The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-05-24

On the highway trendIng east fto,b Tbo,...
VILE to the village Of Boston, and within fan,
miles Of the former, are situated the veg.,.
BILE and fruit farms Of Thomas Z. Blachshas, q
blackshear & Mckay, II. H. Sanford and the
Measrs varnadoe, OF LIE Conte pear fame. We
were among these farms few dava aro ana
notes with great pleasure the increase Of wsv
the excellent character Of the work and the r.
markable growth Of the fruit trees, etc
The model little vegetable and fraIt farm Of
Mr. Inomss e. blackshear, In the suburbs Of the
town WIN iully repay visit at any 9eason, but
particularly ct this time when the young vegets'
bles, melons and fruit trees all benin TO sbo-
vigorous spring growth. But whoever NAV vis;,
his suburban residence and farm should not fs;,
to extend this visit mile further. to farm nnr,.
Der two, presided over BY Mr.. J. F. McKav
formerly Of Kentucky, who is fast rsvolutioniz.
ing this section and creating Q boom h The
strawberry business. This farm has a lie Conts
pear orchard which will probably begin to hear
next year, twenty-five acres In watefmelons nov
making fine progress, and twenty &C ,es in straw.
berries OF new and very superior variety. 7,
is in this part Of the work Mr.. Mckay has so
distinguished himself, in shipping from his farm
in Kentucky nearly 800 900 plants, preparing the
soil, putting out, mulching and brin Sing even 10
fruit bearing growth, twenty acres i5f s,rawber.
ries in spite OF most unfavorable WEATHER, hay.
ing commenced in the winter, walked two miles
to his work large part of the time, luperintend
ing the erection Of bis dwelling and removed
his family from Kentucky. From q. bit Of Door
land of no significance whatever, Msssrs Black.
shear q Mckay have made It one of the mos,
valuable and desirable farms In Thomas county
and, we have no doubt, will be sold in a few
years for fabulous sum, as inquiry by Northern
capitalists has already begun for bearing or
chards of the LIE Conte pear.
Hard by is the fruit and vegetable farm of Mr..
H. H. Sanford, who, already well known as the
proprietor of popular nursery, has recently
taken into partnership Mr.. - ldeDer, formerly
of South Florida, and having erected extensive
green and hot houses and supplied themselves
with an immense stock OF plants These gentle.
men have created business where il; did not be-
fore exist, and concentrated the trade Of rich
and populous section upon their deserving gar
dens and nurseries
Some of the finest LIE Cente pear trees in the
county are to be found in the orchard of Mr..
Sanford, with almost every other variety Of pear
and other fruit trees adapted to this climate
with the most extensive vineyard il the county
save that of Mr.. John Stark, few miles farther
of on the same road.
About one mile from the nurseries of Messrs
Sanford & Idener is the famous LIE Conte pear
orchard of Mr.. L. L. Varnedoe, the older trees OF
which continue to surprise and astonish every
beholder. First, with their immense giant like
growth of wood second, with .ahe evident
strength and vigor of their mighty branches, and
third, with their most extraordinary fruit bear
ing capacity. Some of these trees though but
dozen years from the cuttings, having yielded
their owner as many bushels of fine juicy pears
But in Fastening on to these first emigrants
from the parent tree in Liberty county, we pass
ed Inadvertently by the little poor spot Of earth
which so rapidly changed hands three years ago
on account of one hundred LIE Comic pear trees
set there by Mr. Thomas E. Blaekshear and
having now become the largest pear orchard in
the county, has long since risen from Its first
valuation of five hundred dollars tothat of many
thousands. Ii is the property Of Messrs. Sanford,
of Thomas, and Thompson, of SGmter county
who, evidently by the continued extension of
orchard, foresee the coming LIE Corte boom, and
mean to be prepared for it. Eight hundred
young trees were added to this orchard last
winter, and between the young trees fine pros
pect for large melon crop may be seen at this
writing.
Continuing along the same highway. we pass
the well regulated farms of Charles Vann, Gin
ton VaInedoe, VIM. McKinnon, John McKn-
non, Sr. Uncle John,) and Jane Mitchell, 10
that of pair of bachelor Changers, nine miles
from town, and situated among the fertile hills
and valleys of the Aucilla. We allLde TO that
of Messrs John and Duncan McKinnon, two
young farmers noted for sober, steady habits of
morality, industry, intelligence and thrift. A
brief visit 10 their residence and farm revealed
the secret of their prosperity, in timely good
work in every department Of the farm-good
fences, neat premises, tidy household Tin the care
Of the best of maiden sisters) and evident pains
taking TO do things well Here we saw a log
potato house constructed above ground, chinked
with clay, divided into stalls or cellars, with
overhead ventilation through ceiling which cut
of any cold or dewy air that might pass through
the roof, and saw good lot of well preserved
potatoes from the old crop. There was = credi-
table garden of vegetables, and the general crops
of the farm in good condition, with plenty of
moisture. On this place we noted an admirable
prospect for peach crop, but ftUm seeding
trees, while the popular hybrids exhibited little
or no fruit at all, and the fact confirmed our oft
expressed opinion, that our section must return
to seeding trees before we can expect anything
like steady remunerative peach cTops.-L. C. B.
in Savannah Netcs