The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-06-15
About Tampa Bay.
Tie Florida Agriculturist::

Edttor Of THE Florida AgricalturiSt:
1t has been some time since wrote
you of things and prospects down
here; we nope that we have not been
forgotten by your readers who are
prospecting for homes in Florida,
through the columns of THE AGRI
cULTURIsT. 1t has always been our
boast that we were freer from an
noyance of insects, from malaria,
from the heat of summer, and cold of
winter, than most any portion of the
State not over a hundred miles fur
tier south; l speak now OF Piney
Point, or Pinellas, the point OF land
making out between Tampa and Old
Tampa Bays and the Cult of Mexico.
l think that this last Winter, which
has been the coolest experienced In
the United States tor several de-
cades, should decide the matter. To-
matoes and egg-plants fourished in
the open air, as usual, all along from
November TO April, when the dry
weather set in, and at this date wit.
messed the death of such as were
planted in the old way, a. e., on the
immediate surface of the ground.
But the people aye learning much,
and gTeaS success yfonises TO result
from some experiments which have
been made. Holes are dug several
feet square and twelve to fifteen feet
square, and COW dung, stable manure,
guano, chicken droppings, and some
bulky half decomposed vegetable
matter is filled in with moderate
amount of earth from the surface,
and, according TO the size oil the
hole, one or more plants are set or
seeds planted. AS tar as this has
been tried, it is grand success; and
the beauty of it Is that after seven or
eight years the orange or other
grove which is TO follow is made
permanently rich, while the vege-
tables haze paid handsomely f1r la
Dor and expense. 1t would seem
that it would be too cold and sobby
and indeed I think it would but
for the quality OF the tilling-in matter,
which under process of decay keeps
the hill warm, and OF course moist,
provided care is taken in the begin
ming to have the matter we'll Wetted
down. One cannot prepare very
large garden in this way, but down
here where the tanciesL prices can
be obtained by having the early
track, we fad it better to have few
plants and make them line than 10
have many poor vines and be late lin
the market. | am confident that it
will be an extraordinary Winter in
deed if tomatoes and egg plants are
killed outright; but, suppose a very
hard Winter, one can protect hun
dred or two plants with but little
trouble. The Leaf of a cabbage pal
metto tree, we'll pressed, aud stuck
on and over the North side of plants,
will shield them from Frost Our
people have satisfied themselves that
the good time, SO long looked for,
will be ushered in by the iron horse
which is to travel daily between
Tampa and the st. Johns River. We
will hope to furnish Jacksonville and
oUher places in Florida with guavas,
alligator pears, sugar apple, mango
apple, etc, which they cannot always
have. BY the way, before l close l
will state, as tnrther evidence, that my
mango trees have never done better
and are loaded with fruit. | can
send yonr readers who may desire
them, seeds OF the mango, ny mail,
at cts. each-one seed only to Tie
fruit, aud ample and ready sale at
home at forty CTS. per dozen, or