The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-03-10
VOLUME. HI. NO. 43. /
WHOLE NO. 95.
A Halifax River Correspondent.
Editor of The Florida Agriculturist

A Halifax River Correspondent.
Editor of The Florida Agriculturist
1t has occurred to me, that perhaps
some of the doings of settler, come
to stay, might be of some interest to
you and your readers, though l do
not presume that l will be able to
produce anything very sensational.
1 am located on a homestead, on the
north side of Spruce Creek and about
three miles from its mouth or juno
tion with the Halifax River about
four or five miles from the Inlet by
the way of the Creek and River and
five miles from Port Orange
across the country. Spruce Greek
for few miles along it's course to its
mouth, winds its crooked way
through marsh varying in width
from perhaps one hundred to two
hundred and fifty yards. Both sides
of the marsh the banks are high and
usually steep, the creek will average
for some miles fifty yards in width,
and when it touches the steep bank,
which it frequently does, in its tor
tuous way, the water is quite deep.
from ten to twenty-five feet, In
other places it is often quite shallow
not more than three or four feet in
depth. The banks vary from ten to
thirty feet in perpendicular heights
above high tide, and the land extends
back generally for some considerable
distance from both banks, with
mostly level surface. My quarter
section has no ponds or savannas
upon it. The character of the soil is
mostly slight high hammock" with
growth OF fine oak sprinkled with
hickory, magnolia, bay, live oak,
spruce pine, etc., or is "high pine
land" The subsoil where | am To-
Gated is yellow sand for some feet
in depth and below that to the depth
OF twenty-five feet and more is com
posed mostly of very small shells.
The soil seems to be we'll adapted
to the growth of orange trees as my
neighbor, an old colored man has
some as fine sweet Seeding trees as
could be desired, the seed of which
was planted eight years since and
have borne fruit now, for the past
two seasons. The trunks above the
ground six to eight inches in diam
eter.
l located here in March last, built
our domlcil fifty yards from the
verge OF the steep bank, with the
creek at its base, and at this point at
least twenty feet in perpendicular
height from the surface of the water
at high tide. We use no team and
hire no help. Myself and three boys
doing all, even to building, that is
done. We have thoroughly cleaned
up about two acres around our
house, planted one hundred and
sixty-tve orange trees, four years
old, to be budded in place and
one hundred ig trees (rooted) and
piled all the trash from the ground as
mulch around the trees. We have
left all the cabbage palmettos stand
ing and unless [ change my mind
will let them remain among the Or
ange trees. My orange trees are
planted in quincunx style in rows tif:
teen feet apart, which leaves each or
ange tree twenty-one feet from each
OF four other nearest trees. So that
if desirable, in the years to come,
every alternate row can be removed
and the trees remaining be thirty
feet apart each way. The fig trees
are planted in the rows midway be.
tween the orange trees, which makes
each fig tree fifteen feet distant from
tour nearest. orange trees. I intend
planting fig trees in the same way
until have from three to five hun
dred in bearing among my orange
trees, intending, with the aid OF a
''fruit evaporator," to make a market.
able article in figs tor a northern
market With view to this end
have planted i'll a nursery a few hun
dred fig cuttings in order to have
them rooted tor next seasons plant.
ing. This is to be an experiment
with me as | know of no one enter
ing upon fig culture for the purpose
above indicated, but l have faith IN 1t,
and will not give up the idea without
a fair trial, unless l am forced TO do
so from death or failing health. Our
nursery contains several hundred