Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-26
LIFE IN FLORIDA,
By a Former Resident Of
memphis.
Six Thousand Dollars Ahead Ia a
+ Few Years on a Farm.
ANarDosDo, Fla, Sept 2i, i8sa-

have been quite a rambler in my life. !
Was raised in Canada; landed in Bos-
ton, Mass, In 1863; left for Nashville,
Tenn, in the fab of 1861; went TO
Memphis in 1869, and lived there FIVE
years, in the sewing machine BUSH
ness, firm Of Beach 4 Sutherland;
went in business with a little capital; |
came out with lots of experience and
no money, and now Pm in the Land of
Flowers Chat is, after you plant
them). | have been here now five
years, aud after spending forty years Of
my life in different ways, have come
back to the original pan, to dig it
out OF the ground. | came here with
only 5000 cash, borrowed at that, at
ten per cent inter ST. | knew as
much about farming as the cat 1.-THE
horse knew more). | told the party
from whom | bought: DO not select
me a piece Of land in the woods, for |
never cut down a tree i my life, and
| do not want to begin now" | first
built me a house oftwo rooms, l6 by
30 feet, paid part for my land down,
aud had three years to pay the bal
ance at eight per cent interest. |
then hired a colored man who said he
knew all about farming, especially
vegetables, so | bought a horse, pillow,
cart, etc.. aud commenced to work
We raised a good crop Of vegeta
bles, aud got a good price
for them. We SHIPPED them
to New York and other markets, aud
in this way, aud by hard licks, the
hard ticks were done by proxy, as we
found it would not pay to kill our
selves the first year. The next year
we made up our mind to double the
crop, and worked several pairs OF
horses on the shares; hat is, [ found,
or furnished, land, seed and fertilizer,
and the other parties Generally
negroes) found labor and team. |
noticed soon when they had an interest
twelve o'clock did not seem to come so
soon, nor was sundown so soon, or it
would seem SO to a person who had
been anyways observing. Everything
went along very nicely, Int once in a
while | sloped over a little, because
things seemed to go back end lore
most. / found out very soon, to be a
consistent man, | must quit going to
church or quit farming negroes, for
when | had told a party two or three
times how / wanted a thing. and it
was done his way | would say Damn"
(uot milldam,) but damn" to con-
denim.
l made a big crop the second year.
got a good price for it, aud now |
begin to be quite a farmer-or to
know how it should be done; and as
this was the easiest way, | adopted it
ever since, and have my first acre to
pillow yet.
Well, | kept on in this way until
the spring of 1881, still prospecting, but
the fourth spring caught me. We
had a tremendous drought; you all
had a touch Of it, and it reached all
over the United States. Well, [ got a
little set back, lost about $500 and
was quite blue for a few days only. /
soon made up my mind it would not
do to whine about it; it made me feel
better to find one of my neighbors
had done any better, but some Of them
had lost $1,000. 1t was not Just right
to feel this way, but irail human
nature could not help it. Our tongue
was very sympathetic, but we did not
like to be a failure any more, we had
enough of that, in years gone by.
This, u fifth year, was a splendid
year, and every mar who planted and
looked to his interest, made money.
One man | know Of, a colored man
ex Congressman, had his place mort
gagged and paid off $1,000 with interest,
aud he had been paying twenty. five
per cent, | am informed. | dad not
do quite SO we'll as this, as | was
more cautious, "as a burnt child
breads FIRE" l am planting four acres
in strawberries this year; | planted
one acre last year, and Notwithstanding
drought, etc, sold them on the vine
for 1925. They did not cost me over
$50. Strawberries are sure crop. /
mean there is no danger Of losing
money in them, for the reason a hall
crop here is better than a whole crop
North, because they will bring more
money; wen a one-fourth crop would
pay. We ship strawberries in Janu.
AIRY and continue to ship until April,
and then it does not pay. So we have
plenty TO eat for a month longer; this
viii not be at any Northern State, as
they only last a few weeks North.
They will bring in January about 81 81
to $500 per quart; in February Sl.5C
10 81 80; March, 75c to 81; April, 30c
to 60c per quart. 1t will cost about
$50 per acre to hire all labor, and
about $40 for fertilizers. There are
not many persons in this business vet,
and consider it a very profitable
crop. Peach growing is also one Of
the things that for the last two years
|, is receiving some attention. Peaches
: have brought 75c each last year in
Boston, Massachusetts,, and in New
York. A bushel crate sold this last
spring for $50 clear. They were
sent the last days in April. There
are not many places in Florida that
the peach will do well. My neighbol
here put out sixteen acres last year
The early kind are called "Pints.''
: We have all kinds, some Of which will
Iipen in October. Peaches are planted
out here in January, February and
March; strawberries in September "a
October 18th. They grow all winter
and bear from runners first year. The
La Cont pear is also in much demand,
and many persons are planting them.
They cost, one year old, from cutting,
fifty cents; two years, seventy five
cents each. All kinds of grapes dc
well, but my choice is the Scupper-
noDg; it does not grow as far north as
Memphis, | do not think. If it does
all who have a back yard should have
one. | will send two or three to any
person who will pay the expenses on
them, and no charge for the vines.
First find out will they grow there; il
so, it will not cost over seventy five
cents TO send three-three persons 20
in at twenty Eve cents each. | had
one this year that bore a barrel Of
grapes. | have eight in all, and this
is all | need. My neighbor has another
one, and | do not exaggerate when |
say it bore three barrels Of grapes.
They are trained on trellis overhead;