Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-08-21

che olive tree, like the orange.
rises So feet, and rahilies to about
tho Same ex.ent. It's quantity of
produce we can only ascertain from
the WELD of trees III France, where it
produces from 10 tolls bushels. The
olive trees in the country are few in
number, and have been neglected du.
ring the. time Of the Spanish govern
ment. A few at Mosquito are sur
rounded by a rival growth of other
native trees, and maintain their POI
sition without having degenerated.
This tree bears fruit in seven years
from the slip, and in growth and lon
gevity it resembles the orange tree.
Several persons are now deyoting
their attention to its propagation IN
| this country. Ia Europe, the olive
is ranked next to bread as an article
| of necessity, aud IFS value cannot be
too highly appreciated, where we
have no such extensive districts a.
| dapted to its cultivation.
The Palma Christi, or castor Oil
nut tree or shrub, rises to l2 feet.
| Many fields of it are planted, but we
| cannot arrive at correct estimate OF
| its produce until the end of the year.
1t is generally rated at IS bushels of
! seed to the acre, and Q gallons OF oil
to the bushel.
Sugar cane was cultivated by the
! British colonists; but was neglected
under the paralyzing policy of the
Spanish government. Since the trans
fer of the country to the American
| government, the cultivation has been
resumed with the Otaheite and other
seed, by various planters from St.
Marys to Volucia, on the st. Johns.
| Their efforts have hitherto been con-
fined to the propagation of the seed,
and we must wait for the expiration
| of the season to ascertain the practi-
| cal result of the experiments now go.
| ing on. The quality of the juice, as
! ascertained by its specific gravity,
was, at Pablo creek. on the lst No
| vember last, 1910, and at Volusia,
on the Goth December. 1918. Their.
mometer so degress-a degree ol
strength quite sufficient to warrant
the belief that sugar will become one
of our most important staples. As
our lands lie further south than those
of the Mississippi, and our climate is
much drier than that of Louisiana
the sugar of Florida is likely to sur
pass, in quality, that OF any other Of
the southern states.
! The vine flourishes we'll, and the
bull grape or bullisis, indicated by
the Bartram, as more eligible fol
cultivation than any we could import.
is indigenous to the country.
The Bene or Sessamum Indicam,
which affords an oil superior to tina
of the olive, grows with us in great
| luxuriance, and also the arrow root
To these add beeswax, deer skins,
tar, naval stores, turtle. and oil
which are already among our articles
of export; while silk. Spanish tobac'
CO, ginger, spices, and variety Of
drugs, might be readily Introduced
and added to the list of our produc-
tons.
| Of the articles Of domestic con
sumption, the variety is scarcely less
extensive.
Indian corn may be said not t.
have succeeded so we'll as in NOR.
northern climates; the planters Of
this country have long been in the
use of a long grained flint corn, will
large cob and spreading foliage; q
change se seed would undoubtedly
produce on improvement in the crops
of this grain.
| The sweet potato has been cult
waited in variety of soils, and its
mean produce may be estimated a
| s5e bushels to the acre; in size ant
flavor it is no way inferior to those
produced farther north.
The comptee. farinaceous root
analogous to the arrow root, yields {
nutritious meal in greater abundance
than the latter, and grows wild to the
south of st. Augustine. This, tnge
Their with species of native potatoes
and turnips, are much used by tn
negroes and Indians.
| The Banana has brought its frui