Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-13
ARREDONDO, FLA.
The Land for Settlers with Small Cap
1taI-Whaf Can be Grown.

From an Appeal Correspondent.l
ARREDoNDo, FLA, August 6-My writing
you has Brought numerous inquiries. Some
/ have answered-those who had poiteness
enough TO send stamp. When / give time
and paper do my part, and willing to
help any one. / would like 10 answer good
many questions through the APPEAL. l am
asked if other grapes will grow besides the
scuppernong / already have spoken ahou ?
Yes. This ia the greatest country for vines
of all kinds | know of. l planted 500 diff
| ferent varieties, Rogers, fifteen catawba, and
other varieties. Arredondo is on the rail
road which runs from Fernandino to Cedar
! Keys, AMI six miles from Gainesville, the
. county seat. There are now two railroads
running TO Gainesville, one narrow-gauge.
There is more vegetables shipped from
-Arredondo than all the balance of 100 miles
of railroad put together, it is particU larly
hard wood land as We'll pine. There are
good schools and military academy 10
Gainesville, water is good, we use cislerns.
and cisterns do not cost half as much a.
a we'll. Our well water is hard; in Gaines
vile il is soft. We have plenty rocks on our
lands, too many. I'm some counties there is
not rock unless brought there.
Young men with good education are not
as much use to US as a negro, and without
some money-S500 at least-parties had bet
ter stay where they are. Negro labor is
cheap; consequently white man canno
compete, as the negro will work for what
would board the white man. Parties who
think of Tampa should have much more
money than those coming TO middle Florida,
for the reason that here a man can raise a
vegetable crop and ship it every day. Al
Tampa the facilities for shipping are poor
Again, although 90 miles south, it is apt to
be damaged by frost, il planted too early.
Last spring vegetables were killed at Tampa
when they were not hurt hare. l am not
scientific enough to account for this. Land
is worth from So to SIS an acre here, ac-
cording TO distance from railroads. Some
people do not consider how far they go if the
land is cheap. This is mistaken idea, for
the hauling alone of each acre two or three
miles to the railroad is worth all OF SO
every year.
Society is as good here as it is in any
country place. There are parties during the
winter every week, and the States are gen
orally we'll represented, from Canada to
Florida. There are also churches. One
party wants to go on farm. He thinks
il will benefit his children spiritually as
well as physically. 1t is not my experience.
Ii he works negroes and does not GUS little
Try il.
There are no vacancies here at present for
school teachers. The only vacancy l know
of is vacant land. There is money here in
growing Strawberries, peaches and vege-
tables. Oranges alone require capital. The
wise plan is TO plant oranges and peaches
while you are digging cut living, and in
this way it will pay as you go. This is the
only part OF the State l know of where you
can get all the good crab grass hay you
want, and only Tor the cutting. / had cut
last year about four tons; it cost me 81
load to cut it; / hauled it myself. a two
horse wagon.l load for 81 is cheap enough.
Nowhere on3 the St. Johns river can they get
hay. 1t is all imported. Corn does we'll
here; SO does cotton.
Parties who think of coming here should
do SO in the Iall-Ociober or November.
The only sickness hear of ia chills and
fever.
1t has rained nearly every day in the last
two months. 1t may be fine all day and in
the evening 1t will rain.
We have peaches in May-from 1st 20
20th-that will bring thirty cents to seventy
five cents each in northern markets. This
year box of 200 peaches sold in Boston for
$3.50. Peaches will bear from seed even in
two years, and good crop in three, il cared
for. Some OF our lands will produce vegeta-
bies of all kinds without any fertilizer, but
such land is scarce. | grew five acres of as
good tomatoes as l ever had, and ! did not
use any fertilizer on them. The winter crop
here is cabbage, beers, cauhhower, strawbeT-
ries, radish, Gale, onions, turnips, and these
grow here all winter. Vegetables commence
in February and ship in April. Can anyone
north of this pick strawberries four months
in The year? We can do it. In the North
berry picking only lasts two or three weeks.
We get our best crop the first year. We
plant out runners in September and ship in
J January, February, March and April.
Groceries and seed are as chesp here as
anywhere else. We have a regular line OF
boats twice week from New York to Fer
nandina on the. Atlantic side. This ia the
way we ship vegetables. We have also an
all-rail ROME. Most people ship to Savan
nah, Ga, or Fernandans, by rail, and tlen it
is taken to New York in steamships.
Families moving here had better ship their
plumber, as it will cost less than the sacrifice
they would make by selling them. Horses
and mules will not pay 10 send by railroad,
as the freight will cost as much az the horse
is worth. If the merchants do not cell US
goods at small profit, we order from New
York direct, as the freight on a barrel OF
flour is only 81. To ship bnshel of vege-
tables costs US forty five cents; an empty
crate costs us sixteen cents; three-year-old
orange trees cost US from twenty-five to thirty
cents each; two-year-old, from ten to fifteen
cents each.
have answered all questions that have
been put so far, and will answer any more if
parties desire il, with pleasure
G. a. SUTHERLAND.