Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-17

TALLAHASSEE, August 14-Having recently
returned from trip to the adjoining county
OF Wakulla, have thought an account of the
products soil and state Of the crops NAV not
be uninteresting. This county constituted q
part OF Leon until the act Of March II, IS4s
when it wss organized and its boundaries de-
fined. The soil is somewhat different from
tnat OF Leon, as we'll as the features of the
county, that Of the latter being hilly, while
the former is more level Leon abounds
in red clay hills. while wakuna, being
near the coast, partakes Of the nature of all
lands In Florida similarly situated-sandy soil
and extensive forests of pine. But all of her
lands are not pine. There are large tracts of
hummock which in their production compare
favorably with the choicest lands in other sec
tions. Some Of these hummock lands yield
readily a bale of cotton 60 the acre. There
never have been any large plantations
in the county, and as most Of the
farms are small, they are titled
by the labor of their owners As this has been
the case for a number Of years, there are but
rev negroes In the county, and in the absence
OF large numbers of that element Of popula-
ton. petty thievlng is almost unknown So Sc.
cure are its denizens, that even the thrifty
housewife does not often put her treasures un-
der lock and key, for thev say there is but little
need OF bolts and bars. Uncleared lands, with
good timber and susceptible of good yield when
cleared under proper cultivation, sell for Soc
to Sl per acre, according to the locality aud
size of the tract. Cleared lands with improve
ments sell from 81 to So per acre. It is en-
phatically the white mans paradise, and when
this section Of country settles up, as it soon
will, Wakulla will receive her share of immi-
grants.
found the corn crop to be an unusually
good one, while cane and cotton we're much
better than l had expected Some of the
best planters assured me that the cotton crop
would be even better than last year. Greater
attention is paid to bee culture there than any.
where in this section For years past strained
honey has been brought into Tallahassee
and sold by the barrel and 1 have no doubt
that an intelligent attention to this industry
would pay well AS it is, the hives are all Of
the old fashioned patterns, and the modern ap-
planceS for extracting the honey from the
comb are unknown. In former years strained
honey brought here seventy-dve cents per gal
Ion, but as shipments are now made elsewhere
it brings better price.
Some Of the farmers are already getting
ready for the Middle Florida Fair, to be held in
January next, and they clsim that the
Wakulla exhibit on that occ ason shall not only
be extensive but varied. They say that they
can send the largest and finest sweet potatoes,
the largest ears OF corn and the tallest sugar
cane. and Intend to do so. l found, too. that
the farmers wives were as enthusiastic as
their husbands, but ore lady showed us a
knit counterpane which she said it required
her little ovSr twelve months to complete,
and she had formerly taken a premium for
similar one She felt very confident of being
equally successful at our coming fair in Janu-
ary next
The people of Wakulla. like the others
of this section, are determined not to hide
their light under a bushel and if the soil and
products or their county are not known be
yond its limits it will not be their fault.
them hAprinOinp fO fIIr thpi atfp
tion to the now famous LIE Conte pear while
others living near the railroad are turning
their atte ton to truck farming, Should the
contemplated road from Carabele to
Thomasville be built through Crawfordviile
where there are some of the best lands in the
county, it will prove Of incaIculable benefit to
the people In some portions of this county
they cultivate a species of squash known as
the Brazilian 1t is of the mammoth variety,
and as good for table purposes as the ordinary
squash. l brought home with me one
Of these ms mammoths, grown in the garden Of
Nat. r. Walker, Esq, Clerk Of the Circuit
Court. This specimen measures three feet in
length, and was not as large, Mr. Walker as
sured me- as some he had raised On being
pre- pared for the table, found it fully equal to
the ordinary squash.
The first bale of new cotton was brought In
on Wednesday, 9Th, by Mr.. R. Smith. OF Mic
oosukie This same gentleman was in with the
first bale last year. Most of the planters are
now engaged in picking, and In a few weeks
the heecy staple will begin TO arrive daily
Many of the negro tenants are beginning to
understand the doctrine of neBGn1 and tuICna
and attachments and replevin of cotton by the
creditor is of rare occurrence. Formerly the
tenant considered actual possession as the right
to dispose of his crop regar less of the claim
of the mOrtgagee, and the fall of the year was
the harvest season to the Justice Courts as
well as to the husbandman But few con-
victions soon convinced the debtors that the
creditors had rights, and now the courts are
seldom troubled with these kind of cases The
merchant planter advances
during the year is almost sure to be reimbursed
if there is a good season.
Another Of our old citizens has been called
away. On last Saturday a telegram was re-
ceived, stating that Col William K. Beard (who
some weeks since had gone to Philadelphia to
consult physician) was dead. Col. Beard
the late Major John Beard, was one of the
earliest settlers in this section At the
beginning of the late war, when the
First Florida Regiment, stationed at
elected Lieutenant Colonel. He was subse-
quently assigned to duty on the stan of Gen
eral Bragg, where he served to the end Of the
war. In this, his native place, he was univer-
sally esteemed and his demise has caused gen.
eral sympathy for his grief stricken family
The rains still continue, though not as fire.
quent as they were some weeks ago. Nor is
the cotton injured as much as was feared. On
probability is this crop will be as good, If not
better than it was last year.
When the JacKSonVllle, PenSacOla and MO
bile Railroad was sold little over a year ago,
it will be remembered that the decree of
court provided that the purchasers should
have twelve months to take up the old out
standing Pensacola and Gulf Railroad bonds
The twelve months expired on the 1st of July,
and all Of the bonds we Q taken up except
those 1ss ued for the benefit of the road to St
Marks. AS the State is authorized, in default
of such payment. to seize the road and
sell it for the benefit of the bondhoIders the
probability is that Governor Bloxham, by vir-
tue of said decree, will very shortly take pos
session Of the st. Marks branch, and after the
usual notice. sell the same for the benefit of
the bondholders. Whether his default on
the part Of the Reed syndicate was an inten.
tional abandonment of a branch that
at present is of no profit, I know not
possibly it is. The Monticello branch has also
been levied on by virtue of an execution in
favor Of certain second mortgage bondholders,
and so far its contemplated sale has not been
resisted. As neither of these branches are
means of profit, but only convenience to their
immediate localities, it may be that the Florida
Central and Western Railroad Company con
template abandoning them, and that the future
purchasers will have an elephant on their
hands. LEON.