Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-03-27
FL0RIAD'S FRUITS.
Not only the Oranges and Lemons, bur
the SubstantiaIs Of Life, as They
Grow Round About BrookIyn-A
Rich section of "A Rich State.
FLA, Correspondence Of the Inter

| Brooksville, FLA, Correspondence Of the Inter
Ocean
fernando county is unquestionably
| the richest county IN Florida. Front
| ing for six miles on the Gulf of Mexi-
co, bounded on the north and north
east by the Withlacochee river and
on the south by the Anclote river, it
is almost surrounded by water. 1t is
a county Astounding in high hills,
bold bluffs, gushing springs, running
brooks and creeks and crystal rivers.
Here the eve is,not wearied by monot-
onous stretches Of low, marshy lands
and lonely pine forests, 50 common
elsewhere in Florida The topography
Of the country is greatly diversified
the lands being broken and rolling.
Brooksville, the county seat, is situat
ed on the top of hill 52S feet above
the sea level, and is enclrcled by
other hill of various elevations.
North and northwest of Brooklyn lies
| the Annatiliga hammock, probably
the largest and finest body of land in
the State south and cast stretches the
Choocoochattee hammock, another
large body of rich land, while numer-
GUS smaller bodies of hammocks are
scattered over the county.
Hammock, or hummock as it
should be spelt, is said to be the
Seminole word for hard wood, and
means land covered with live oaks,
water-oaks, hickories, hollies, bays,
magnoliaS and trees of similar charac-
ter. In many respects fernando
country resembles portions of Ken
lucky or middle Tennessee. The high
hills, rolling land fertile soil, bub-
bling springs and tree growth are all
suggestive of the states named above.
However, the golden-fruited orange
| and lemon trees, the symmetrical
magnolias and the various forest
trees, clothed in their tropical garb of
long, gray moss, which depends from
their branches almost to the ground,
combined to prevent the resemblance
from being too striking. Here we
have the attractions, inducements
and products of both the tropical and
temperate CLINE blended in almost
perfect proportion.
FERNANDO
embraces an area of /, ZOO square miles,
| or .OSS, 600 acres, and in 1880 had
population of APIS, only S25 of whom
| we're negroes, noticeable fact in
Florida county. The present popula
| ton will not fall short of G, 900, as inn
migrants have been pouring in for
! tine last three years at a rapid rate.
| The population is cosmopolitan in its
character, embracing people from al
| OF n - no and
! country in Europe. Kentucky has
quite a number of representatives.
The social conditions are excellent,
and school and church facilities are
improving every year. A general air
of thrift and prosperity peryades the
entire county, and Improvements of
| all kinds are going ON on large
scale. a more prosperous, happy and
contented people ! have never met
anvwherer. fernando has within its
confines seven navigable rivers
! Wekiwachie, Homossassa, Chesee- ]
howiska, Pithluchescootie, Crystal
and Anclote. The reader may pro
nounce these names, if he cam With
| in the borders of the county are also
situated several beautiful lakes, the
largest of which, Uhalo.Opopka, is sit
uated in the northern portion OF the
county, and has a lake shore of 70
miles While not claiming to be be-
low the so-called frost line" which
has an existence only in the magma
| ton, fernando is sufficiently far
south to admit of the successful and !
profitable culture Of lines, lemons, |
quavas, bananas, piueapples and, of |
| course, oranges, AS an evidence Of |
! this fact, the recent cold spell did no
| damage whatever to the hills of Hern |
ando, the only INJURY being in the
low lands of the county This demon !
| strates the value of elevation and |
brings our hills into repute. The |
| hammock and much of the pine land /
of this county is very rich and fertile, /
and requires no fertilizing whatever. /
| 1t is well adapted TO general and truck |
! farming. The latter is fast becoming /
one of the leading Industries of South /
Florida, and will soon rival in mag |
nitude and importance even orange |
culture. With good land and trans
portation facilities one can make from I
800 to $500 more per acre by raising I
early vegetables for shipmentto north |
ern markets.
THIS SOLVES THE PROBLEM
of how to make a living until the |
orange grove comes into bearing. |
Among other thriving towns and set
Elements in fernando, | would men /
ton, Brooksville, Bay Port, Fort |
Dade, Crystal River, Floral City, San
Antonio and Hudson. Brooksville is
wide awake aad progressive little |
town. of some 600 inhabitants, and /
for healthfulness and beauty of loca
ton no town in Florida ranks higher.
1t will compare favorablv, from q
health point, with any town in Ken
lucky or Tennessee. Its local drain |
age is perfect, and the absence of sand |
and freedom from gnats and mos
! uuitoes make it all the more pleasant. /
The citizens devote much attention to |
home ornamenting and beautifylng,
and the attractive yards with their