The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-04-04
SPRING GARDEN, FLORIDA.
March %, 1878.

EDITOR KEN0sHA TELEGRAPH:
DEAR SIR:-When / left Kenosha
Dec. 10th, many friends asked me to
write my impressions and observations
in Florida.
We arrived at Jacksonville 14th, left
in few hours by steamer up St. Johns
river one hundred and fifty miles to
| Lake Beresford, arriving at one p. m.
18th. Then took seats in one horse
|, cart, (the only conveyance and rode
live miles through high pine woods to
| Spring Garden.
We have built a two story house,
twith yeranda in front and kitchen in
rear. Superintended the clearing,
fencing and blowing of five acres, and
btransplanted nearly 400 orange trees.
I SO have had no leisure for travelling,
and will contine myself to some facts
about this locality, which is said to be
Ia specimen of the best high pine
onange growing land in the State.
The name Spring Garden" is from
very large clear spring of sulphur
water, and a tract Of 1900 acres around
| it that has been from the old days of
Spanish ownership cultivated for
sugars cane and cotton.
The tract embraces perhaps 1900
acres, Geo. H. Norris, Esq, Of Chicago,
purchased few years ago about 1000
acres of,this tract. Twenty or more
families, who like ourselves wanted a
winter home South, have purchased of
him from 10 to so acres, and have
cleared and set to orange trees from
five to ten acres each.
| Mr.. Norris has IN all his groves
about 30 acres. Mr.. Stone, formerly
principal ,qf our high school, has eigh-
!, teen acres. Some trees already bea1
+. fruit. Mr.. Norris sold during the past
!, winter over 10000 at 24c per doz
!, Eight of the families have built com
Portable houses, and as most of us
have been of active habits the "orange
j fever"is a pleasant and may be prof
table outlet for our activities.
II The surface of the country here is
!, similar to the pine regions of Michigan
4 The different kinds of land are des
ignated as "high pine, Glow pine" o.
\ "Aat woods" "high hammock" Glow
tLhammock' and swamp" The high
y pine is from fifty to one hundred feet
II above the level of the river Has g
ii Light sandy soil, and is covered with &
Il good growth of Carolina pine. Water
livery soft and sweet is found at from
: 20 to 40 feet from the surface Fertil
: izers are necessary for crops. High
: and low hammock has been cropped
!, for more than two hundred years and
! yet fair crops of cotton and cane are
/ produced. Latitude between 2S Q and
29o, of course frost is not common ex.
cept what is called white frost. Let
tuce, radishes, caulifower, SC, grow
all Winter, but less crisp and tender
( than North. Semitropical fruits and
sweet potatoes are the principal pro
ducts for market, and the natives made
very little effort to cultivate these
crops until the advent of northern men.
AS there are no juicy grasses, cattle,
horses and hogs are scrawny and poor.
Northern bacon and hams are the prin-
cipal meats. Wild meat is abundant.
Venison, Quail and some Wild Tur-
keys, excellent oysters and fish are
very abundant at the Ocean twenty
five miles away, but too little enter
prise to establish express to bring them
to consumers.
| The forests produce large Live Oaks
and Cypress. Magnolia, Bay and. Red
Cedar are abundant in some localities.
Roses and many other flowers have
bloomed in open air through the win
Winter. The orange groves are now
in blossom and are exceedingly beauti-
full and fragrant ots4
A comfortable house is cheaply built.
No cellar; stills on live oak blocks PA
feet high; sided. shingled and fioored,
that sufices for. Winter. Thermome-
ter has ranged from So to $50 since
December. SO at II a. N. to-day in
shade. A breeze from the Atlantic or
gulf cools the air after 10 a. m.
We are in what is called Southern
Florida. near the frontier. Have en-
L I'll