The Florida agriculturist., 1884-11-26
Leesburg, Florida.
ITS oRASGE GROVES, LAKES, WATER, PRO-
TECTIoN, AND SCENERY


The peninsula upon which our thriving
young city is located in this sunny land
of tropical fruits and brilliant flowers,
lies between two large navigable lakes.
1t is about eight miles long with an aver
age width of one and halt miles. It's
borders on Lake Griffin are composed of
rich mari hammock, while those of Lake
Harris are principally made up of what
is known as high shell hammock. These
borders decorated with an ever changing
variety of flowers gradually slope up from
both lakes until they reach an altitude
of fifty to one hundred feet, with pine
land On the higher level. Upon this land,
with q little judicious fertifizing, the
! farmer or gardener can raise any of the
3lallowing products, viz: oranges, lemons,
| lines, figs, guavas, grapes, peaches, ap-
ricots, apples, bananas, plums, pears,
manages, pine-apples, sugar-cane, yams,
rice, potatoes, melons, cucumbers, peas,
millet, squashes, tomatoes, pumpkins,
corn, and an almost endless variety of
bright brilliant, and beautiful flowers.
While all of these can be proftably cul-
tivated on pine land they can be still
more advantageously produced upon the
hammock lands where nature has already
done the fertilizing in sufficient quantity
to enable the farmer to produce immense
crops by simply planting and cultivating.
The pine land upon this peninsula can
be purchased in their wild state at from
500 to $3.50, while the hammock sells at
from $75 to $3.50 per acre. These lands
by reason of their location between the
two lakes have as complete water pro-
lection from frost as any lands in the
State; while from their altitude above
the lakes and their undulating surface,
they are as free as any other lands from
the influences of malarial diseases.
This peninsula lies on the divide be-
tween the Gulf of Mexico and the Allan
tic ocean. A part of the rainfall finds its
way into the gulf, while the remainder,
through other lakes and the st. Johns
river, empties into the Atlantic. Being
so much elevated and lying, as it does,
about half way between the two great
bodies of salt water, there is generally a
sea breeze; the nights throughout the
year are cool and pleasant, while the
thermometer seldom if ever rises above
$50 in the shade. The altitude, the sea
breezes, and the consequent cool nights,
greatly reduce the number of those little
pests-the nnosquito-who cousin about
ones ears in such tormenting strains of
dWdkulS IiAlfblC Ill tlle lower tSN6lS VI
Florida.
The inhabitants of this peninsula are
about equally divided between the North
ern and Soathern element, but they all
live harmonionsly together, and with few
exceptions are educated, well-to-do peo-
pie. 6. af. se
THE ORANGE GROVES
On this peninsula are numerous and pro-
,duce immense quantities of the beautiful
golden fruit, which for luscious, pleasant
flavor, and all the qualities that go to
make up adesirable article for the market,
excels anything We have seen in our
rambles through the orange groves of
Louisiana, Cuba, California, the Sand
wich Islands, Australia, or the countries
bordering on the Mediterranean.
On Lake Griffin we have the bearing
groves OF Capt. Edwards, Mr.. Condray,
DIR. Banknight, Mr.. Hiatt, Miss White,
Mr. Chapman, DIR. Hill, Capt. Earman,
Mr.. Rewe, Gen. Tilson, Mr.. Lowell, Col.
Lanier, Gen. Dickerson, Messrs. Roberts,
Holden, Hexter, Wheldon, and Higgins.
All the groves are in fine condition and
are paying their owners handsomely.
They will produce this year at least 100,-
600 boxes of oranges. The st. Johns 4
Lake Eustis railway is nearly completed,
and passes either through or alongside