St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-02-18

NalIe'leS' Slcl us mandarin. tangerine
novel, bcrgamont, and some buds tba
came by mail from California.
bought 30 seedlings for I5 cent.
each, a novel and bcrgamont (budded
tree. The latter he said bore a few
Oranges this year and paid him S:} foI
It. Several of the Trees had blossoms
two sizes of green and ripe oranges. or
The same tree, but generally they bloom
IN February or March, and the frult
rlpcns in October or November. Tw,
Years ago he sold the place for 5.OOC
but there WaS some doubt about tn,
title on account of minor children. and
the trade fell through. When the trees
are i'll bloom the fragrance is pcrcepti-
bic for quite II distance. and is yer,
pleasant. but Mrs. Newbold said that
she could not smell it at all.
On our way home we stopped to see
Priest make sugar. He has about an
acre of came in some Hammock land.
which had been cropped several years.
without ANY manure, and this wear he
had mad" eleven barrels of syrup. of
about 10 gallons to the barrel. He sold
II for about ~ cents per gallon on the
average, which would make an income
"f over $500 per acre. His apparatus
WAS rather primitive, consisting of two
iron rollers set in Il wooden frame. and
turned 10y Il horse and mule attached to
Il sweep. The cane WAS crushed he
tween these rollers. and the Juice WAS
caught in Il barrel underneath. lie
gave us some of ii to drink. and we
found it much Sweetcr than sap. He
boiled il down in two large iron kettles.
and made il all into syrup instead of
sugar. The canes We're some larger
than corn stalks. and about six feet
long. although have seen some eleven
feet. The juice forms about ~ per cent
of the weight of the green cane. don't
think he got ont that amount.
This man is what is called Il Florida
Cracker lived in Il log house Il great
many Years. and raised Il family. with
ont Il door or window in the house.
He thought he WAS living in comfort.
Which shows that comfort, luxury. and
such terms, have different mranim" in
different places: and that folks might
he comfortable with very little. if they
did not know of any thin" better.
W hat We call ncce>SarirS he vouid call
luNnricS. But then on the other hand.
he owned Il double haIrclcd shot GUN.
two dogs. and Thought he could not
keep house without them. We arrived
at home before dark with good aprr-
tite>. ha> ing walked ten or twelve miles
that day.
In lJl2 Ponce de Leon. Il cavalier
then NcIging upon old age, Who had
been Il comlade Of Christopher Colum-
bus. set forth from Porto Rico To tind Il
certain island called Bimina, where WAS
said to he the fountain of youth. If he
could only find this fountain and battle
in it. he would he restored to perpetual
thusia>tS like himself. set out on this
romantic expedition and voyage of dis
coNcry. He Slw the coast the iISt time
on Easter sunday. in April. l5l2; which
day the Spaniard> call Posg"d FIoricIo.
and he accordingly named the newly
discovered country ''FI"rida." in honor
"f the day he landed. and not 10y reason
of the great profII>iun of tlowcr>. ;I>
some people think This landing WAS
of -. Augustine.
The cavaliers search for the imm"i-
tai spring was iruitlr>S. The Indians
harla>scd and picked oil his men with
poisoned arrows. till he was finally
forced t" quit the country. He carried
with him to Cuba IL mortal wduud which
caused his death soon after his alriN al
there.
Last Saturday Richardson and my
self started OFT on Il similar expedition
of discovery but we had IN idea that
if We went in Il southwest direction Il
distance of about four miles. we should
he rewarded with Il sight of the re-
uowncd fountain of youth for which DE
Leon searched in vain. The day WAS
warm. reaching - degrees in the shade.
la, Al.
woods regardless of roads. and in the
course of an hour arrived at the la"
house of Mrs. Mizcll, ("thcrwiSr called
Aunt Maria.) II lady of African descent.
without any mixture of CaucaS>ian.
She wished tn sell me hearing orange
tree in order to obtain funds to 90 tu
the L. :. land office and complete her
title To her homestead. | offered her
- for it. but us she asked S25-wc did
banks of Lake Marguerite. Il very hand
some sheet of water. hat not as fine as
Lake Como, which lies just north of it.
From this place we proceeded west
about IL mile, and finally came in sight
of patch of perhaps five acres of
Hammock or hard wood land. The
springs are in the centre of this Ham
mock, and the land and springs are
owned 10y the Florida Improvement
Company. who have laid out Il town
Ton paper) and cleared up somewhat
as follows. by the vice president of the
Ennnnnn,n. Stuln.n Dnil in tl... II ~.