleasant to the eye, but tho¬ 
 roughly comfortable and sufficient for ample protection against 
 the severest weather ever known here. 
 
 One peculiarity of the dwelling-houses in Florida, that at¬ 
 tracts the attention of all strangers, is that they are destitute 
 entirely of cellars. The houses are built upon wooden posts or 
 brick pillars, standing elevated some tw'o to four feet above the 
 surface of the earth, and thus giving ample opportunity foi- 
 that thorough ventilation which is essential to health and 
 comfort. Occasionally a small cellar can be found, but the}’ 
 are very rare. Thus the settler is relieved from a heavy item 
 in the necessary expense of building a house at tlie Nortli. 
 
 COST OF CLEARING LAND. 
 
 The cost of clearing land varies as much as the j)rice of 
 land. What are called “ Low Hummock ” lands are exceeding ' 
 rich, and while they give when cleared, a soil of great depth 
 and of inexhaustible fertility, they are covered with the densest 
 conceivable groTvth of trees, shrubs and plants. The trees are 
 
53 
 
 large and stand thickly together, and with the undergrowth 
 form an almost impenetrable mass of vegetable growth. To 
 clear thoroughly such land requires much labor, of course. 
 Probably the strong, thick, low hummock” will cost in clear¬ 
 ing, from $20 to $40 per acre. 
 
 The pine lands are more easily cleared. The trees often 
 stand at some distance from each other, and a common prepar¬ 
 ation of these lands, for cultivation, is made by girdling the 
 trees and cutting out the undergrowth. The year after gird¬ 
 ling, the tops of the trees are dead and offer no impediment to 
 the rays of the sun, and a crop may be planted, the trunks 
 remaining to be removed at leisure. These lands can be clear¬ 
 ed at slight expense, costing from $4 to $10 per acre. 
 
 Excepting the treeless Western Prairies, there are no lands 
 of average fertility*in the whole country that can more easily, 
 cheaply and rapidly be prepared for crops, than the pine lands 
 of Florida. A new comer, arriving in September or October, 
 can with little expenditure, within twelve months transform a 
 piece of wood tract into a field waving with a various and val¬ 
 uable harvest. 
 
 WAGES OF LABOR. 
 
 There is a scarcity of field labor, in some parts of the State, 
 particularly the more remote, on account of the strong disposi¬ 
 tion of the Freedmen, who constitute so large an element of 
 the field laborers, to gather together and in the immediate vi¬ 
 cinity of the larger towns. Still, proprietors that deal kindly 
 and honorably with their help, are seldom at a loss for such 
 help as they need. 
 
 The ordinary method in the employment of field hands is to 
 hire by the month, giving a certain agreed price per month, 
 and adding the usual rations; and the rate of wages per month 
 has been, during the current year, from $10 to $18, with ra¬ 
 tions ; which are estimated to be worth $6 per month addi¬ 
 tional. Field and other manual labor, by the day, has been 
 worth from 7oc. to $1.50. 
 
 Skilled labor of mechanics of all kinds is in demand at a fair 
 compensation, say from $2 to $3.50 per day. Job-work, by 
 all kinds of mechanics, is charged at a much higher rate com¬ 
 paratively. 
 
 The State is much better provided with all kinds of profess¬ 
 ional skill than of mechanical. The professions of Law and 
 Medicine are largely represented; but good Blacksmiths, Car¬ 
 penters, Masons and Shoemakers, would find abundant em- 
 • ployment. 
 
 A good man, with either a profession or a trade, can easily and 
 profitably carrjr on a small farm or garden, thus saving all lost 
 time, and contributing to the necessary expenses of his' mmily. 
 
54 
 
 EXPENSE OF LIVING. 
 
 An erroneous notion seems widely prevalent, that the neces¬ 
 sary household expenses of a family, living in Florida, are enor¬ 
 mous ; and, no doubt one who comes here for a short time and 
 takes up his abode at a Hotel or Boarding-house, 'will have 
 reason to believe there is good foundation for the notion refer¬ 
 red to. 
 
 Rents arc undoubtedly high in the larger towns, but this is 
 partly owing to the fact that the unsettled condition of affairs, 
 social and political, has hitherto prevented the investment of 
 capital in building, and the supply of tenements is short, and 
 consequently rents are correspondingly high. 
 
 There are also one or two more of the leading items in the 
 expense of house-keeping, that are unreasonably high, such as 
 flour, sugar and pork; hut with these exceptions, the necessary 
 expenses of living are no higher here than at the North, as fish 
 and fresh meats are correspondingly cheap. 
 
 At our request, Mr. Robert B. Crane, a leading Grocer and 
 Provision Dealer on Bay Street, in the City of Jacksonville, 
 has very kindly furnished us with a list of the more ordinary 
 articles required in keeping house, with their average prices 
 during the past year. Mr. Crane is a large dealer, and a man ' 
 whose character gives authority to any statement he may make: 
 
 Flour, ^ bbl.,... .$11 @ $17 YeastPowders,^box, 20c.@ 25c 
 
 Pork, “ “ .... 22 @ 30 Hominy,.^Ih, 5 @ 6 
 
 Bacon, ribbed, ^Ib, 15c.@17c.Meal,.... ^ bush., 160 @200 
 crrriVd,‘‘ ‘‘ 18 @20 Tea, Japanese, ^lb, 150 
 17 “ Old Hyson,“ 175 
 
 15 Young ‘‘ “ “ 140 
 
 20 “ Com. Black‘'‘ “100 
 
 20 “ Gunpowd., “ “ 200 
 
 25 @ 30 Soap, Babbitt’s, “ “ 20 
 
 42 @ 50 “ Yellow, “ “ 15 
 
 j Roast & -.y Peaches, 2^ cans, 
 
 I ground, “ 101b “ 
 
 50 Soda, Baking, .. 
 
 60 “ AVashing,. 
 
 Pickles, 1 gall, jars, 1,25 Codfish,. 
 
 “ “ “ 75 Butter,. 
 
 Hams, covered, ^lb 20 @22 Vinegar,... .^gal., 60 @100 
 
 naked,..15 @20 Syrup, “ “ 75 @150 
 
 Should’rs, smok.“ “ 14 @18 Molasses,... “ “ 60 @100 
 
 a 
 
 Sugar, Cof. “C”,“ “ 
 
 “ BroAvn, “ “ 
 
 “ Crushed, “ “ 
 
 “ Pulv’d, “ “ 
 
 Coffee, Rio,... “ 
 
 Java,.. “ 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 Pepper, Avhole, “ “ 
 grou’d, 
 
 
 a n 
 
 50 
 
 300 
 
 20 
 
 10 
 
 10 
 
 50 @ 70 
 
 Yeast Cakes, ^pkge, 25 
 
 Peaches, dried, “ .30 @. 40 
 
 « 
 
55 
 
 ’ Apples, dried, ^ fb 15c@ 20c.Brooms,.each, 25c@ 50c 
 
 Lard,.“ 20 @ 25 Pepper Sauces,- 25 
 
 Eggs,.'^doz. 30 @ 50 Ketchup,. 25 @ 40 
 
 Corn,.^ bush.150 @170 
 
 In a country where the owner of a few acres of land, worth 
 not exceeding 85 per acre, having 100 bushels of corn, may 
 raise and fat, with little care and almost no other expense, a 
 herd of swine as large as he chooses, and where salt from the 
 Salt Springs or from sea-water can be more easily manufactured 
 than elsewhere, in the whole world, the price of pork is exor¬ 
 bitant. And the same is equally true of sugar. No where on 
 earth can sugar be raised more easily or more abundantly. The 
 cane does well everywhere in the State, and on Indian River, 
 and in South Florida, and on the Gulf Coast, cane grows from 
 five to ten consecutive years without replanting. Yet much of 
 the Sugar for home consumpti(j^i in the State, is imported from 
 the North; thus out-doing in absurdity the “carrying of coals 
 to Newcastle.” 
 
 But with one or two such exceptions, it is apparent from the 
 inspection of the list, that the ordinary expenses of living arc 
 not larger than the average in even the older of the States. 
 
 And even the apparent expenses of sustaining a family are 
 largely diminished in the case of those who live out of the vil¬ 
 lages upon farms, by the facility with which a cow or two, a 
 few pigs, and a large stock of poultry may be kept. 
 
 For a man of family with small means there is no cheaper 
 country than Florida. 
 
 NATURAL RESOURCES FOR FERILIZERS. 
 
 As has already been remarked, the soil of most of the State 
 is light and sandy upon the surface, although much of it is 
 underlaid by clay or marl,land at no great depth. Hence, to 
 the intelligent immigrant the natural and convenient resources 
 for manures, if any, of the region will be investigated. 
 
 The first and most Avidely distributed means, for restoring 
 and invigorating the fertility of the soil, Avhenever exhausted, 
 is furnished by the swamps and lagoons and cypress sinks that 
 may be found in all sections. In many of the swamps and 
 lagoons are to be found large and accessible deposits of what is 
 called muck, which at the Avill and leisure of the farmer may 
 be drawn out and applied directly to the land, or may be com¬ 
 posted Avith lime, ashes, salt or manures, and thus improved 
 becomes available to almost any desirable extent. In many of 
 the sinks or depressions Avhere the cypress is found are similar 
 deposits of vegetable mould or muck, and these sinks are 
 scattered, of various sizes, throughout the State, 
 
f 
 
 56 
 
 Along the rivers, and the banks of many of the lakes, also, • 
 are to be found very large and numerous deposits of muck or 
 mud. Experience in Florida has proved that the muck used 
 as a fertilizer, under proper management, becomes an exceed¬ 
 ing valuable article, and it is to be found in immense quanti¬ 
 ties in every section. 
 
 There is reason also to believe that the clay itself which lies 
 underneath and close to the surface of a very large proportion 
 of the sandy regions of the State, is of itself one of the best 
 fertilizers when applied to and mixed directly with the sandy 
 surface soil. No sufficient and reliable experiments in this di¬ 
 rection have been announced, but it is reasonable that such an 
 admixture of soils of different characters will be as beneficial 
 here as at the North, where it has been eminently successful. 
 
 The immense deposits of oyster shells that are characteristic 
 of the whole coast line, located in the immediate Aucinity of 
 dense forests giving ample stores of fuel, form another of the 
 sources of agricultural strength of incalculable value, that will 
 be more and more appreciated. 
 
 Inland, upon the banks of the rivers and lakes, and some¬ 
 times quite inland, are to [be seen frequent accumulations of 
 shells—periwinkle and conch—in great bulk, and also of great 
 value, being already through the operation of the elements, per¬ 
 fectly adapted to immediate and profitable use. These shell 
 mounds” are often of gTeat bulk, forming very respectable 
 hills, Avhose origin has’excited much inquiry and speculation. 
 Some of the shell mounds on the banks of the upper St. Johns 
 are 20 and 30 feet in depth, and near the mouth are oyster- 
 shell mounds that are higher still and cover acres of land. 
 
 Marl, likewise, of various character and value, is easily acces¬ 
 sible in different parts of the State. There are several large 
 deposits within 25 miles of Jacksonville, and a recent discovery 
 has revealed the existence of a very large deposit of green marl, 
 in the Countv of Leon. Mithoiit doubt an abundance of this 
 
 valuable material will be discovered, whenever a scientific in¬ 
 vestigation in this direction shall be made. 
 
 Thus, it is evident, that with abundant and accessible sup¬ 
 plies of clay, lime, marl and muck, under any reasonably skill¬ 
 ful agricultural management, an improvement rather than a 
 deterioration of the capacity of the soil may be expected. 
 
 INSECTS AND REPTILES. 
 
 It is not true that Florida is infested to an unusual degree 
 by reptiles or insects. It is true that in localities particularly 
 adapted to the support of insect and reptile life, there are a. 
 good number of Sand-flies and Musquitoes, and that in certain 
 scattered localities there are to bo found the Iiattle-snake and 
 
the Moccason, and a variety of haiTnless snakes. It is also 
 true that in the lagoons and rivers there are multitudes of Alli¬ 
 gators. 
 
 But, on the other hand, it is well known in Florida that 
 there are not nearly as many Battle-snakes as there are in 
 some parts of New ilngland even, though the snakes of Florida 
 are larger in size. The writer has passed over a large portion 
 of Florida within the year, and has travelled many score of 
 miles on foot, through the woods in different parts of the State, 
 and has yet to meet the first Battle-snake or Moccason in a wild 
 state. Many old residents say that it is comparatively rai’C to 
 meet a venomous snake. Month after month passes, and no 
 rumor of any injury from the bite of a snake is heard ; and 
 many a northerner is heard to declare that they do not see as 
 many snakes here as at the North. 
 
 Along the rivers and swamps there are Musquitoes in quan¬ 
 tities, beyond a question, hut this is as true of swani})S tlirough- 
 out the country. 
 
 Solon Bobinson, in one of his letters, says that he has known 
 them as bad North and West, and even worse, in the immediate 
 vicinity of New York. They are an undeniable nuisance, hut 
 no more so in Florida than in half the United States. 
 
 In many sections, it is true, that Aligators abound, some of 
 them attaining very great size—but they, although not attract¬ 
 ive in appearance, are in fact practically harmless, as few if any 
 instances of their meddling with any human being are heard 
 of, even in tradition. 
 
 Fleas are an abounding afliiction during some three months 
 in the year, but no worse here than in many other })laces. 
 
 Cockroaches, like the poor, are with us always. 
 
 It is not denied that insects and reptiles abound in Florida; 
 but it is asserted without fear of contradiction, that this asser¬ 
 tion is no more true of Florida than of a large portion of the 
 South particularly, and therefore should be no cause of special 
 objection against her. Indeed the annual burning of the grass 
 effectually prevents the rapid increase of reptiles of all kinds. 
 
 POLITICAL CONDITION AND PBOSPECTS. 
 
 After the close of the war the State Government was reor¬ 
 ganized under the auspices of President Johnson, and as super- 
 vized by the military authorities has been continued under the 
 Beconstruction legislation of Congress. The political and 
 social condition of the people has been, perhaps, better than in 
 any of the seceding States, and instances of outrage have been 
 rare. The opposition to the reconstruction policy of Congress 
 has been less violent and less general than in any other South¬ 
 ern State, and the resumption of friendly relations, political, 
 
 6 
 
58 
 
 
 social and financial, with the other States, is regarded with very 
 general satisfaction. 
 
 The Convention elected under the legislation of Congress 
 assembled at the Capitol on the 20th day of January, 1868, 
 and after a brief session completed their w’ork by the formation 
 of a State Constitution, which, on being' submitted to the peo¬ 
 ple, was ratified by a large majority. The Constitution having 
 been approved by Congress, and all the conditions of the recon¬ 
 struction acts having been complied with, Florida has been 
 readmitted to the National Councils, and has resumed her 
 appropriate position among her sister States. 
 
 The new Constitution of Florida has been criticised severely, 
 as was to be expected, and grave objections have been made to 
 some of‘its provisions; but on the whole we believe it will 
 compare favorably with the Constitutions of the other States, 
 and that under it none of the rights of the people can be with¬ 
 held or impaired. 
 
 The Executive power of the State is vested in a Governor, 
 who is elected for four years. The Legislative power is vested 
 in a Senate and Assembly. The former consists of twenty-four 
 members elected for four years; the latter, of fifty-three mem¬ 
 bers elected for two years. The first Tuesday after the first 
 Monday in November is designated for the election of State 
 and County Officers and Members of the Legislature. Annual 
 sessions of the Legislature are to be held commencing on the 
 first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. 
 
 The Judicial powder is vested in a Supreme Court, Circuit 
 Courts, County Courts and Justices of the Peace. The State 
 is divided into seven Circuits. Two terms of the Circuit Court 
 are held yearly in each County. The Supreme Court is to be 
 held at the Capitol of the State. 
 
 There are some features of the new Constitution that are 
 eminently worthy of notice. 
 
 iBt, It secures immediate and absolute civil and political rights to all 
 before the law, irrespective of race, color or condition. Neither the words 
 white or black, are to be found in the instrument. Its spirit is that of 
 equal right and impartial justice to all. 
 
 2d, It provides with the utmost liberality for a noble and generous and 
 comprehensive System of Education, consisting of free Public Schools, 
 Seminaries, and a University, equally open to all, and depending for suf¬ 
 ficient support upon general taxation of all real and personal property. 
 
 3d, It makes provision for a uniform and equable assessment of all 
 property of every description in the State, and for a just and equal taxa¬ 
 tion of the same. 
 
 4th, It relieves the persons of the poor almost entirely from taxation, 
 by limiting the capitation tax for any and all purposes to one dollar per 
 annum, thus throwing the burden of taxation mainly upon the property 
 
 \ 
 
5th, It exempts a liberal Homestead and a generous allowance of per¬ 
 sonal property ; "A Homestead to the extent of one hundred and sixty 
 “ acres land, or the half of one acre within the limits of any inccorporated 
 “city or town, owned by the head of a family residing in this State, 
 “ together with one thousand dollars worth of personal property shall 
 “ be exempted from forced sale under any process of law.” Such is the 
 language of the Constitution, which also secures the mechanics’ and la¬ 
 borers’ lien upon property to which his labor has given an added value, 
 by providing: “But no property shall be exempt from sale for taxes, or 
 “for the payment of obligations contracted for the purchase of said prem- 
 “ ises, or for the erection of improvements thereon.” 
 
 6th, All OfBcers are liable to impeachment and removal, not only for 
 the usual causes, but for drunkenness, gambling and conduct detrimental 
 to good morals. 
 
 7th, Bribery, betting and duelling exclude from suffrage. 
 
 8th, It repudiates forever Secession and Slavery. 
 
 9th, It extends an equal participation in all rights and privileges to all 
 of foreign birth who have declared their intention to become citizens of 
 the United States. 
 
 10th, “ The Legislature shall enact laws requiring educational qualifi- 
 “ tions for electors after the year 1880, but no such law shall be made 
 “ applicable to any elector who may have registered and voted at any 
 “ election previous thereto.” 
 
 Such are some of the leading characteristics of the new Con¬ 
 stitution, wliich, as before remarked, will compare not unfa¬ 
 vorably with that of any other State. 
 
 The return of Florida to its normal condition, as one of the 
 Galaxy of States which make up the American Union, with 
 the prospect of a peaceful and permanent Government in the 
 future, will, ^ve believe, induce thousands to turn their atten¬ 
 tion in this direction, who have heretofore hesitated either to 
 invest capital or to settle in our midst. 
 
 INDUCEMENTS TO IMMIGRATION. 
 
 The various and prominent inducements which Florida is 
 now offering to different classes of immigrants may be summed 
 up briefly as follows : 
 
 HEALTH.—Generally, experience, reason and statistics all 
 show that continued health may he anticipated, with as good 
 grounds of confidence in Florida as in any other state in the 
 Union; and to those suffering from Pulmonary, Catarrhal, 
 Rheumatic, or Cutaneous diseases, the climate and mineral 
 waters of Florida furnish a desirable specific. 
 
 It can he proved on any street in any of the large towns, that 
 men who were weak and feeble and ailing at the North, have 
 for years enjoyed entire exemption from serious illness here. 
 
60 
 
 For weak lungs and exhausted vigor, no portion of the world 
 can give better hope of restoration than is given here. 
 
 CHEAP LAXD.—To men of small means, no considera¬ 
 tion will be given to the fact that land in all parts of the State 
 can be procured at very low prices. Under existing laws, 
 Florida contains eighty-acre homesteads for more than two 
 hundred thousand families. She has many millions of acres 
 that can be bought for fifty cents per acre—and improved 
 ground can be had for just about the price of clearing, while 
 large tracts of land, suitable for the establishment of colonies, 
 can be had upon terms that should satisfy any reasonable man. 
 
 EASE OF TILLAGE.—Except in case of new hummuck, 
 the ease and rapidity with which the great bulk of the lands 
 can be cultivated, forms another and very important induce¬ 
 ment to settlers. Lands in Florida are, as a rule, worked with 
 less of force than anywdiere at the North. They are, whether 
 loamy, clayey, or sandy, much more friable, and far more easily 
 tilled. Almost all the ploAving in the State is accomplished by 
 the use of single teams, which practice, although not always 
 to be commended, still indicates the facility with which the 
 soil can be worked. A farmer, with a single horse or mule, 
 can accomplish the plowing of as large a surface, or the subse¬ 
 quent tending by means of the plow or horse hoe in Florida, 
 in three days, as can be accomplished by the use of the same 
 team in Vermont, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts, in five 
 days. 
 
 WIDE SCOPE OF CROPS.—Another inducement of weight 
 is found in the wide possible selection of crops, to which the 
 settler, at his own election, may turn his attention. With 
 almost equal hope of success, he may raise Rye, Corn, Oats, 
 Rice, Beans, Peas, or Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar, Indigo, or Irish 
 Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Turnips, Beets, Carrots, Cab¬ 
 bages, Rutabagas, Melons, Squashes, Cucumbers: or go largely 
 into fruits, such as Oranges, Limes, Lemons, Peaches, Figs, 
 Grapes and Plums; and if he elects.to settle in the southern 
 part of the State, he may include Cocoa-nut, Pineapple, Ba¬ 
 il anna, Plantain, Guava, &c., &c. 
 
 Certainly it would be difficult, anywhere within the bounds 
 of the United States, or, indeed, anywhere, but in Central 
 America, to find a field of agricultural labor, offering so wide 
 a scope, and so immense a variety of crops, to which a settler 
 may confidently look for successful labor and lucrative returns. 
 
 The climate and duration of the working seasons, too, act as 
 powerful inducements to any who have been accustomed to the 
 long and severe winters, the short and hurried working season^ 
 and the immense labor involved in procuring an adequate sup¬ 
 ply of fuel and forage, universally characteristic of the life of 
 
61 
 
 t 
 
 the farmer at the North. The so-called winter in Florida, is 
 the precise time selected for the leisurly performance of all ex¬ 
 tra work. There the farmer prepares his land for, and sows 
 his crops, while in NeAV England, with frosted fingers the po¬ 
 tato and turnip harvest is being gathered. There he harvests 
 his main crops, while the Northern farmer is putting in his 
 seed; then resting during June, July and Augustin the shade, 
 he has nine months, and in a pinch may have twelve, in which 
 to carry out his plans in a cool and unhurried manner, wdiile 
 a few days are sufficient to prepare all the feed required in a 
 climate so mild and serene as almost to have no severity. Suc¬ 
 cessful farming North must be a continual fretting hurry ; in 
 Florida the farmer has time enough to spare. 
 
 Another strong inducement is given in the ease with which 
 stock of all kinds,—horses, cattle, swine and poultry—can be 
 raised; and the extent to which this business in some parts 
 may be carried on by men of small means. With unbounded 
 range over the immense tracts of public and private land, scat¬ 
 tered everywhere in the State, there is hardly a necessary limit 
 to the amount of cattle, horses, and hogs that, in a very short 
 space of time, a man who likes that business might easily pos¬ 
 sess. Here is probably the best cattle and hog country in the 
 world, and poultry of all kinds, wdth little cost or care, may 
 contribute to the sustenance and income of every family. 
 
 LIGHT WORK.—To the man who has worn himself out 
 in breaking up new land, in building stone wall, in digging 
 stumps and putting them into fence, Florida offers an agreeable 
 change in the invitation she extends to all to come and engage 
 in the light but lucrative work of raising vegetables and fruit. 
 This is probably the least wearying, the most agreeable, and 
 the most lucrative kind of agriculture that was ever performed. 
 
 Without involving much severe labor, susceptible of infinite 
 expansion and improvement, and offering large pecuniary re¬ 
 ward, it constitutes an inducement which, through the leisure 
 it offers, and the gains it promises, appeals as well to the higher 
 as the less noble impulses of humanity. 
 
62 
 
 TROPICAL FLORIDA. 
 
 The following letter was WTitten some time ago, by Hon. W 
 H. Gleason, Lieutenant Goyernor elect, and published by order 
 of Governor Walker: 
 
 His Excellency D. S. Walker, Governor; 
 
 Sip., —Agreeable to your request, I will undertake to give you a de¬ 
 scription of the southern portion of Florida, through which I have been 
 traveling for the past few months; its products, its capabilities, and its 
 resources. My examinationshave been confined principally to that portion 
 of the State south of the Railroad leading from Jacksonville to Cedar Keys, 
 and rnore particularly south of the 28 ® ot latitude, which I shall denom¬ 
 inate as Tropical Florida, 
 
 This portion of the State comprises an area of 20,000 square miles, and 
 a population previous to the war, of about 6,000 inhabitiants. The popu- . 
 lation has not materially diminished, as there is quite an emigration tend¬ 
 ing in that direction, and is sufficient already to compensate, for its losses 
 occasioned by the war. About one-half of this population reside upon the 
 Island of Key West and the neighboring keys and islands, and are engaged 
 in the business of wrecking and fishing, while a large proportion of the re¬ 
 maining one-half are engaged in the raising of cattle; farming and the 
 growing of crops has hitherto been neglected, and has been confined prin¬ 
 cipally to small patches or gardens around the houses of the woodsmen. 
 
 The raising of cattle upon the main land is the all-absorbing business of ^ 
 
 the inhabitants, who reside from 30 to 40 miles apart and allow the cattle 
 to graze upon the public domain. As the food disappears in one place, 
 they change to another, so that the people have become migratory in ■ 
 
 their habits. . 
 
 The raising of cattle upon the plains and prairies of this portion of the 
 State is a profitable business. It is not uncommon to find men, who a 
 few years ago had no means, that are now the owners of from two to ten 
 thousand head of cattle, and this, after furnishing large numbers to the ’ 
 
 armies of Lee and Johnston. The country is divided into hummocks, 
 pine openings and prairies; the hummocks are very rich and are covered 
 over with a dense growth of timber consisting of live and water oaks, 
 magnolia, bay and a variety of other hard-wood timber. The soU is sandy 
 and mixed with marl and limestone. The pine openings are covered 
 with scattering pines, and a grass which affords fine pasturage. The soil 
 is sandy and not as desirable as the hummock lands or prairies. The 
 prairie lands occupy the interior portion of the State, bordering upon 
 the Kissimee river, the head waters of the St, Johns, and the upper Coloo- 
 sahatchee The soil is a rich sandy alluvium, and they are covered over 
 with a heavy growth of grass, and from their appearance must be very 
 productive ; they are dotted over with small clumps of hummocks, con¬ 
 taining from one to five acres each, •which give beauty and variety to the 
 scenery, and afford shelter, during the heat of the day, to innumerable 
 herds of deer and cattle. There also numerous small lakes, of pure water 
 filled with fish, some of which are only a few rods in extent, while others 
 are from two to ten miles in length. These prairies are the paradise of 
 the herdsmen and the hunters. 
 
 The cattle require no feeding during the winter, and one can hardly 
 travel over the prairies a whole day without seeing from 50 to 100 deer. 
 
 The Savannas which border upon the Everglades and Biscayene Bay are m- 
 undated during the rainy season, from an overflow from the Everglades, 
 and as the water subsides, there is left a debris from one-fourth to one- 
 
 \ 
 
 
(53 
 
 half inch in depth ; this process has been j^oing on for centuries, and has 
 provided one of the richest soils in the world. The rich lands which skirt 
 the Savannas upon the coast side are covered with rotten limestone, and 
 have mixed with the vegetable matter to that extent, that the soil will 
 efifervecse as soon as it comes in contact with acids. These Savannas are. 
 valuable for sugar plantations, as the sugar cane requires a large per 
 centage of lime, and the climate is so mild that the cane will not require 
 planting oftener than once in ten or twelve years. The Palma Christi, 
 or Castor Bean, is here perennial, and grows to be quite a tree. I saw 
 quite a number as large as peach trees, twenty feet high. Sea-Island 
 cotton seems to be a yjerennial in this section of the State, and is of a fine 
 quality. The pure water, the chalybeate and other mineral springs, the 
 magnificent beauty of its scenery, the salubrity and equability of its cli¬ 
 mate, must make Biscayene Bay, at no distant day, the resort of the in¬ 
 valid, the tourist and the lover of adventure. The Bay is filled with 
 Green Turtle and a variety of fish, and indeed the entire coast of Tropical 
 Florida is one immense fishery. At Charlotte Harbor we found quite a 
 number engaged in fishing with seines ; the value of the fish caught 
 averages, per hand, for the season (three months) $600. I doubt if any 
 fishery pays better. The fisheries of Charlotte Harbor could profitably 
 give employment to 1,000 persons; and the fisheries at Sarasota and 
 Indian River, are equally as good. Every river, creek and lake seems 
 to be alive with fish, and oysters are found in great abundance at differ¬ 
 ent places, all along the coast. 
 
 All that portion of the State Avhich I have denominated tropical Flor¬ 
 ida, is capable of producing oranges, lemons, limes, arrow-root, cassava, 
 indigo, sisal hemp, sugar cane, sea-island cotton, rice, figs, melons of all 
 kinds, as well as the vegetables grown in the more Northern States. 
 The country around Charlotte Harbor, and Biscayeno Bay, is susceptible 
 also of producing cocoanuts, cocoa, pine-apples, guavas, coflee, bananas, 
 plantains, alligator pears, and all the fruits and plants of the West 
 Indies. 
 
 Like all other tropical countries, tropical Florida has its wet and dry 
 season. The wet or rainy season, is during midsummer, which has a 
 tendency to cool the atmosphere, and render the summer months cooler 
 than it is in the more Northern portions of the State, or in other por¬ 
 tions of the South ; during the rainy season nearly the whole country is 
 flooded, the country being so fiat and level that the water does not flow 
 off readily. A great portion of the country requires ditching and drain¬ 
 ing, and when some systematic method shall be adopted to let off* the 
 surplus water during the rainy season, this portion of the State will prove 
 the most productive part of the South. It has but few swamps or marshes, 
 unless you consider the Everglades a marsh. They can hardly be con¬ 
 sidered as such, but more properly a lake. The water is from six inches 
 to six feet in depth, is perfectly clear, and is grown up with grass, pond 
 lilies, and other aqueous plants. The Alpativkee swamp, upon the head 
 waters of the St. Lucie river, is the only swamp of any magnitude in trop¬ 
 ical Florida; and this part of the State has less swamps than Northern 
 Wisconsin or Michigan. The country north of the 28 ® East of the Saint 
 Johns river, and south of the Rail Road, is more thickly settled than the 
 part just described. There are quite a number of plantations under cul¬ 
 tivation, and more attention is paid to agriculture. The lands are more 
 rolling than the countiy farther South, and produces a fine quality of eea 
 island cotton, which is the principal crop raised. It produces good sugar, 
 and an excellent quality of tobacco. Mchua, Marion, and Hernando are 
 all fine countries of land for farming purposes, and have many beautiful 
 lakes. The country east and south of the St. Johns river, has more 
 
64 
 
 swamps tliaii any other part of the State through which we have travel¬ 
 ed. They are principally covered with cypress timber, and being easy 
 of access from the St. Johns and Indian rivers, are valuable. There are 
 fine lands upon Halifax river Musquito Lagoon, which, at a former pe¬ 
 riod, were under cultivation, but were abandoned, during the Ihdian war, 
 by their owners. I think that there is no part of the South that offers as 
 great inducements to the emigrant as Florida. The salubrity and health¬ 
 fulness of its climate, the equability of its temperature, its accessibility, 
 the cheapness of its lands, the ease with which its products can be mar¬ 
 keted, are inducements which are not to be overlooked by the emigrant; 
 and the fact that Tropical Florida is the only portion of the United States 
 susceptible, and capable of producing the fruits and plants of the West 
 Indies, needs only to be made known, for an emigration to settle in that 
 direction, to a sufficient extent to supply the Northern cities, and the en¬ 
 tire North, with oranges, lemons, and all other tropical fruits. 
 
 We have traveled upwards of fifteen hundred miles in the newest and 
 most unsettled portion of the State ; M^e have mixed freely with the peo¬ 
 ple of all classes, and being Northern men, and wishing to learn the sen¬ 
 timents of the people, as w'ell as to examine the country, discussed the 
 leading questions of the day, the war and its results, negro suffrage, and, 
 in fact, everything connected with the war and secession. We were 
 everywhere hospitably received, and although many did not agree with 
 us in all our views, all agreed that hereafter the grievances of the South 
 or of any portion of the country, must be settled in accordacce with law 
 and the Constitution, upon the floor of Congres^a, and not by a resort to 
 arms. An emigration from the North will be welcomed by a large ma¬ 
 jority of the people, and almost every one is anxious to see the State set- T 
 
 tied up and fully developed. A Northern man of the most radical views 
 is perfectly safe in traveling through any portion of Southern Florida, 
 and to give fall vent to his ideas and sentiments. The people have no 
 real love lor the North, as a section ; but they will treat Northern men ^ 
 
 with respect and courtesy, and will encourage them to settle. 
 
 All seem to be heartily sick of the war, and we heard no expression of 
 hostility to the general government. On tha contrary, the feeling seems ^ 
 
 to be, upon the part of many who were formerly secessionists, to carry 
 out and enforce the laws, and ’will give their aid and sanction in so doing. 
 
 Like all new countries in the South and West, the lows have been loosely 
 carried into effect, and the people have heretofore been in the habit of 
 settling their grievances without an appeal to the law, but things as near 
 as we could learn, have changed for the better in that respect since the 
 war. 
 
 Respectfully voiirs, 
 
 WM. H. GLEASON. 
 
 OrixfiA OF TiPOGEAPHirAL Erkors will be noticed in 
 
 this edition of the Manual. The desire of hastening the inibli- 
 (^ation of the work, which was already delayed by causes over 
 which the publishers had no control, led them to dispense with 
 reading the proof sheets, they being in Florida and the printing 
 (lone in Vermont. 
 
 ' The instances, however, in which the reader will be unable to 
 supply the right word, or make out the proper construction of a 
 sentence, will be found very rare. 
 
IMFORTA^TST 
 
 TO 
 
 FRUIT GROWERS & IMMIGRANTS, 
 
 « FLORIDA AGENCY, 
 
 P. J. Berckman’s “Fruitland Nurseries,” 
 
 •J 
 
 AFOITSTA, GEORGIA. 
 
 The ur.clovsigned havirifj; boon ai)p('into(I State Agent for the above lelia- 
 ble nur8uri('S will fill oideis Ibr all varieties of trees and plants, carefully 
 and j)romptly at-list juieis, and will give writtm onnvem to all inquiries as 
 to Climate Soil, and prices of Lands. Strangers visiting Florida are invited 
 to call. Catalogues fm nished gratis. 
 
 Address 
 
 ROBPIRTC. I.OWRV, 
 
 IllUEHM.V OuCHA.RI)S, 
 
 ilaeksonville, Plorirta. 
 
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