The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-06-15

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making pretty home among the
pines We then proceeded with
Capt o. P. Rock to his homestead
among the rolling pine land overlook
ing charming lakes. IT any one
wants to see what industry and in
telligence can do in forming Flor
ida home, they should visit Capt
Rocks place-we were astonished.
In less than two years he has cleared
up, taken out the stumps and fenced
over 30 acres and has planted out al
most every variety of tropical fruit
and shrubs,a ll;growing with the great
est luxuriance, as if in their native
soil. Ten varieties of grapes, the
vines loaded with fruit, punches that
will weigh two or three pounds
each. Orange trees OF every variety
guavas, peaches, plums and other
things too numerous to mention, be-
sides sugar cane, which gave him
last crop a return of over 5000 to the
acre, rice etc, everything in the most
apple-pie order. Money could not do
it, only intelligent care has made this
glorious home in the common pine
land. His house overlooks hand
some, clearwater lake, about a mile
across, stocked with fish which he
catches in a novel manner: in the
evening, taking a dozen empty bot
ties, well corked, he attaches about
ten feet of line to the neck of the
bottle and puts on the hook live
Dream and lets it go, and in the morn
ing he finds fine trout caught on the
hooks. He showed us a new grass
that he had found on the Withlacoo.
che river that he thinks will be
great addition TO our fodder plants.
We were loath to leave this lovely
place and its hospitable Hostess, but
our time was limited. Next morn.
ing Capt Rocks drove us around to
some OF the hammock groves of Mr..
King, who has a beautiful front on
Lake Harris, and who kindly
kept us To dinncrh ythen we visited
the splendid grove OF Mr.. Amory, of
Georgia. containing So acres, for
which he lately paidss28, 900, and is
valued at $4,000. At this place
there are a number of seedlings in
bearing, over twenty feet high, and
in splendid order. Near by we went
over the young grove OF Mr..
Stivenden, making avigorous growth
on the finest hammock land. We
called at the residence of Mr.. G. P.
Roberts and made the acquaintance
of his interesting family, and spent
the night at. our old.triend Col. L. K.
Laniers. His son, J. G. Lan1er. who
made the fine hexhibit of vegetables
at Leesburg, has here acres in toma-
toes, beans, melons, Bermuda onions
and beets' He is shipping off hun
dreds of crates weekly, and informed
us that he found Cincinnati, Ohio, TO
be the best paying market. Toma-
toes sent at the same time TO Balti-
more and Cincinnati brought $500
per crate al the former place, and
$3.50 at the latter, After partaking
OF the hospitality of Col. ,Lanier, he
took us down 70 the landing on Lake
Harris, where we took the Mayhower
on our way home. Space will not
allow US to mention all the interest
ing Things we saw in this glorious
part of the State, but we saw enough
to convince us that it has mighty
future before it. The Lake Eustis
Railroad is fast developing its agri-
cultural productiops-433 crates OF
vegetables passed over it in one day
for shipment on the ST. Johns River
steamers. The officers of the Rail.
road, Maj. Davies, Superintendent,
MIR. Hammond, conductor, ana Mr..
Troy, station master lat Astor, are
most courteous and obliging and will
make the road popular one to tour.