The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-10-23
DeIand, Florida, wednesday October 23 1873. @ t


those of the natives, are the best the
immigrant can expect who buys rail.
road or enters government land.
Our pine forests are not dense like
those of the north, and much of our
soil is thin. The reasons are obvious.
The natives have no pastures, but let
their herds run at large in the woods,
which they burn over every spring,
SO their stock may get the fresh
young feed that springs up after the
fire. This practice has thinned the
woods of fallen trees, so they are
passable in all directions with horse
and cart; and along the line of the
railroad, the turpentine and lumber
men have helped the fires to make
the woods thin, and the fires and the
washing of rains have prevented the
accumulation of soil. II IL 91lG
There are, however, extensive de-
posits of muck; for every frequent
depression in the surface has been
receptacle for this wash. A forty.
acre lot can scarcely be found with
out such stores of muck-the best
manure. Then, it is to be observed,
the thinly wooded land is easily
cleared, and the earth is free from
stones. The natives in clearing their
land, do little more than girdle the
trees, so they will die, leaving them
to stand but the practice, l think, is
not to be commended.
I should not omit to say in this true
statement that much of our land has
10 be .grubbed with the hoe or nat
took before it can Ue' wvrKcu, as the
ONENESS of the woods has invited
the growth OF tough-rooted shrubs.
For breaking up, after this, "a tearing
instrument, calleda scooter" lis used.
This soil, full of live roots, is souri,"
and will not produce a crop. The
natives cow-pen it, but this the i'm
migrant cannot do. A common prac'
tice where the land is not cow-penned
is to SOW COW peas, and when wei!
grown to turn them under. This
aerates and manures the soil, and
gives the roots time to rot. TO bring
such land into good condition for use
the next year, it should have manure
spread upou it, and be plowed once
or twice more. The, average jmmi-
grant cannot take this course.
Let me now proceed to show how
a newcomer with small means may
get crop in one year. j.-ls 'ka S.-
The best time to come is the fall,
and the earlier the better. Select a
location where the surface is varied
portions rolling and orhers fiat, like
the highlands. Build a temporary
shanty, or better, something which
may afterward serve for an outbulld-
ing, and then proceed to clear and
fence-say about an acre, selecting a
piece which is comparatively free
from troublesome roots. Without
grubbing or scootering, take your
hoe and list the piece, that is, cut
up the grass and whatever is grow
ing there, and draw it together in
rows about five feet apart. When
done they will look like so many
swaths in hay field. In listing, do
not strike deep with your hoe-just
skim the surface, and bring little
soil with the weeds. Let these rows
lie under the sun and rains until near
planting time. Then take your hoe
again and go over the whole, making
upthe rows to their proper size and
shape. Bring in first the soil, he.
cause this is the food of the plant,
To cover the sides the hoe may
strike deeper. This work should be
done when the rows are wet; the