The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-03-24

seen in any co4tty. I have seen a
great deal of HhRida, l suppose no
man has seen y, he of the State than
l have Tor the Mgth OF time that |
have been in th&sPtate, aud / must
say that what Ave seen of Volusia
county l like itRRle best, and l ex-
pect to make nyawinter home in the
pine lands of Vqlpsia county dare
say that there ar other counties Just
as good. am I'D by my old friend,
Mr. r. Marks, tAat near Orlando the
lands will comp8se with any in the
State. l must say that the lands
around Sanford did not impress me
very tavorably, Risey are too fiat,
though l am told they are elegant
orange lands andare very productive
for vegetables. Nsaw some very fine
groves near Sanford. My friend
Marks says you viii find the little
town Orlando, tlie county seat of
Orange county one of the highest
points on the peninsula, with every i'm.
portant river rising around it and run
ming to every cardinal point ofthe cum
pass, and 800 feetabove the mouth OF
the st. Johns river. He says Flor
ida is decidedly the healthiest portion
OF the United Stales. liam confident
that he is correct on that point.
Colonel Marks says OF Orange coun-
ty in his circular,aand l quote from
his remarks, because L regard him as
good authority. kHe says: Orange
county ten yearsago, was known as
the 'cattie mans county; no atten-
ton paid to the culture of different
fruits, the county then voted l39
voters had two post,offices, one
steamer on the ST Johns once a week,
one old log school house, used on
Sabbaths as a church. The stock
men kept the country back for years
but general settlement began in
1874; now the population of the
fine court hous9 pesJ offices, fl q /
village started at each post-office, 45
schools and about the same number
of churches, a daily line Of steamers,
telegraph to Sanford, three print
ing offices, railroad graded from
lake Jessup to Orlando and at work
on railroad from lake George to
st. Johns river, to Fort Mason" j"
What the Colonel has said OF Orange
county will apply to many other
counties, but there are millions of
acres of worthless land in the State
He says there is about one acre to
every fifteen that is desirable as a
home and farm. My opinion is
that at least two-thirds Of Florida is
under water, not available for any
purpose except tor muck, and the
fine cypress timber growing in the
swamps, but the sandy lands and the
upland hammocks are very fine; for
health l would recommend the high
sandy land. l believe these lands
will bring as fine cotton as any land
in the South, and it is no trouble to
raise it: it can be grown between
the rows Of orange trees for years to
a great advantage and without injury
to the trees, the seed can be used as
fertilizer.
was on the farm OF Mr.. Daniel
Bennett to-day, and cut cotton
stalk over eight feet high, and meas
ured one and three -fourths inches at
the butt, it contained tifty-nine pods.
l made from this stalk two elegant
walking canes which l will show you
when 1 come home. Major, | know
some OF your readers will say Brinly
has become infatuated with Florida;
well, | have; | brought my wife to
Florida nearly dead, she is now able
to walk about-improving fast-this,
if nothing else, would induce me to
secure winter home in Florida
am now preparing to plant a grove
OF twenty acres, SO you see have
faith and back up what I have said.
A man with capital enough to sus.
tain himself and family until his
groves come into bearing will make
himself independent for Life. A man
can live in your city and own a grove
here there are scores OF groves in
TINS country belonging to men in the
North.
Major, there is, at this time, a
stock company being organized with
a capital Of $4,000, shares of $500,
tor the purpose OF PURCHASING 300