The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-07-03

horse" will be heard all around us, for as
settlers come in railroads are being talked
of, and already the CONTRACT is let for a
road from Tampa to the Upper st, Joints.
and tharter granted for another from
Gainesville by Ocala, Tampa and - to
Charlott's Harbor. These facilities for
quick transportation will develop our
resources and enhance the value of prop
erty.
This is not as good country for farm
ing as many others I have seen. Good
lands (hummock) will bring from twenty
TO thirty bushels of corn to the acre, worth
81 per bushol. Rye and oats do tolcl ably
well, and while some wheat is grown in
North Florida, believe none so far south
as this. A crop of Irish and sweet pota-
toes may be grown on the sahle land.
believe it will be no cXaggeration for me
to say that $50 Bushels of sweet potatoes
is not big yield per acre, and 500 BUSH
els have been made. Irish potatoes, with
little more preparation, will do quite as
well as sweet potatoes. Il would like for
some of my friends in Anderson who like
to have struck" growing around them to
have some of the seed Of these Florida
sweet potatoes, and would send them if I
thought they would be willing to pay the
freight on them-about 80 per barrel.
What says my old friend, Capt. Broyles,
neighbors Barr and Frierson, and you,
Mr.. Editor? Iftogether you think them
worth the freight-without extra charge,
of course-I will take pleasure in send
ing you two or three barrels.
But little better crop than peas can be
raised on any farm. The vines make
fine forage and as a manurial crop for
turning under green 1t is second only to
clover. Three crops of these can be raised
in one year at yield Of ten bushels per
acre. Chufas, that were beginning to be
planted by good many in Anderson be-
fore left, yield abundantly here, and
many contend that bushel of chufas is
worth Is much as bushel Of corn to fat
ten hogs. "Gubers" (peanuts) and pin
dars are also good for hogs, and I suppose
will do well. haye about an acre OF
each planted, and they look promising.
Melons, when planted once, scarcely need
replanting, as they spring up voluntarily
the next year all over the fold where they
have been. Vegetables of all kinds can
be raised in abundance, and scarcely
week that something cannot be planted,
though December and January are the
months most suitable for gardening.
Casava, which grows finely here, makes
q very nutritious and palatable diet, and
is said to be the richest in starch of any
vegetable we have. Parties in Tampa
are investigating the best modes of man.
ufacturing starch with view to going
into the business, which, if done, will
encourage raising casava and arrow root,
and make them both source of profit.
Ginger and many other plants of a trop-
ical nature that do not recall are grown
here. Sugar cane grows well on good
land, ratooning for several years, and is
one Of the principal crops. So also does
rice.
The above will give you an idea of
those products of the soil which will en-
ablc one to live while he is preparing
for and awaiting the result of tho greater
source of profit he is to reap from the
culture Of the citrous family, more par
ticularly the sweet orange and lemon. I
believe in no branch of agriculture or
horticulture will there arise greater profit
than from the cultivation and raising Of
these two. Some come here appearing,
from, their actions, to think that the orange
is a spontaneous growth, and that a for
tune is to be made out of 1t in three or
four years without work and hence, if
able to get away, go off dissatisfied and
disguised. There never was but one
Eden, and when from that the command
came, "by the sweat of thy face shall ye
eat Bread" it had no restriction. Money
will come nearer growing on trees here
than anywhere else, but it takes time
and labor, sprinkled with good deal of
endurance, to effect it.
To those who have never seen an or
ange grove, and know nothing of the
profits that result from it, any descrip-
ton would be useless, for it would not be
believed. I would expect to be asked,
"Would you believe it if you hadn't seen
it?" will say, however, that well
cultivated grove ten years old will bear
from 1000 to 1900 oranges to the tree, worth
from cent to cent and quarter at the
tree each. T rode mp under clump of
sixteen trees last year that 10000 oranges
had been sold off of. and there is Onc tree
not very far from here that the owner
claims to have gathered 10000 oranges
from last year. How is that for high?
The good sense of your readers, Mr..
Editor, will tell them that these results
cannot be looked for the first three or
four years; but if a man will buy him
forty or fifty acres of land convenient to
transportation, set him out grove and
live hard for few years, his patience
will not go unrewarded, in my opinion.
lucSo idCIS COIoiuSiSuJ hoNO Nv hSoA
fancy in saying that I believe South
Florida to be the best poor mans coun-
try in the universe, provided he is in
dustrious, frugal and patient. In other
words, if he will make up his mind to
live hard for a few years, by manage
ment and industry he will sooner reap a
rich harvest for his labor that will secure
his future independence than any where
else.
The most of the public lands that are
near to transportation have been taken
up, though there are some in the interior
that are as good as any, but good ways
from any shipping point. Some who
have moro land than they really need,
in order to induce emigration, and to
enable them to get means to improve the
rest, will sell part quite cheap, and this