The Florida agriculturist., 1884-12-03

WIG, lUO ydTuS III uldIlcIer ana oU Ie0C
deep, the Ponce de Leon Spring, near
the station of that name, in which the
famous Spaniard is said to have bathed
his weary limbs beneath the beautiful
oaks that surround it, and the Turner
Spring near the river.
Hardly any county in West Florida
has so many acres of fine pine timber
still untouched by the axe of the lumber
man as this. Away from the larger
streams it may be said practically to be
uncut, although with the advent of the
railroad numerous Sawmills have sprung
into existence along its line. And the
almost incalculable wealth of other tim
Der with which the streams are lined is
still as dense as when the wild Indian
hunted his game beneath the branches.
There are large bodies of fine turpen-
tine timber in the county. Lack OF
transportation has hitherto hindered the
development of this industry, but one
large turpentine orchard has been opened
near Summerville in the western part of
the county, and we understand that 9TH
ers are to follow.
Two years ago the southern part of
Holmes County was almost wilderness;
the monotonous reach of piney woods
being only broken here and there by the
clearing OF squatter, or primitive
water mill resting serenely by the side
of its frog pond. Already how great the
change! Numerous villages have sprung
up along the line of the railroad, popula-
ton has poured in from various sections,
improvements are going on all over the
county, saw mills are met with every
few miles, and there is an air of pro-
gress and enterprise in the country that
is astonishing to those born and reared
in the county. Summerville, Ponce de
Leon, Westville and Bombay are thirty
ing villages, and will be fully described
in future issues of this paper.
BY the assessment rolls OF Holmes
County for the year 1884, 1892 1854 worth
of property were rendered for taxation.
Number of horses in county, 253; cattle.
1906; sheep and goats, 10,27S; hogs
PSI. On this property taxes are a.
follows: General State revenue, 81 ,219.-
7 81; school purposes, $332.95; county
purposes, 1880. Number of children
of scholastic age, 900; public schools
i'll operatian, 80.
That our county has glorious future
before her no one can doubt who looks
upon her vast forests, her fertile fields,
her waterways, the ease with which the
soil is cultivated, the variety and abund-
ance of her productions and the herds OF
cattle and sheep that roam her pastures.
No slavish drudgery in crowded and un-
healthy factories, no delving in the sti-
fling bowels of the earth. Instead, peace
and plenty, with the blue sky and the
free air of heaven, the song OF birds, the
flowers and the trees inviting the poor
and weary of other less favored lands to
make their home within her wide bor-
ders. All who desire to better their for
tunes by industry and sobriety, will be
made welcome. We have no room for
the idle or reckless, but we have plenty
7 OF room for thousands of those who, eth
er by their daily labor or the investment
of their capital, will help us deyelope
our country and build up our waste
places. To these, we say-come Come
and help us enlarge our fields, utilize our
timber, increase our towns, build church
es and school houses, and improve our
country socially, morally and politically.
Land can be bought i'll almost any guam
tity, from forty acres up, at from 81 to
$l.25 per acre. The regular price OF
school lands, which constitute all the un-
entered lands in the county, is $1.25 an
acre. The remainder, which belongs to
the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad
Company, is sold to settlers, without re-
gard to improvements, at from 81 up.
Good improved lands can be bought at
from So to $5 per acre. This is good
agricultural and timbered land and has
not been run up to fancy prices by spec
ulators and land agents.
The editors of The Pioneer hold them
selves in readiness to answer any and all
questions relating to Florida from par
| ties who have an idea of settling among
us. This will be done through the col
umns of the paper. Correspondence
solicited.