The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-31
Letter from Florida.

fruits that are raised in this State. Ibid
not finish the catalogue, but only some
Of those that grow most successfully In
this County.
l am told that there are at least hun.
dred different varieties of fruits grown
in Florida, that cannot be grown in any
part of the United States.
When we consider tho vast resources
Of this State, its fruits, it's corn, cotton,
sugar, rice, potatoes, vegetables &C., to.
gether with ita tremendous herds Of
cattle and sheep, we cannot but be i'm.
pressed with the fact that the people
here have advantages that no other peo.
pie in our vast country have.
WINTERS
are said to be variable; sometimes mild,
and sometimes severe This Winter, so
far, has been very severe ;reverer, indeed,
than ever imagined it could be. The
"oldest inhabitanr' says it is the coolest
that has been felt in fifteen years. There
never has been here any sleet or snow,
but it has been shirering cold, ice in
abundance, and the earth slightly crus.
ted. Yet strange to cay the orange trees,
except very small ones, have not been
materially damaged. The leaves Of tho
trees look as il they have been swinged
with fire they are crisped and perhaps
will fall of.
l have talked with persona who are
familiar with South Florida, and they
tell mo that the famous frost.line 10 all
imaginary that there 10 no such line In
the State; that frosls are not uairequent-
ly seen In the Everglades. Frouts have
appeared from time TO time in every part
of the State. In this County, I am told
by old citizens, snov has never fallen,
but sleet sometimes form. Il seems to
me that I have feIs this Winters cold az
much as I have felt It In Anderson.
though of course 1t 10 not near so cold.
Un!eas 1t !s rainy, nc day !s too cold to
work in the open air. The frosts hero
have o peculiar dryneas that renders
them comparatively harmless. Vegeta-
bles often ourvive heavy frosto.
During tho week of Christmas saw
young potato slips shooting out from un-
der the ground.
So many fairy tales have been told Of
Florida that people who live st q dia.
tance have the impression that Florida
is far of country-away amid the
tropics and perpetual Spring, Of howers
and sweet.scentcd roses, land Of nun.
shine and showers, Gland of milk and
honey" This is all q phantom Of The
Imagination. True, roses are here all
the year round, but in Winter the coun-
try presents dreary appearance it is
bare of vegetation except the evergreena,
aowera are scarce, the singing birds have
ceased their songs. and all is quiet
enough, save the ceaaeless meanings Of
the wind among the stately pines.
SUMMER.
AS tho Winters are not severe, 80 neither
are Summers very warm. This seems to
be the universal testimony. am told
that it would be hot, indeed, were it not
for the frequent showeru, and never ceas.
ing aea.breezea. These temper the at
mosphere very much and make life here
pleasant. Persons who have lived here
many years have told ME that seldom
one becomes oppressively warm in the
shade, and persons In the fields keep cool
from the fact that their clothes, dampened
Nth perspiraiion, afo famed with the
breezes from the sea, In the morning,
between sunrise and 8 o'clock, Is regarded
as the hottest and most sultry part of the
day. After that hour, the breezes spring
up and are in motion most Of the day.
Occasionally about noon, breezes lull,
and then 1t Is hot, indeed. But this is Of
rare occurrence.
Persona need never fear to come to
Florida on account OF the heat of Sum.
mer. The Fsople here don't look as they
have been injured by the heat.
The rainy season, as It is called, com.
mences about the frat of juno. It doea
not rain incessantly, but It is ahowory-a
ehower, perhaps, two or three every day.
This rainy season continues through tho
three hottest months. The farmero gen.
orally have thair corn "laid by" and ara
ready for the showers. If they aro not
prepared for the showers, il their crops
are grassy when thsao shcwors sot In,
poor felloWo, theEo is bet little hope for
them until they arc assisted by Wintsr'a
frost. The farmers know these things.
They know it is Of the utmost impor.
tance that they exert themselves whilo
the "sun ahines" in April and May.
These Summer shoWers are not only ben.
eicial to the growing crops, but are alao
conducive to health. II the Summers
here were az dry as II was last year in
Anderson, not only would nothing be
made in the fields, but the wells would
dry up, the ponds disappear, cattle and
people, too, would sieken and die. So We
see It 10 wise arrangement of Provi.
dence that Florida summere are not dry.
And this 10 one great advantage that tho
people Of oshe. States do not always have,
aud no assurance Of having. Crops hero
are sometimes shortened by worms and
caterpillars, but seldom for want Of rains.
One Of the boat farmers in the State told
me he had made twenty.four crops in