Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-01-20
Or the Spectator.
A Trip to FIorida..-.No. VI.

| L
The soil of Florida, Messrs. Editors, is not in
high repute in the older States. This, together
with the fact, that she is one.sided State-that
is to one side of the other States, has left herin
the dark, and prevented emgrants from coming
here to reside. The fact also, that a remnant Of
the Seminole Indians is known to be here, and
at times troublesome, has no doubt had its in
! fuence. Vlasl ef :-y -1ca,-t-r
What then;it may be asked, is the real char
acter of her sol2 In answering this question I
must say in the outset, as have said already,
that my statements must be based much more
on what have learned than on what I have
seen. i5go) 7as~.T III
What may be said of the soil of most of the
other States, is true of the soil of Florida-that
is, there is a considerable variety. In no State,
however, are the extremes between great STE
rility and great fertility greater thar in this
| Over considerable portion of West Florida, the
land, with here and there exceptions, running
to the other extreme, is very poor The same
may be said of the lands bordering on the Gulf
and the Atlantic, and of the Southern, half of
the peninsula, only that the exceptions are not
SO frequent In middle and East Florida, the
proportion of good land greatly preponderates.
| On my way from Monticello to Madison, imme-
diately after entered the State passed through
thousands of acres of what | considered better
land than had ever seen. This, where unim-
proved can be bought for ten dollars an acre
afterwards saw land that was considerably
better, and afterwards such as was better still.
The best lands are covered with oak, hickory,
dogwood, magnolia, &C., and sometimes with
magnolia alone. Such growth, however, does
not always indicate great fertility, though gen.
orally it does. 3s -e1 asiI.s 81 =. T.
Pines and barrenness, which are well nigh
synonymous in most of other places, are not so
here. So far from it, that have seen better
cotton growing on land; where the pines had
neither been killed nor culled, than have seen
in either of the Carolinas or Georgia. The same
am told may be said of oats also. The pines,
however, in such cases are not crowded. The
pine lands are frequently the best for cotton
often very fertile and very Tasty. Some of these
lands that haze been in crop for twenty success
sive years produce very nearly as well as when
fresh. This is owing to the fact that there is
much lime in the soil. Florida has been made
by the recedng of the sea. This has left inn
mense quantities of sea shells in many places,
and these being decomposed have strongly inn
pregnated the land with lime. M
The soil, so far as | have learned is universal
ly sandy on the surface. This suits the pines,
other vegetation. Four acres here can be about
as easily cultivated as one with you-added to
this, it never gets too wet to be worked, or rath-
err it is never injured by being worked when
wet. ~
In some places, at the depth of foot or less
there is strata of clay of sufficient tenacity to
make brick. .( 4.
In some places the swamps have been drain
ed and thus the most fertile land ever saw has
been reclaimed. AS yet, however, there has
been no extensive drainage, nor would it amount
to much if there should be, for the swamps gen.
orally, are said to be the most barren parts Of
the State.
A report has gone abroad, that there is nat
ural process Of drainage going on, and that mil
lions of acres of excellent land, now worthless
will thus be brought into market. We some
times hear of wonders at o distance, while those
who live near the places where they are report
ed to be- do not consider them wonders at all.-
need only refer your readers to the Pendleton
Volcano for an illustration. Of the drainage
referred to, have heard nothing though have
enquired frequently. / am persuaded therefore,
that it is at most but little affair." Moreover,
if all the swamps in the part of this State refer
red to were drained, do not suppose it would
add many acres to the valuable soil.
On the whole there is less poor land in middle
Florida, and in the northern half of East Florida
than in any country in which | have ever been.
Still the fact that millions of acres of this excel
lent land has on it no timber but pine, is a very
serious drawback. 1t is "'pine posts" 'pine
rails" spine wood" &c. &C., all which will
sound strange to your readers, Messrs Editors,
who can't get pine to kindle their fires.
But what is the price of land is another en-
quiry of considerable Importance. Of course,
need not speak of the older settlements.
Not one hundredth part of the lands of this
State are yet entered, and of course, vast dis
tricts are yet unsettled. Land in the new settle
nents with some improvements may be pur-
chased for from four to seven dollars per acre.
ANY one who will 60 to the Land Office and
make affidavit that he wishes to purchase for
actual settlement can enter 92O acres at twenty
five cents an acre, after which he can add to it
as much as he pleases at $1.25.
Still the trials on emigrants are not trihing.-
These are the wants or inconyeniences of all
new settlements, and the very high prices of
provisions. AS an offset to these, however, they
with End here one of the most delightful climates
in the world, where cod weather does not in
terfere with work. d: 81
P.S Before leaving Virginia, / promised to.
write to many friends, this promise has not been
forgotten. They must bear with me, however,
until shall have finished these numbers.