The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-10-15
From Lawtey to Cedar Kew.
From Our Travelling Correspondent.


From Our Travelling Correspondent.
We got on the train at Lawtey for
trip down the road. The air was
fresh and the sun, which has been
tarryiDg so long behind the dripping
clouds, was doing his best to revive
responding humanity and wake up
nature to a more cheerful aspect.
Temples Mill, the first place we
stopped at, appears to be engaged
mostly in the lumber business and,
since our last visit, two years ago,
has added number of neat houses.
Starke, seventy-four miles from Fer
nandia, is smart town of 500 inhab.
itants. The land about here is we'll
adapted to farming and orange grow
ing. There are a number of fine
groves in the vicinity. Crops are:
Sea Island cotton, sugar-cane, corn
and potatoes. The place has a tele-
graph, post, and printing Office, and
is one of the most enterprising towns
on this part of the road.
1t is impossible tor one who is un.
acquainted with the character of
Florida lands to form a correct idea
of the country contiguous to the
railroad, for great portion of the
road is built through very poor farm
ing land and stranger would not be
particularly struck with any part of
the country from Fernandina to
Gainesville, but let him stop at each
station, and examine the surrounding
country and he would find thousands
of acres of the best quality of orange
lands and much better farming local.
tiles than he expected to see. Much
of this is within easy access of the
stations. These lands are govern
ment, railroad and private the first
OF which can be had for the entrance
fees, and the latter for a very small
price, or on easy terms.
Waldo is the next place to Starke,
and wTcnfM naif a lTTniie Of Six fine healtb
xanniT g-Srisiissl sa.adtpL- Inns II from ID
eighty-four miles from Fernandina
and located in fine farming region.
The buildings have neat appearance,
which is rendered more so by the
smooth green lawn in front of the
town. Col. D. S. Place, who resides
here, is very active in bringing this
part OF the State into notice and is
connected with the canal which is be-
ing built from Lake Santa Fe to the
railroad. A fine grove of orange
trees can be seen here.
Fingers Mill Station, ninety one
miles, is small. settlement with sew
eral farms near by. This place is in
the tract known as the Spanish ARE
dondo Grant, which is the richest
body OF land on the road except the
Great Gulf Hammock.
.. Gainesville, near the centre of this
grant, comes the nearest to an ideal
Southern town of any on the road, so
far. Situated near the hammock, the
luxuriant foliage of its many shade
trees is very attractive. Being near
fine hunting and fishing region
many tourists come here in the win
ter. We met here member of the
Georgia and Florida Inland Steam
boat Company, who said that the
number of visitors to the State would
be greatly increased the coming win
ter. He thought that this wasdue
to the improvement in business at
the North the past year and we find
this to be the sentiment of hotel
keepers generally. 1t may be also
that the absence of fever and other
sickness in Florida last winter, has
induced many who have been in the
habit of coming here, to return again
to their favorite climate.
From here to Arredondo is high
hammock and pine land, very rich
There are many farms and truck gar
dens here. Arredondo is in the
midst of the richest pine lands on the
road. Here is the home of the Gu
cumber-the colicky little irstling o.
the spring-which the Yankees VI
North buy SO eagerly at fabulous
prices.
Those Spaniards knew what they
were about when they secured thil
immense body of rich land, covering
over 400 square miles. But it tool
a Yankee to find out how to make
money from it. Arredondo is :
thriving place and has more the lool
| &c n Waetarn than q Florida town