The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-04-23
FLORIDA LETTER.
NEAR ST. JoHN's RIVER,
Friday, March 26, 1869.

FRIEND toHAW WI hlnklng that you
would like to hear from this part Of
America, / have concluded to drop you
a line. We arrived in Florida about
the 24th of January, leaving behind us
a cold, clustering winter Here it has
been an Indian Summer throughout.
There has been one or two touches of
frost, something unusual for these parts
1 am told.
The soil here is not very inviting, at
first sight, to NOrtbeuer but it is
strong TO yield good crops. The Sea
Island Cotton is looking splendid, and
in fact everything that has been planted
looks well. The lands are denominated
as follows: The Low Hammock, the
High Shell Hammock, First, Second,
aud Third Pine Lands. These Ham
moeks are covered with thick growth
of hard wood, such as Live and Water
Oaks, Ash, Magnolia, Sweet Gum,
Hickory, Bay, DC. The Pine Lands
are the most healthy. Once in a WI
You see a man with the agu~ lie
do not take care of tb > Ou' Iney
,brougl, r.,vsr- .smselves, wading
hear sps -ps, lagoons, &c, after
~ :. deer. They do not shake as
ley co in the Black Swamp.
There is heavy immigration here,
aud grove after grove of Oranges are
being set out. Ihave commenced set
ting out grove. I found a grove Of
wild oranges, containing about 5000
large bearing trees The ground was
strewn with large oranges, only they
were sour They make good orange
ade. We selected the soundest trees,
cut them off four feet from the ground,
have seen fine groves started in the
Pine woods. Trees eighteen months
fromthe bud are in full blossom. Fig
and Bsannas, grow well. Figs are Sc
out itom cuttings, like grapes, and bea
in theirdhird year Citrons also grow
upon bushes. Pine apples come t.
maturity in their second year. In fact
every kind of tropical fruit can b,
grown in this country.
Musquitoes, in some places, ara yer!
thick, but they are confined chiefly t
the Indian River country. In tn
marshes about here, may be fOun,
quite a number, Ebut no more than j
the low lands of Ohio. Alligators az
as thick as frogs in the marshes alon
the Sandusky River; but they do nc
harm any one. Occasionally they tak
in few hogs I have tried to shoe
them with buck shot, but they boun
of; like so many rubber bullets. I hav
fairly stumbled over them, taking ther
for logs.
Sugar-cane grows well here and it
the only place in the United State
where it tassels out; 50, you see, it mus
come 10 perfection. Peanuts yiel
very well-two hundred bushels pc
acre is the average crop. They brin
50, So and IS per bushel.
The chief business, on the St. Johni
is keeping Boarding Houses. Th
Houses have all been filled this wiDte
A great many had to 60 back, unabl
to procure board. They charge fror
81 to IS per day by the season. S,
you see, it must pay. Provisions al
not over high. Flour from $12 to 81
per barrel; Cuba Vans, so cents p'
bushel; Butter, go cents per lb.; Egg
20 cents per dozen. Falling meat
the highest part of the living. Persol
coming here should bring sail boa
They could them cruise up the S
Johns, carry their own provision
sleep in their boat, and so save boardir
aud transportation, besides seeing tt
country.
The Southerners are glad to 81
NortheTners, or Yanks as they ci
them, coming and settling up the
country. They seemed pleased wi
Grant, and think him a good man &
the place he occupies, All that grim
them Is negroes holding Office. The
cannot swallow that very well.
Ifyou hear of any one coming Ii
way, tell them by all means to come
the New York route. 1t is cheaper Al
quicker. 1t costs s2S from New Yo
TO Jacksonville, by steamsr.
- -
Mulberries are ripe and gOr
Peaches are of good size, and will soi
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