124
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PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY.
KILKOFF & DEAN, P'-blisDors. I
r. COOBMOIVA, Editor.
DeLAND, AUGUST 28, 187S.
WORK FOR SEPTEMBER.
The weather this month is usually
dry, with occasional wind storms and
rain. Commence preparing your
strawberry crop. Land descending
to a river or lake, of a black mold
with a clay sub-soil will be found the
best, but Hood crops can be had 09
any of our soil, if it is properly fertili
sed and Irequently watt Ted.
Plant in rows two feet apart and
one foot in the row, or three feet
rows and the plants eight inches
apart, there are advocates for each
plan. "Wilson Albany and Neunans
are considered the varieties best
adapted to our climate, and best for
shipping. We have seen some good
raised on high pine
land.
Prepare fodder for Winter use.
Pea vines, rice straw and Guinea
grass can be cured for that purpose,
every old corn field throws up a
heavy crop of crab grass, most of
which is allowed to waste, it should
be mowed and cured into hay. Hay
is worth twenty dollars a ton in the
country, and almost every acre of our
land can give more than a ton if it is
taken care of. All kinds of vegeta
bles, carrots, turnips, radishes, peas,
lettuce, etc., can be planted this
month. Transplant cabbages, but
have your land well manured, if you
expect to get good large heads. The
best cabbages that we have seen in
Florida were manured with muck,
that had been prepared in the pig
pen, a good shovelful to each plant
should be given.
Rye can be planted this mouth.
Hart, Benham & Cos., of Jacksonville,
oan supply you with seeds and give
instructions how'.heyshould be plant
ed. Whatever buds you put iuto the
eitrua trees after this should remain
dormant until Spring. Inspect your
citrus treos and destroy all insects
that now commence to look to the
baik for their Winter residence, and
if ants infest a tree, they are after
some mischief, unslaked lime sprink
led about the trunk will drive them
away. Draw up the sweet potato
banks and remove weeds.
THROUGH VOLUSIA C’OUNTt
TO CRESCENTjCITY.
We started last week hi company
with Dr. M. M. Voorhis, of this place,
overland to Crescent City, to see
what progress had been made there
in the two years since we last visited
the place.
Passing through the thriving set
tlement of Spring Garden we descend
ed to the low lands, every now and
then meeting the residences of old
settlers and cattle raisers; hundreds
of cattle dotted the landscape for the
forty miles we passed on our way—
sandhill cranes and deer were plenti
ful in this section of cbuutry. The
regular road, which is very good,
lies between two chain of lakes, one
of which is to the east of Lake
George from three to four miles, then
about a mile of pir.e land of good
quality, on which most of the old
settlers located. East ot them is the
other chain of lakes, connecting with
each other, some of them very large
and clear of underbrush to the water
edge. The land to the east of this is
the best quality of high pine, free of
palmetto scrub and easily brought
under cultivation. There are some
4,000 or .0,000 acres of this kind of
government land, not one acre of
which has yet been entered, and on
which hundreds of immigrants can
I find homes. There is not a prettier
location in the world than lies here
waiting fof industrious people to
make comfortable homes. All the
old settlers are well inclined towards
northern people; they are turning
their attention to orange growing
in preference to cattle raising, with
what success can be seen by the
thriving groves around their houses.
We will venture to say there are no
finer trees in the State, or else
where, than we saw in some of these
groves. At Mr. Underhill's there is
a fourteen year old tree the trunk of
which is over four feet in circumfer
ence. Mr. Causey to the east of Lake
George, has a grove of 150 trees, it
will be hard to beat, and we were in
formed that there were better groves
still that we had not seen. The old
settlers did not locate on high pine
land, their homes are on low land,
just a few feet above what is called
the flat woods. No fertilizers are
used by them except what is collectr
ed about a house from long residence
on a place. Cotton was formerly ex
tensively eultivaied and a few fields
were passed on the way,but everything
is being thrown aside for oranges.
At a Mr. Mcßrides near Deep creek,
where we took the wrong road and
were nearly swept away, there is a
saw mill and cotton gin, he too has a
fine grove coming on. We found
comfortable for a
night at the residence of Dr. M. L.
Baker, where we were hospitably en
tertained, in fact, we met kindness
wherever we went. Mr. Baker will
be happy to show the country to any
one who wishes to locate there and
give them every information, his ad
dress is Volusia postoffice.
"With an agreeable companion as
wo found Dr. Voorhis to be, and with
his splendid pair of mnles ahead,
the time passed quickly and the jour
ney seemed short. On reaching
Crescent City we put up for the
night at. the hotel of T. A. Capwell,
which we found comfortable and the
charge# very moderate. Hi place
THE FLOKIDA AGRICUITUKIST.
can show more completely the pro
gress being made in this State than
does Cresoent City. What two years
ago was an old cotton field now con
tains several fine stores, handsome
residences, neat church, school house,
hotels, etc. The location, overlook
ing the lake of that name, formerly
Dunns Lake, is admirably situated
for "Winter homes for those who wish
to escape the cold of the north. It
is also the sportsman’s paradise, for
game of every kind abounds. Bear,
deer, turkey, are easily found. Ven
ison was selling at seven cents a lb.
on our visit there. Some very fine
orange groves are in the immediate
vicinity ot the city, one of which,
belonging to Mr. W. M. Ncwbold,
we visited. It was originally a wild
grove, buddc.l, and contains several
hundred trees. Mr. Newbold has
sixteen varieties of the best oranges,
some from California, the buds of
which were sent him by S. P. Eix
ford, Esq., of San Francisco, had
fruited for the first time this year.
They were too green for us to judge ;
of the quality, but the appearance of,
fruit was promising. Mr. Newbold
has also a fine variety of lemons and j
he informed us that there is more mo- ;
ney in them than in oranges. lie j
got three cents each for the latter j
and they were always saleable, be al
so found ready sale for his Bergamot
and Tangerine oranges at larger
prices than the more common or
anges. He approves of whitewash
ing the trunks of his trees in the
Spring as it washed oil by degrees
leaving the bark clean and free of
moss.
Anew monthly paper called the
Florida Fndt Grower has been start
ed at Crescent City. It is edited by
Mr. G. W. \Gardner, who also lias a
good hotel rn the city. Tho old set
tlers who aivTmet with in this • part
of Putman county are a fine looking
class of men and very intelligent, for
the limited means they must have
had of getting an education. We
expected to find them averse to hav
ing new people locate among them,
but were agreeably surprised to find
them otherwise, they are anxious to
have the land taken up and settled
on, and are willing to give every as
sistance and information to new coin
ers. Their houses are not very good
but they have hilherto answered their
wants, and better will be erected to
correspond with the advance of the
country. Game is so plentiful and
the ground products are so easily
raised that they have had no incitive
to action, or improvement, the Anglo
Saxon blood is still there however,
and easily stimulated. There is plen
ty of fine land all over the State op
en to settlement, much of it is out of
way, and may be passed by without
those looking for locations knowing
they are there, the lands we mention
are some of these, and every county
situated in the same way, out of the
regular route of travel, should call at
tentioa to it. Our paper is open at
all times to furnish tho information
il they will give it, there is no occas
ion for one place to be jealous of an
other, every new settler, wherever he
may locate, is valuable to us all and
we should put local prejudices aside
and work in unity of purpose.
answers to correspondents.
P. D. S., Orange county.—Rice
can bo planted any time from March
to June, but the birds are very de
structive to the late crop. It is
generally cut with a sickle and placed
in a barn or stacked until required
for threshing. If you have a Bmall
quantity it can he beaten out with a
rod, the iheavos being placed on a
platform, made of rail#, open to allow
th • grain to fall tbraagh, and it can
be busked out afterward in a mortar
made irom a pine log, and cleaned
by fanning in a breeze. Golden rice
is grown best on low hammock or
marsh land, white rice on low pine,
upland rice will grow on high pine
land.
Sweet potatoes will keep well if
properly banked up, covered with
pine straw and the earth heaped over
it; regular potato houses are made
by having a double side casing,filled
with pine straw or saw dust between
the boards. The building should be
made so as to keep the temperature
as even as possible.
C. C. 8., Green Cove Springs. —
Tiie white cane gives more sugar and
is a softer cane to grind, but the strip
ed cane is hardier and makes a
stronger grained sugar. A Compost
made of cotton seed, liine and muck,
has been found excellent as a fertili
zer, if you cannot cow pen your laud,
which is the best. We have known
over twenty barrels of sugar made
from one acre of cow penned land,
near Mandarin. You can get, if your
land is not too poor, good cane from
the compost named. We will look j
up an excellent receipt we have in
the old AfiiacriLTUHiST for making
this compost, and publish it for your
benclit.
Cow peas are used extensively in
Louisiana, as a fertilizer for the cane,
and sweet potato vines in the West
Indies are considered valuable. The
sweet potato should not be planted
in ridges but the vines should bo al
lowed to run over the land, and eith
er ploughed in, or gathered in far
rows with the seed cane, or near
where the seed cane is to be planted.
Read the article on sugar chemistry
in this number.
J. C!., Marion county. —We are
quite aware that Bear grass is not
Ramie, but gave our correspondents
own definition, as it was tiie easiest
way of explaining his object. We
gave several articles in the <>!d Agiti-
CUITURIST on the true Ramie. Hav
ing cultivated the simon pure article
ourselves we know something about
it. The subject you mention has
been sadly confused.
M. A. 8., Norwalk.— You can
plough your young grove in Septem
ber, turning in all weeds, have your
ground quite clean as frost is not so
apt to settle on it. Bone meal can be
given to the land at almost any time,
it takes some time to act. You had
better wait, however, until January
before applying it. Keep everything
from the young tree* that will help
to start anew growth during the
Winter.
Floridiana.
Geographical Divisions of Florida.
The Florida immierant divides the Btato
into four divisions, for the purpose of con
venience in locating comities and describ
ing different sections. These divison.s havo
been generally adopted, and are as follows:
Eastern Florida—la composed of the
counties of Suwannee, Columbia. A'achna
Levy. Baker, Nassau, Duval. Bradford,
Clay, St. Johns, I‘ntnaui and Marion.
W est Fiairida— lscompo ed of the coun
ties of Escambia. Santa Rosa, Washington.
Walton, Holmes. Jackson and Calhonn.
Middle Florida —ls composed of tiie
counties of Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin,
Leon, \V aKnlla, Jefferson, Maaison, Taylor,
Lafayette and Hamilton.
South Florida —ls composed of the
counties of Hernando, Sara ter, Oran arc
Volusia. Brevard, Bolt,Hillsborough,Man
atee. Monroe and Dade.
—Only one death at Ocala this
year.
—The Greenback theory ib gather
ing strength in the country part of
the State.
—Mr. Charles I* Fildes, formerly
of the Montieello Constitution , has
purchased an interest in the Ocala
-Banner.
—Two hundred and fifty dol’nrs is
men'ioned as the sum likely to be
given as a prize for the best county
display at the State Fair.
—The vineyard of Capt. Wm. J.
Mclntyre is yielding well, and his
wine will be made at the vineyard of
Gen. Finley by Mr. (Jhas. A. Finlev.
this season.— Lake City Reporter.
—Dr. Burdett is gathering his sec
ond crop of corn from the same land
this year; he did expect to get sixt y
bushels per acre, from each crop, but
if he gets fifty it will bo prett y good.
—Orange County Reporter.
—"We learn that one Jake Pryne,
living in the range in. Manatee coun
ty, was killed last week by some
unknown party. The cause is sup
posed to be his depredations upon
other people’s stock.— Bttnhmd Tril> -
UK ۥ
—Judge Speer is making seuppor
nong wine. He will make several
barrels, this year, from his young
vineyard. Grape culture will cer
tainly boa profitable business in Or
ange county. — Orange County Im
porter.
■ —Jacksonville is getting alive ti
the benoiit of having the State Fair
in that city. A public meeting of the
citizens has been held to procure the
money-ftp- the premiums. At tin
meeting five gentlemen subscribed
%100 each for the purpose.
—One of the experimental well-*
that has been sunk in Springfield, by
Wrn. Clarke, has reached a depth o':
150 feet, where a stratum of sand
was struck, from which a constant
stream of water Hows to the surface
through the pipe, and rises some
five feet above the ground. Th
water has a taste of sulphur and i>
cool and clear.— Suti and Rnes.
—The manipulation of the scupper*
nong grape into wine will eommom
in earnest next week at Gen. Finley’s
vineyard, three miles from town.—
The yield of the General's vineyard
is reported as unprecedentedly heavy
and he will realize a thousand gallon*
from the scuppernong alone. Al
though the General lias fifty acres of
grapes, only ten are in bearing.—
Lake City Reporter.
—Several fine specimens of nativ
wines have been shown us of late,
which are really very good. OneVf
the best was exhibited by Mr. Ciecrc
Mattox. It was from the scupper
nong grape, fully ripe, and prepared
with home made brown sugar. Such
wines as Mr. M. exhibits would fine,
a ready sale if put upon the ma rk o'.
—Lake City Reporter.
—People who come to Eastern.
Florida the first time turn up theft
nose at our sand and laugh at th -
idea of growing anything on it, but I
can inform you that this sand is ne t
like the sand of New England t
Michigan. Ours contains at least 2 r
per cent, of lime, and I have neve,
seen land in any place that is so grate -
ful for the smallest quantity of m;.-
irure. The vegetables, strawberries,
etc., now being brought into our
market, and the specimens of sags?
cane etc., I now place before you, is
a sample of what can be done with ft.
In Central and Western Florida,
however, there are as rich lands
any one can desire, capable of sup
porting a vast population—[From C.
Codrington’s lecture on the *• Resour
ces of FloridaftJ
—Wonderful cotton.—The stalk
measures six feet two inches in height,
and from side to side six feet ten
inches, or nearly twenty feet sir:
inches in circumference. There arc
thirty-one branches, averaging fife
fally-dovelopcd bolls each. On one
eleven inch branch nino bolls and
four forms were found. The cotton
is of the Ilcrlong variety, and was
raised by Mr. C. F. Avery, about firv
miles from this city Two stalks of