New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-28

some mat sumner must w WCt season Somptfa,
lively II is -, hut not compared with other "
No country though varying greatly, ~ :" cinrr
am told on good authority that ne summer OF nv ,usy
le taken "a fair average sample. Nearly all me IAN
falls in showers sometimes dozen in day, WIN inter
walls of sunshine continuous RAINY day stldo, 49,,
occurs here noticed during the late eQuinoctia storm
that gang Of shnglcrs the roof more than ,aI
record list Of ali the days upon which
rain has fallen from which any ono can Iotn an o' st
about the rainy season upon the coast faltc o. cor
Florida. count April ms the first summer In"nt rain
responding 20 June at SewYOTk. In that noun sib
fell on the 9th 10th, and Goth The morning OF ,r and
sprnkHng; G. slight shower IS, shower al ShS ~
heavy thunder shower -, shower. 90 he ON n
pretty hard contuGus rain half Of ne aSlnIsJi v
aud might Iuy-Rans zen upon sX day, ,uus cre
short thunder showers; come ea, NASTY light
sprinkle AurIst-ShuVers upon zen uSy - ~. .,i,sr
From IN tiil nth rain ZEN frequently heavily ih'' his
rcntcrs were, Tor the,o i 9as[ u erjo sept
! ~ ., OF rnderate rain nearly nan uic I'M ~,
Three Years ago am told that rain ven e' a5irS Tho
inns id ponds As general tlias, an pGttly W.
satisfied that drouth partIcularly III me paI,'. a
well "a, Garden vegetables Is the one great ~
successful farming IN tins aTt Oh .me dorado ar cal
oInia ie %,',c Fortunately, wind furnishes the
DoHeT I him, mat never have seen day - tbs
rlaco without sufficient breeze 10 run NiuulllI sum.
porton OF the time As the surface of vast portion OF
In ~ fi,6in % 10 90 miles Of the is fue
calcaros sand 60 retains mo- sure relarkdDy WelI eA
cent in Inc portion exposed 10 the eyaportng power OF
ny sun That hecoIn6s Ike hot ashes II cooled and
mo stoned b irrlcs 0r sat fled II would he profit
ably productive N ell crops SUITED 10 i"S l"u1e 81
that s now the case without irrigation hone that
have answered Good many questions sDout
Florida particularly rs 70 the possibility o. people Who
have often seen the thermometer away below zero
COM NJ here and staying, Summer Is Wen a. Winter.
Asiutimaely connected with the main subject Of TIE
letter. propose 70 a1l u He,HoleLUUn' :" an an 49,
land" excursion made IRON Jach.O hNe 10 -, AuEir
tine lSan Augls-tinl in April, os II viii give readers
good idea OF the state ~ tle country IN general " WI
al.O tell Winter visitors here how they can diversity
Their mode OF LoteynC and have real healthy recrer
ton IN week or Two OF 9IIl' hupposo ot Que -,
thousand Who nave Vs-ed the Two PAGES oulItS ty
past three years have uaVelCu Tie, artts ieau
fr0m Jacksonville 20 ST. Augustine. The journey Is
usually made hl dahN steamers, ~ lllts w VIC ~
Johns River 20 Pcoatu, onehoTse town, aud then Is
miles uy stage through 81 almost unhr0kcn lino forest
ard across tie y sebastian Ferry mic the very lea9,
quarters OF saints. Another way IL IN take small
miles 10 the ocean aId aooe' ~ ul's aIu ,nT r. $3.50
ald over the shallow bar OF the - augustine HaTp3r
st. Marks castle but at 100000 eznense 20 spain, OF
shell rock ,coquual and now OF no Eano .Aa.e'sr ~
great curiosity Of the p1cc and ghy valued LOT us at
traction to strangers. chose dheren mode Of travel
So We hired stout pair OF mules ana Tn-Wag1n 10
carry three men and two Young women WIN our tents
aud camp equipaee aud stGred ont determined 70 make
h nov nsvcr bSfors slcpt under canvas, or
campaicuers. But thus trip was through unexp'ored
the ade The royeity Of the situation was the attractive
charm with me the trip meant business. ] wished 70
see the country and tel Tribune readers something
about its present and prospective condition.
one u my companions was the Rev. Geo VI. Anthony
Of Peabody Mass ordered 70 Florida for throat disease
and Mo by living camp-iie nearly all Winter was
restored. al est while 10 remained here, %
Thompson Of Maine has undoubtedly prolonged his fc
several years by spending his Winters in the state
much 81 tnc time out OIL oonrs. oar Georgian team
stc-. al o.. made ono OF our family circle, as We
lie was wounded IN the Confederate aervce bat ne &c
cents without mlrlrrJ tie changed situation ~ when
I5 mon I'm ms region ~ exactly me same character.
There arc some, very small minority WHO lo0A up9n
"tDe cause" &c lost hope, ana upon every agent ~
fle work of their los- IS their lifelong enemy They
neither forget nor forgive some OF them are sayases-
"I,u-KluK."
But all ts is aside from the trip 70 Augustine
land. crossed the broad St. Johns 10y ferry,
N a. i1s 20 he 5d .asc route between Detroit and
Chicago ~ the time WHEN passengers were expeGted TO
Jtcyond the river we followed the Telegraph wires :;
a,ieyis IL n have eco difficult 10 aguish "the
KINGS Koad" from any other woods path so little Is II
raNced-alth0ugh an hundred years ag0 Tie great
G-,y,, lct rac GEORGIA and -. Augustine ana - on
! 10 Nep-emyina, Indian River. cape Carnayera, and
TntI a comparatively recent period Jacksonville was
known Cow F0.d," bocaIse tIsWa me only narrow
part of the river whore cattle couid s%im over. Oi
feet deep and there is rocky ledge a. the BOTTOM with
rise or 80 it,j or lvIe. AZ w. =, - - ,I
nearly cast jd west ul.e ayNr thg cur is Holi
aId south. Consequently the kings Road continues
though not ~ sight Tor to Wloe rEoh ron Jackson
Vile 10 St. augustine is almost one unhroken forest
chiefly pine. Upon the first eight miles ~ the road
| there may be eignt small houses aud hut one large
dwelng soh0OlhOuse, and one small meeting house
~
houyc relic Of the late From there 20 the Sub
u Augustine there is not single house aud no sgn
paths supposed % lead OF where there may lie few
! small farms At the Twelve Mile House We pitched
our Ir-i camp enjoyed hearty supper and sound sleep
H,~r one OF 10 family o. Connecticut Fosters is trying
IT, make farm, md see no reason why he should not
mere well "a al the way from The river is good being
what De- known as gray hammock "a c;Hgaleous san1,
-four Ana this is the character OF the greater portion
81 East Florida upand lhe Icht,l ,oh Is i'aR 4 ~
Fn
hsmmOcks" which not >Wcrnp-, but so larl-t As 10
need thorough draining make cultivation profitable
There are large tracts OF land called -wdmps iu this
Stale, which have 40 characteristics or lnoIlHs lhey
arr Simply like the wet woodlands Of the North, ~
which are always and'sOme only partially wet, or Occa
soually overlooked BY some stream IN ne interior 81
hiy surface. rapid streams with rocky beds Tncre
such SANDY fields we see here are extremely rare Al
Tallahassee t Is frequently muddy that travelling is
not pleasant At jacksonville the roads are best inmc
datey after rain; lazy can then walk out without
rubbers Tho worst walking "a when tic ground Is dry
ana hot.
Fifteen miles from Jacksonville we crossed small
creek, with bottom land, about 20 rods VIDE and then up
gentle incline. rising probably about 20 feet in mile.
tlud Though MOI coarse is n. liiI as The se,-cach and
almost pure scx. II is Only tit 10 pine trees, and
continues Of The same character nearly 60 Augustine,
except along the few stream, which cross the road.
whore there strips Of bottom land. II is
wonder We found no houses upon this road n IS miles
All the most valuable timber has been cut of, probably
many times, as timber land here il we'll preserved from
fire, viii afford crop Of saw-loss every 20 years.
donineered over by Few owners OF cattle,
who take that all THIS vast forest shall
Dc burnt over annually. This promotes the growth of
grass but prevents The land from again being covered
with forest You may often hear men talk Of "the
range" one " the sources Of Florida wealth. TIE
truth of the matter IT,, that il the owners Of the cattle
obliged 70 pay rental OF cent an acre per
NUN, they would gveup the cattle business unprOft
able poor Is the pdurage For hen the scanty crop
OF Wild grass u tender and juicy enough make beef
The biutcs are % tOrmentcd with insects that they
barely exist hey do not faten. In the cooler
season, When insects from their depredatOns tho
grass las lost It's nutrmcnt, and the animals have
sISse ior existence ana Oen ial b fore Spring. This
pre- et desert waste Of land between FftcciSe Creek
ana ~ Augustine, therefore only produce timber
Whci IL cauAO; DO, except sparScly because aunu
ally burnt over, 20 the destruction OF nearly all
/ !ouHR Tree. ana many ola ones. II often renders