Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-19
TALLAHASSEE JOTTINGs.
varied Crops - Dairy Boom
Wealth In EvapoFase6 RrutGH-PeaF
Culture-JuneE Term OfSheSupr6 me
Court-A disappointment.

Culture-June FERN Ofghe eSupr6 me
C0urt-A DISAPPOINTMENT.
TALLAHASSEE, June Is Editor Morning
Ne,cs: Middle Florida has recsntly taken a
new departure" iu the agricultural line
First one and then another new element of in
dustry has been introduced Formerly c)tton
alone was the sfaple product. and the main
stay of our agricultural community. True.
scm9 little attention was paid to the raising OF
| tobacco, sugar cane and corn, and few
planters would boast of raising their own
meat But cotton was supreme everything
depended on the coming crop. The merchant
| in laying in his fall stock of goods would
always act in reference to the prospective crop
OF the great staple. His stock was largo or
small, according to the outlook in the month
OF September. There was not much money in
circulation, except in fall or winter Hence
long credit prevailed, and prices of goods
ruled accordingly. Now there is a different
state of things. 1 have heretofore had oc.
casion frequently to aliude to truck farming,
now so successfully inaugurated But this is not
all. Improved stock has been imported, several
dairy farms have been established. and our
as the best Goshen. The white wire0raSS-
article is rapidly disappearing from our midst
and in lieu thereof the rich golden butter of
the hne Alderney. so great is the demand for
II that regular shipments of it are made to
jacksonville, and as 555 pounds are purchased
weekly by our merchants, and nearly 100
pounds by families, it is estimated that no le. S
than 700 pounds of Leon county butter are sold
every week. This, at thirty cents a pound
IN axes the income from this industry alone
nearly $1,000 year. With an improved
breed Of cattle, proper food aud pastures
see no reason why Leon county should not be
adapted to dairy farming as we'll as some of
the boasted localities farther North. Those
who have embarked In this enterprise flnd it
profitable, ready sale for their butter, and
are every year increasing their stock and i'm
porting choice breeds. Three good Alderneys
or one half and three-quarters even, it is ascer-
tanned gives more and richer milk than
dozen of the common breed we have hereto
fore had.
Still another industry, now just in
its incipiency, but destined to assume
large proportions,is the drying and shipping
ness has not been before undertaken here
is SURPRISING strange. The blackberry is indi-
genous to our Southern soil. 10 old fields and
by the roadside 1t grows in profusion. 1t need
not be cultivated as at the North, but can be
had for the picking. In one county in North
Carolina it is said that over one hundred thor
sand dollars worth Of dried blackberries are
shipped annually. Why has not attention been
called TO it here sooner With a large fruit
drying machine. and the berries at two cents
quart, Uhs shipping of the dried fruit could be
made very profitable. Some years ago one of
our C tizsns purchased fruit drying machine
aud tried it on a small scale. But he did not
know how to regulate the heat and his effort
resulted in a failure. This season, though,
Messrs. B adford q Ross, of this county, or
d9re1 small fruit dryer for experiment. and
have been so successful that they intend put
ting up still larger one to be heated by
steam. and purchasing all the berries
that may be brought to them at q GER
tain price. The work of picking is light and
good hand, even at two cents quart, can
make from fifty cents to 81 very easily. The
merchant purchasing at this rate is enabled to
reap s. handsome return from his investment
If Messrs. Bradford and Ross find their venture
profitable one, and they no doubt will, others
will initiate them, and then there will be an
other source OF revenue to the energetic
Surprise has frequently been expires ed that
no attention has been paid to drying figs in
Fl rifa Nowhere in the United States does
this 'ut thrive better than here It is easily
propag ated ON cuttings, needs no pruning
like ther fruit trees; u like many other fruits
is not suhj-ct to blight or other disease
and every y~ar the crop is good In California
immense quantities are dried every year
and shipped East and the que tiOn has been
fre0uan y asked why has not Florida EN-
barked in this industry So far no efforts h ave
been made in this direction. But, considering
the adaDtabilitY of the soil and climate of
this section the day is not far off when
this slement of industry will also receive
an imnetus The drying of blackberries is but
the initiative to other similar efforts. "Florida
fgs' will yet be quoted in the New York mar
ket
While East and South Florida my well be
proud of their orange BOOM Middle Florida ia
quietly preparing for q pear boom Quite a
| number of our people have gone extensively
| into the culture of the LeConto pear, and con
| fl iently assert that the demand for this deli
cous fruit will be nearly as great as that for
| the orange The fruits of the temperate zone,
| except he peach, do not thrive we in semi
| tropical Florida, and though efforts have been
| repeatedly made to cultivate the apple, pear
and apricot, yet the fruit was of inferior
| quality and only reminded the native of more
| northern cline of the luscious specimens that
| grew where he was reared. In my garden |
have some five or six varieties of the pear but
none of them bear regularly. The famed
LeConte, though, is an eXcep ion. 1t is propa-
/ gated from cuttings grows vigorously and )eS
not shed its fruit 1t ripens. too, some six weeks
/ or two months earlier than other varieties. and
| is far superior to the sand pear of which it is
/ a hybrit Thousands of cuttings are set out
annuity in this county, and Leon is already
| rivaling Thomas county, where this fruit is
| grown to such perfection. Capt. Dyke. Of the
| FiOridiQT, has recontly purchased a small
| farm ar this place. has planted quite num-
| Der of LeConte cuttings, and is very enthusi
| asticin his praises OF this choice fruit. He
| predicts that the time is not far off when p ear
| culture will be the leading feature of this sec.
| tion, as he orange is in the East and South.
| We may have another approach to morus
| multicaus mania, but Instead of its entailing
/
| be attended with profit to all who invest. The
energies of this section have long been dor
| mant but new era is now upon us. With new
| railroads. new elements of industry, one after
another springing up among u.s. we look for
ward with buoyant hopes to brighter and bet
| ter days.
1t is reported here that the Ocean Steam
| ship Company are now building another
| steamer to be called 1.-The Tallahassee" a fit
| recognition of the not unimp part
that Florida bears in the freights transported
by that line. 1t has been suggested that the
new steamer be called the "C,ty of Tallahas-
| see" and not simply the Tallahassee, as The
former appellation is more distinctive There
are several Tallahassee but only one city of
| Tallahassee. Our city itself is named after
the deserted fields Of Tallahassee, situated
about one mile northeast of the capital. If
| the new steamer is to be named after our city,
| it is hoped she will be christened the City Of
| Tallahassee "
The June term of the Supreme Court opened
on the 18th. AS there are not few cases on
| the docket the probability is that it will take
the court some time to dispose of all of them.
| But few members of the bar from a distance
are in attendance at present Quite number
of cases will be submitted on brief. without
business. In ante bellum times for the con-
venience of the bar in the several circuits our
| Supreme Court itinerated. being required to
| hold term in each OF the several circuits.
| But while this was a convenience to the bar of
| a particular locality. it was very inconvenient
| to the courtwho could not always have access
| TO the authorities thev wished to consult Now
that the court is required TO hold its term in
Tallahassee, not only the bench but the bar as
well have the advantage OF the Supreme Court
| library, which consists of the Supreme Court
reports of all the States, those of the United
States Supreme Court. English reports and
other valuable legal works.
| On account of the steamer Sylan Glen fail
| ing to comply with her contract those of our
citizens who had made arrangements to sum
| mer James Island have been no little in
| canvenienced. But to the coast they will go
nevertheless, and in the meantime they Will
make ARRANGEMENTS to have another steamer
| put on the route It is to be hoped they will
| succeed for with convenience of access there
| are few better localities than our favorite st.
| Teresa. LEON.
IFFFERGON COUNTV