The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-02-24
From the Land of Flowers.


the land Of flowers. As sit I can
see the Wild flowers as they hang in
clusters upon vines along the lake
shore. The orange trees are in the
bud and will soon be in full bloom,
then the very air viii be perfumed
with the odor of sweet fiowers-or-
ange, magnolia, bay, etc. This is
the home of the honey bee. The
woods are filed with bee trees.
With a little care and attention a
fortune could be made from honey
alone. Nearly everybody has a few
old fashion bee hives, and these are
always filed with honey. Now, if
some enterprising man, one who un-
derstands the nature of the bee,
would come here and use some pat
ent hive and all the late improve
ments in getting the honey from the
comb he would make money fast.
But as to the country: Calhoun
county is a low county-land pine,
interspersed with oak hammock.
The land is what is called first class
pine land, having sandy soil with
clay subsoiT in Is or "a inches. It
produces finely. From 800 to 500
bushels of sweet potatoes are raised
per acre. Then we can raise tobac-
co, sugar-cane, rice, etc. This is
the orange county of West Florida.
There are but few old groves in the
county, as, before the war, every
thing was cotton, cows and negroes.
Since the war the people have gone
into The orange business and stock
raising almost altogether. Capt.
Smith has one of the finest groves
in the State, not in the number of
Urees-as he has only about 2,2O0
trees-but in the quality of the
fruit. He also has lemons and ba-
nanas which are very fine. DR..
Jno. w. Keyes late of Montgomery,
Ala, has a very fine young grove.
He has oranges, lemons, figs, qua
vas, pecans, white, black and Eng
lish walnuts, almonds, bananas,
peach and pear trees, and a fine Sc
lection of grape vines. I might
give the names of a great many more
who have groves in bearing and
just set out, but it is useless. The
range for sheep, COWS and hogs is
as fine as can be found anywhere.
Fishing is the finest 1 ever heard
of. I frequently catch large trout
on set hooks. If it was published
in the papers every time we caught
fish here, SHORT notices would fill
the paper and nothing be said of
lost turkeys and the ms. Agt.
Speaking Of Ins. Agt., we have
no use for them down here. 1t is
the healthiest country to be found.
People come from Alabama down
here to get cured of chills.
There is plenty of bear and deer
off between six and ten miles from
me, but as powder and shot cost
something and 1 am not first class
sportsman, 1 think fish are good
enough for me.
Calhoun county lies on the Apa
lacticola river, and the Chipols
river runs through its center. Cal
houn enjoys, unrivaled, the honor
of growing more oranges, having
the largest groves, more of them ant
better cared for, and produces th'
finest of any other county in Wes
Fla. It is said that a competen
geologist remarked a few years
since, after having Travelled the st
Johns and Indian river countr,
over in search of a favorable situa
tion for raising oranges, that tn
vicinity of the Chipola lakes on tn
Chipola river, Calhoun county, ha,
the best natural adaptability for tn
culture Of oranges in the State.
There is yet small quantity o
State lands in this locality that ma.
be bought for 81 per acre. Thi
land is bought directly from th
: State in tracts of forty acres eac
and the purchaser may live upon
or not as suits his pleasure. Nei.he
is he limited as to the number c
tracts he buys. W. J. R.
CHIPoLA LAKES, FLA.