Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-03-16
FlorIda--Chmate--Lands--Crops.
March 4, 1876.

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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA,
March 4, 1876.
DEAR FATHER:-I received your
welcome letter this morning and was
glad to hear you have entirely re-
covered, ana that all are well. 1t is
almost impossible to avoid cold in
that changeable climate, and even in
this climate one will take cold very
easily, if he exposes himself to the
night air. There is but slight varia-
tion here day and night, but heavy
damp atmosphere at night, as penin-
sula could not be otherwise. 1 send
you pamphlet descriptive of the eli
mate at the Bahamas, giving varia-
tion of only IA degrees in five months,
from Oct. 1st., but they have yellow
fever there in summer, which never
prevails here. You will think our
winters here pleasant, when we have
strawberries, green peas, green beans,
new potatoes, now ripe, and will have
green corn and melons in about two
weeks.
This is beautiful climate, and is
certainly the Italy of America, and
is said to surpass that classic land in
climate and natural attractions-has
a cloudless sky, while that of Italy,
l have heard, has a murky, clouded
atmosphere.
For aged persons, or those suffer
ing from pulmonary affection, it is
very beneficial.
The annual mean temperature OF
Florida is 10 degrees Fair. The ay
erage temperature in winter is 60 de-
grees, making the climate the most
equable of any in the U. S. Its pc
culiar geographical position, nearly
surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean,
and tempered by the guilt stream,
makes it warm IN winter and cool in
summer. Frost occurs seldom even
in winter, and in the Southern portion
of the State is unknown. The sum
mers are long, but the nights are
cool, while the regular sea breezes,
and frequent showers, temper
the heat of the day. The de-
stinctive feature of the climate is its
healthfulness. There are localities
which are malarious, but by judicious
selection of location that evil can be
avoided. The diseases which prove
so fatal elsewhere, such as consump-
tion, bronchitis, pneumonia, diptheria,
typhoid fever, DC, seldom occur, and
when they do, are said to be of a
very mild type.
To resident of Great Britain,
Canada, New England, or the North
western States, it seems scarcely pos.
sible, in any one locality, to cultivate
successfully within an enclosure of
ten acres, the oats, rye and wheat OF
the North; the peach, ounce and
sweet potato of the middle States;
the corn, cotton and tobacco Of the
Southern; coffee, indigo and ginger
of the West Indies; the orange, lime
and lemon of Central America; the
olive, grape and spice, the date and
palm of the desert, and pepper and
tea of the East, but residents here
know that this can be done in Flor
ida. When to these are added the
rice, bananas, cocoanuts, pine apples,
paw-paws, peaches, ounces, lime,
lemons, dates, apples, that are actual
ly raised with success, for l have
seen them, the wide range of Flori-
da production is shown.
You and Harper, it seems, have al
ready caught the Florida fever, but
lest you might construe the above
facts too favorably, l had better
speak of some of the disadvantages
to be encountered here. You are
aware, l suppose, that this is new
country, and consequently crude and
uncultivated. You will not find in
the newly settled sections school
houses, post-offices, churches, and
civilization and comfort, but they
will follow the settlement of the
country. The many privations and
hardships, incident to pioneer life,
can be obviated by several families
coming together. There are wilds in
Florida that white man never saw.
The better plan would be to buy a
small tract already cleared, and
partly improved. You wish me to
select you a piece of land here.
One-third of all the lands in the
State belong to the U. S., but are
open to entry only under the "Home-
stead act" All the Government
lands on the st. Johns river are ia:
ken, for two or three miles back, |
understand. There are also large
quantities of lands known as State
lands, which can be bought out
right for from 60 cents to $l.25
per acre. These are as valuable as
the United States lands. Improved
farms or plantations, with more or
less improvements, can be bought all
over the State, at from S. to $40 per
acre, but Immediately on the st.
Johns river, or on some communica-
ting lake, they are higher-some as
high as $100 per acre. Those are
very near this city. There are so
few bearing groves for sale, that no
settled price can be given. A good
bearing grove can be raised from the
seed in seven or eight years, but
by transplanting them, which you
can buy here for fifty cents each, four
years old, they will begin to bear in
three years, and yield abundantly in
six. The orange bears four crops
year, will remain on the tree three
or four years, if not disturbed, and
are said to be better by remaining on.
They are now in bloom, with ripe fruit
still on the tree. There is a tree in
the city here, bore 5000 oranges this
winter, one crop. How's that for or
anges? They are pretty generally