Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-09
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY. MARCH 6, 1871.
Letter from Florida.
OARABA GROVE. LAKE CITY,
February goth, 1871.

winters storm never reaches, and ha
Ing been requested by my friends, and tt
patrons of your widespread sheet, to con
municate through its columns, tai
this, my first opportunity to give as r.
quested my experience in regard to th
soil, climate and productions, and will d
90 as far as my limited experience wi
allow me, that part which will perhar
most interest the reader.
First, in regard to the soil, it is of
light sandy surface with now and then
mixture of clay sub-soil, but as genera
thing 1t is all sand, it is soil that d.
oeives the stranger at first sight, it is g
light aud shallow. The first conclusio
one comes to on using it is, how in tn
world do the people manage to max
enough ont of this ground to subsist on
But let them remain for q short tim
after the crops are all in and they will
eoon see where the strength of the soil is
It even astonishes the old inhabitant
sometimes, to SEQ how soon after planting
their seed comes forth. To give you ar
incident One of my neighbors came in
to see me, one week ago to-day, and was
looking over list of seeds that / had
Just received from James Vick," seed
merchant, Rochester, n. Y, and seeing
3ome kinds he had never seen before, he
desired noe II let him try some of them
he took them home and planted them on
Monday, the ooh and on Saturday, the
oath, they were up one and-a-half inches
above ground, and nor a aeed had miGsad
coming forth. Last year, one of my neigh
bora living on an adjoining plantation
csised turrip weighing 27 pounds in the
ope1i field, it was the largest specimen of
the tucnip family ever witnessed in or
about Lake City. Watermelons weighing
100 pounds are not uncommon here in
watermelon season, and aweot potatoes
weighing 10 to 70 pounds are very COM
mon.
The chief ana staple production OF the
country il corn and cotton. There is the
Sea Island cotton, the short staple take
the lead The Sea Island always bring
the highest price in market, but yields
lees to tho acre. The price of cotton was
go low for last years crop that it has
made dull times for this year The heavy
frost which visited this part of the State
On or about Christmas, killed the oranges
snd nearly killed Tire treee, but not quite
as the trees are, see, starting to bud
again We shall have oranges next
Christmas providing no more such froats
come TO modest them
A few of the people in this section are
now turning their attention to the culture
If grapes and other email fruits. such
As peaohea, pears, ounces, etc.
The peach trees have been in bloom
low for two weeks or more, and also
2lums. We have peaches here the latter
part of juno A grape cutting was set
by one of my neighbors last spring, it
vas the "Drleware grape" and it bore
ruit the same summer, and you can de-
bend on it's doing it every time in this
climate, and not be detrimental to the
,ine, or root. The "SCuppernouz' grape
q the general favorite hero in this climate
ar eating and for wine. 1t is very pro-
ifc, ID very hard and not subject to the
4isesses of other kinds of grapes which
arge beautiful grape and it is not uu-
l-usl for one grape to measure an inch in
iameter Color of fruit when ripe, dark
,retn to u russet brown.
The climate here is certainly the most
ovely l ever witnessed in my life. The
thermometer, to-day, stood at about 20 de-
tally blowing from off either the Coast of .
he Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, we are
ituated just mid way between the two. ;
he warmest days in summer never is \
bove 100 degrees, showing that it ia cool =
r here in summer than it is with you
hen you have your warm weather. The
lights are cool and any time during the :,
lmmer we can sleep with a quilt
yer us and not be uncomfortable. y
he fact of the matter is this State can be
ade the garden of the world and all it y
ants to make it so is northern enter IL
Use and men that are not afraid to work =, :.
ID little capital to invest for the first -
ar until they get started farm can ~
bought within easy range of the rail- y.
ad, of from 100 or 600 acres plots to -
it the purchaser at from 81 so to So per
re, and many times for great deal less
man who comes here to farm it, will
er go back North and think of farming -
ere, such is the experience of hundreds " "
70 try it. -
There ia one fault the help you get, if
u depend on the niger for it, is very
or, you can place no dependence on bo
EN- in this respect, they are lazy and a =
eat many would sooner steal than work -
.hough there are exceptions to this rule
in all others, now and then there is e.
o that is industrious and tries to gain
honest living. This county has elected y
ia year one of the race to Congress, his .-
ponent, Mr.. Cyrus Nibluck was elected " q,
between two and three hundred ma NJ NJ
ity, but was ruled out on the plea that -
'reat many voters were: intimidated at !,
polls, Mr.. N. is one of the finest and Wv
ATTEST men in the county, a perfect a.:
ntleman and well educated, he is to ''o
ltest for his own seat at the next sit. al
& of Congress in March, the people Du
e are quite indignant. that ID the W ~.
ltes' at the way the contest came out. Ii
The people here as q class are very oh
sdly to all strangers and are DESTROYS MIA
aving more northerners come and settle W.
0. The bitter feelings which the late fiel
: caused among them is fast dying out
now that the slaves are all frea they oar
all glad and express themselves so, for WI,
his State they were greater source Of
ense than they were profit to them. car