The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-10-26

would-be-immlgrant of diverse re.
gions of the State where residents and
spectators do their utmost 10 allure
ignorants, they only spoil the broth; an
ill advised or ill>planned colonization
arising froma greedy unconscientious
speculation OF merely settling lands,
improvident and uncared for the
sanitary and economical welfare Of
the new settler, by locating them, as
actually has been done, in swamps
where but destruction could mani
testify await the colony, such proceed
ings which, to my notion, ought to
be stigmatized and prevented as a
downright rascality, will do inn
mense harm to immigration and deter
whole States OF the North from en-
couraging emigration to come here.
Give your praise only to good re-
glons, open them up, offer selectable
tracts where sanitary and agriculture
al conditions combine to warrant sue.
cess, and the test of inducements once
reported home will do quick work in
filing up those regions and adjoin-
ing ones.
However, much that is written up
in East Florida deserves OF but small
credit and is liable to. heavy reduc>
tions; from my own investigations as
we'll as from reliable sources, know
that there are large bodies OF good,
land, yea, fine, arabic soil in many of
the counties shat make up the penin-
sula, some even holding out attrac-
lions OF scenery which find no par
allel in Middle Florida, at least not
as to abundance; and while the whole
of the Peninsula can indisputably
vaunt TO be the land for the oranges
grower, Middle Florida will, after
her late experience, have to resign
any such aspirations, at leasJ for her
northern belt, and limit her hope
to her southeastern corner. I must
say, had, six years ago, the Peniusu~
la presented the same aspect, regard.
ing accessibility to, and enterprise in,
railroads as it does now. l should
then not have hesitated to fix my
abode loo, in any Of the counties
between the eth and 29th degrees
Of latitude, being by my own eyes
convinced that they contain plenty
of lands where it is delightful to live
and good for to prosper and thrive.
But shall leave it to the Peninsula
Floridians TO extoi their best regions
to their best ability. They have a
prominent talent and mack tor under
standing, and paint up with encomi>
UNI even parts that are not worth the
seeing. Let them fairly limit them~
selves only TO such ones as really
deserve it; there is scope enough. If
in their general exertIon of giving
every spot in the South the tint Of
paradise, they meet at times with
some disastrous down-break OF colo~
nization, they have to lay it at their
own doors, and | presume they will
come to the acknowledgment that
plain truth will in the long rup tell
better than the fairest lie As n
have already said, they Lave no need
OF resorting to thcs latter.
NOW, re''.sner of those ways can
oe Ss. ,alo 70 the charge of the people of
W. Idle Florida, in regard to immi-
grafton. I know but of one spo.
radio exertion of a blowing nature
for getting people from the North to
settle In this section of the State,
and that experiment proved failure.
Very small, has been up to this time,
the number of those who really
wished for a white farming immigra.
ton; if occasionally desire was ut.
tered, it could, in most cases, be taken
down as simulated; the generality
have been averse to that kind of set
tiers. The aspiration OF planters did
not reach farther than what could be
effected with the present aid of free
African labor, limited as il was, and
ever will be, to laborers of a low
standard of intelligence, skill and
thrift; although 1t became evident to
every sober computation that nobody
except the storekeeper does ethrive