Middletown transcript., 1870-03-26
FLORIDA.
Her Frul.s ana vegstabIe Produetlons.

A friend, who for the present is with
his family, residing at Jacksonville, Flor
ida, furnishes some very interesting facts
in relation to that rapidly improving State.
He says:
am much pleased with many things I
have seen here since / left home, particu-
larly with the good feeling existing be-
tween the two races which formerly stood
in the relative position of master and slave.
The whites in this State appear to have
accepted the situation without any reser-
walton, and now employ their former SER
wants, pay them wages, and really, as a
general thing, seem anxious to see them
doing well. The blacks are sober, polite,
well-behayed, and to certain extent, in
dustrious, the extent being so far as is
necessary to supply their absolute wants.
The climate being warm, and the soil pro-
ductive, they, like the most of us, do not
seem fond of work for works sake, and
having no desire for riches or fine raiment,.
they work day or two and then rest to
spend their wages.
If you would pay this region a visit,
you would be greatly pleased. The cl-
mate is pleasant, though this winter very
changeable. Last Monday, Jan. 10, the
mercury stood at 800, and ice was made
at IL NJ, on Tuesday, it stood at 500, and
on Thursday, in front of the ST. James
Hotel, in the sun, it stood at 1919. To-
day Sunday as l write in my room-it
stands 500. In the garden adjoining my
residence, the owner picks green peas, let
every day, and has for month past.
Roses and violets are in bloom, the streets
are full of mocking birds in full song, and
everything looks as if we were in the mid
die of june in Philadelphia.
Jacksonville has a population of $1,000.
The streets are wide and well shaded with
live and water oaks, which grow most
luxuriantly in the dry sand. The oaks
are evergreens, and the very perfection of
a shade tree.
walked out the other day to see an
orange grove. The natives think fifty to
one hundred-about an acre-a large
affair. With us, you know, grove would
mean 600 acres, like the large peach farms
of Delaware and Maryland. You have
heard of ten thousand oranges on tree.
That story is true. l saw five thousand
on one tree, and feel confident tree thir-
ty years old, can carry and has carried
ten thousand oranges. There is no sort
of culture so profitable as an orange farm.
The trees bear in five years from the seed,
and in from three to four years from cut
ting. In six years, grove will average
one hundred oranges to a tree, and in
eight years three thousand, now selling at
from $15 to $25 per thousand. Say S.
per thousand, and three thousand to tree,
or $15, an acre of one hundred trees would
pay $500 or $3.50, 900 on one hundred
acres. This would be realized on every
well cultivated farm, and has this year
from almost every grove in Florida.
know of one grove of fifty trees, the first
of which was sold at S45 per tree, net.
ting the owner s., $50, and this for hal
an acre only. If I we're ten years young.
er, would go to Havana, buy two thous.
and orange trees, and plant twenty acres
The whole expense would be about $2500
and in ten years it would pay me from
81 900 to 5000 per year. 1t is the very
best estate man could leave his family
The tree never dies of old age, and ha.
frozen only once--in 1885. The frozcr
trees however sprouted again, and are sale
to be more prolific now than ever.
If could find reliable person, woult
join him in putting in one hundred acres
1t would cost--land, fencing and planting
$1,000. Inside of ten years, Florida vii
supply the United States with oranges
figs, pine apples, early grapes, and pos
sibly cocoa nuts. The grape does as wei
as any other crop. The Black Hambur;
grows and ripens well. Last Spring,
man here sold all his crop in New Yorl
for dollar pound. Italian grapes an
other fruits grow and ripen here as wei
as in their native country.
Many Northern truck farmers have 10
Gated here, and more are coming. Las
Spring early tomatoes, sweet corn, pota
toes, peas, &c, &C., were sent to Ne,
York in large quantities. The native
claim that the peach does better here tina
that it ripens earlier and continues tw
months after all ours have been marketed
Sugar cane grows as well here as i
Cuba. 1t rattoons (?) as it does on th
ever faithful isle," and as it does not i
Louisiana, where it has to be planted ever
year. am told six hundred gallons syi
up can be made from an acre If so, n
crop would pay better as it is worth sev
enty-fve cents per gallon, and costs abo,
as much as corn to cultivate.
The rivers are full of fish of the yer
finest sorts, which are to be had for ii
mere trouble of fishing for, yet there is a
ways a scarcity of them in the marke
There is splendid opening here for son
of our Delaware Bay fishermen. ]. C. ]
jacksonville, Fla. Jan, 16, 1870.