Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-01-27
NO. VII.
For the Spectator.
A Trip to Florida. VII.

TALLAHASSEE, Jan. 1st., 1868.
| In former number, Messrs. Editors, spoke
of the unduating surface of portions State,
and said had met with nothing scarcely that
with you would be called hil Since then,
have somewhat extended my travels, and must
modify that statement. The country, for some
ten cr fReen miles around Tallahassee, is not
ong,Fery fertile and very beautiful, bnt billy al
so. Added to this the weather is so mild at
this time, and the atmosphere so soft and exhila-
rating, that one can hardly avoid thinking OF
Spring. A few days ago. 1 plucked flower
from the woodbine, or red honeysuckle, to send
you, but lost it. Green leaves on the spple tree,
peach, plum, oak, &C., greet the eye continual-
ly. Where Irish potatoes have been LETT In the
ground, they have come up. / have seen the
vines of them about ten inches long, and gen.
tleman has just informed me that he had recent
y dug up some with potatoes on them well
grown.
But it is time should speak of the produc-
tions of this country. These like those OF ey-
cry other State, are various. Early in March
the grass begins to grow, aud in all pine woods
not only covers the earth, bur grows luxurant-
H. Until the latter part of July, it attords am
ple sustenance for great numbers Of cattle, deer,
&c. This grass is unlike any in your country.
1t is called wine grass, because OF its resem-
blance to the vine in roundness, and in tough
ness also, when it comes to maturity. From
that time, which is in July, every animal that
feeds upon it has tough time until the follow
ing Spring. The cattle become poor and milk
and butter become scarce.
About the first of June the rainy season sets
in, and the crab grass and fox tail luxnriate in
the corn and cotton fields. Besides these, there
is but little of any other kind of grass except
broom straw which grows on exhausted lands,
or such as were originally poor.
I need hardly speak of Indian corn as pro-
duct of Florida. Where is there a Southern
State without it, or could do without it2 Here,
it is planted about the first of March, and gath
cred in July. AS far as / have been able to
learn, it does not grow as well in Florida as in
the Valley of Va. Added to this, it is liable to
great injury from wevil.
Wheat, as far as it has been tried, does much
better than was expected. Two causes have
hitherto prevented planters from making much
effort to raise it. First, fear thati would not
grow and secondly, a want of mills to grind it.
Twelve dollars barrel for -four, however, has
driven them to try for independence, and the re-
suit thus far has exceeded their most sanguine
expectations
Neither the joint worm, nor Hessian fly, have
made their appearance here, but the weyll is
terrible
Oats and rye do as well in Florida, perhaps,
as in any country, and so does the sweet pota-
toe, pumpkin, squash, cucumber, watermelon,
musk. melon, ground pea, and field pea. Ibis
last is not only excellent food for hogs but when
it is sown broad cast over the fields, is said to
be well nigh as good fertilizer as clover.
The fine tobacco used in making Havana Sc
CARS grows about as we'll on most of the oak
lands OF Florida as it does in Cuba. It is worth
nearly double as much as the ordinary article.
Arrow root is cultivated also in some places, and
is found to be profitable; and sugar cane for
home consumption. Apple trees have been re-
Gently introduced they look healthy wherever
have seen them but whether they will bear
well, is yet to be tested The same may be said
of pums. The wild plum is indigenous, and
does well. The cherry tree, as far as tried, has
not succeeded. Grapes might be raised to al
most any extent, if it was not for the BIRDS
These are SO ravenous and so destructive, as to
discourage all effort at grapes. The backberres
ofFlorida are said to be very excellent and very
abundant-the same is true of whortleberries
in some places. Strawberries are found in gar
dens only. Raspberrfes do not grow here, nor
currants. The black walnut and the pecan have
been introduced and do well, but the chestnut
will not grow. Figs are abundant, and peaches
also in most places. In some parts of the State,
however, they have the same enemies they
have with you, only that these enemies are more
numerous and unrelenting. The past two win
ters have well nigh annihilated the orange in
the northern part of the State, and in the South
an insect has we'll nigh annihated them for sew
eral years.
In my younger days used to hear of the cof-
fee that grew in Florida, and one writer, | re-
member, supposed that the United States would
in few years be supplied with that article from
this source alone Since have been here, how
ever, have several times enquired Tor Florida
coffee. On such occasions | have been always
pointed to the ''cotfee weed" as it is called, as
being the only coffee that grows in the State
This weed, which is very abundant, has pod
like that of the pea when half grown, and seed
like that of the pokeberry, only longer. Nous
whatever is made OF it,
The great staple Of the State is cotton, and
that is raised in great abundance. OF it there
are s,go kinds, viz: the long and the short, or
the sea island afdsthe ordinary article. The
long is worth about double as muer ss 9short,.-
1t grows we'll over most of east Florida, but does
not grow in any other part of the State:
Long cotton is of course much talked OF, es-'
pecialy when it brings good price. 1t is said
of one of the native preachers, who was him.
self a cotton grower, that when about to begin
public worship on certain occasion, he propos-
ed to ''sing hymn 365 to the tune OF long cot
ton." u d.