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

ties north intending to settle herea.
bout would do best to join in q body
and buy up plantation IN common;
or, If their means DO not permit OF il.
TO take honesteads close touel her
tor the latter apurpose TAYLOR and
Lafayette counties in the southeast.
offer plenty ot large tracts OF good
soil, and the bluffs on the Suwanuee,
which, before the war, were already
enllvened by considerable number
OF thriving plantations, now lying
deserted, and the country at the back
will now afford the opportunity of
two steamboats, plying the river to
Cedar Keys; no doubt that region,
| sheltered as 1t is towards the west by
extensive swamps, marshes and ham.
Inocks, and by the bay, and swept by
the mild airs OF the Gait, must b.
favorable to the culture OF the or,
ange; nor can there be auy better
location and opportunity for stoc<>
raising oi every description, WIN a
railrOAu 50 near Az hand.
The tour counties consltutiug the
northern belt, will suit best such
moueyed immigrants who look o;
land already cleared and cultivated
Here the raising OF livestock, big
and small, the culture of the grape,
both northern and indigenous, and of
fruit trees, cotton and grains, oil and
| fibre plants, and with the completion
OF the railroad system, also truck
farming, will readily respond to the
capabilities of the soil, and find re-
munerative reward. The agricultural,
progress of this part of the country
! will depend on two conditions which
always and every where work
hand in band; they are now fairly
irrespective OF becoming facts in no
distant future. A farming immigra-
I ton both from the North and North
| west OF the Union and from Europe,
and the extension of the railroad
system. With the completion OF the
J. P. q M. linesthrough West Fiori-
da, work on which has commenced, a
railroad connection in bee liue viii
be established between Jacksonville
and New Orleans; and as the South
ern Pacific Il. II. is known to make
connection with New Orleans within
two years time, Middle Florida may
look forward in couple of years to
see the shortest transcUntlnentai
trunk line and from the CalitorLi4n
Mexican shores to the Atlantic thro'
the bestss.and most settled parts OF
her territory. And the town OF
Monticello, the county seat of J Jetfer-
son, has strong hopes OF having it
pass close to her commercial center,
instead of being further dlsadvan~
tagged by mere branch line; it is
moreover, beyond doubt, that the
completion of this transcontinental
line will closely be followed or ac-
companied by the construction of Two
other lines, connecting Monticello,
the one with Thomasvil!e, and there
by directly with the Northwest, the
other with Quitman on the route TO
Savannah. A later future will not
tail to continue that direct northwest
line in its southwest course through
the counties of Jefferson, Taylor and
Lafayette to the very center OF The
Peninsula.
Jefferson county, which extends in
longitudinal line nearly forty miles
from Georgia to the northermost
shores of the Appalachee Bay, shares
in general the features already de-
scribed of the northern belt OF Mid~
die Florida; none OF its elevations
rise, however, beyond 200 feet above
the sea, probably not above ITO feet;
the landscape is generally softly un.
dulat,ng, hilly ascents being OF much
rarer occurrence than in the counties
west; and the soils present happy
mixture OF the upland features des.
oribed above. as Distinguishing the
north portion OF Middle Florida.
There being no prominent features
except the absence vi lakes, shall
naah