The Florida agriculturist., 1880-09-08

which would be great privation to
Northern people. Now, we will as
sumo the immigrant is an Industrious
man OF moderate means, What is
before him? He finds himself and
family in the piEey woods with say
twenty acres of land covered with
tall, straight pine trees, standing sim.
liar to an apple orchard at the North,
irregular, OF course, but trees from
eightinchesin diameterup totwenty-
four inches, standing on an aver
age Of say fifteen apart, and forty to
fifty feet IN height from the ground
to limb, which he will find ample to
build him his cabin, and cypress con-
venient to make his shingles to cover
it. Or he can purchase lumber at
saw mills at from SO to Sl4 per
thousand. Many girdle the trees,
and commence grubbing and clear
ing tor plow, but this is slovenly
mode better cut down the timber,
split it into rails and fence, leaving
the roots to decay or burn out at
leisure, which, being fat or pitch pine,
burn readily. Many OF the pines
split almost like our chestnut, and
such are readily recognized when
telled. Allow one to two weeks to
erect cabin or house-all OF which
Can be done by almost any Northern
man with limited knowledge Of the
use OF tools. Family under shelter,
he then goes at his clearing, and
with five acres, or even less, in four
weeks more is ready to sow with the
COW peas, which is universally sown
to sweeten the ground and prepare
tor crops-or sweet potatoes TOR first
crop, which mature in four months.
In forty days the peas are ready to
plow under, and then the immigrant
is ready to plant vegetables in all
yarieties-orange trees, or anything
he chooses, and has assurance OF
living. He wants chickens from the
start, and, If possible, cow, TOR
neither will cost him cent to feed.
Fish a little, hunt occasionally-all
OF which man OF ordinary foresight
can adopt to aid i'll supporting his
family. AS have before said, the
first year is the year OF trial and pri-
vation, but after that there is no
land where the man OF industry can
thrive faster or more easily than in
Florida, if blessed with ordinary
health and perseverance, tor he now
has his 100 or more tour or five
years old orange trees out, with his
own laber, costing him 40 to SO
cents each III the ground and grow
ing. AT the end of three years he
can depend on an income from that
at first, but increasing
yearly. Many think three or four
acres in orange trees (30O) is all a
man can properly care tor. Parson
Thomas, of Penal, Putnam county,
has only 100, which.he thinks is all
he wants to caretor. His aretwenty
years old, and his revenue from
them ranges from $500 to $4,000
yearly. He takes great pride IN his
little grove, and each tree is cared
for i'll person.
My letter is getting lengthy, and
possibly not very interesting, but l
may have given an idea to those
thinking Jf coming to Florida. The
main point is not 10 deceive-not to
hold out false inducements, but to
give reliable information TO those
having desire to come here to bet
ter their condition. The main point
with me in all the printed matter l
have circulated assumed the party
had fully considered the matter of a
change. | never persuade, but If
the party has decided TO emlgrate,
to aid him in all possible manner by
correct information. To induce a
family TO break Lp a comfortable
home, and remove 10 distant land
under false inducements, would be
great crime. AS you are aware, L
am IA native OF Bucks county, Penn
sylyania, and while l would be happy
10 see Pennsylvanians here by
thousands land have land to selD, L
would not desire TO see them under
false, representations, and in all my
publications and letters, say "Come
and see Tor yourselves
Foot Rot i'm Sheen.