The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-10-01


constitution shattered bv pulmonary dis
ease, and with less than 81, 900 in money,
has accomplished wonders recovering
his health and laying for himself the
foundation for an immense fortune.
The village of Fruitland Park is inter-
sected with broad streets and avenues,
diyerging in every. direction from the
centre toward the many clear and spark
ling lakes which appears on every side;
while on the white sandy beaches OF
these never failing lakes, there are laid
outaround them circular boulevards upon
which are lOcatedea great number Of
building lots Varying from hall an acre
to ten acres IN size. and arranged that
each building site slopes up gradually
and grandly to an elevation Of 40 to 90
feet above the lakes. Never i'm one day,
nor in one section of any country, did
we see so many beautiful building sites
as we looked upon the day we spent in
rambling over these grounds.
Fruitland Park has now within its bor-
ders about fifty families, nearly all from
the North; about twenty of them being
from. England. All OF them people Of
refinement and education. About twenty
additional houses are already under con-
tract for erection this autumn and win
ter. The village has in prospect the
erection of a fine hotel by stock com
pany at cost of $25, 900. Also a semina-
ry, which isto be presided over by corps
of the very best teachers, one of whom
is already on the ground, and another
under contract 10 be there as soon as the
building is erected.
The village of Fruitland Park is about
fl.at n no Low of | n
while within a radius of IL miles there
are twenty lakes of pure, clear sparkling
water; many of them being fed by never
failing springs, and abundantly supplied
with trout, brim, pickerel and soft shell
turtle. The water in many Of. these
lakes is very deep. that of crystal lake
having an average depth of 26 feet, While
in some places it is IS feet to the bottom
This lake is nearly mile in length, and
upon it's beautiful shores overlooking the
entire lake and its surroundings, stands
the lovely home of Mai. Rocks, presided
over by his devoted wife, who conducts
her home with grace and refinement
equal to the best homes in America.
This lady said to us-''The first year in
Florida northern people spend their
time and strength in trying to overcome
the inertia of matter; but after that they
just let things go their own way, and
slide along with the sluggish current"
Well, that may be true of most peop'e,
but from what we saw of her pleasant
home and its pleasant surroundings, we
are inclined to the opinion that inertia
of matter in that home is frequently
overcome. Indeed, we were fully con-
WINGED of this fact when the Major open
ed the pantry door and, pointing to the
well filled shelves, said :l"Look at that!
My wife has made this year from the
fruit of our own guava bushes, $75 worth
of as fine jelly as you ever saw
On these grounds I'VE found the most
extensive and copkplete collection OF
fruits and flowers N5yhave ever seen on
country.lAlmOst every thing from Maine
to California, Canada to Cuba, Australia
to India, England to Italy, can be seen
in these grounds. Nearly every variety
of oranges lemonsy lines figs, guavas,
grapes, peaches, apples, apri"ots, phinis.
pears, bananas, manages, pine7apples,
Iyams, sugar-cane, rices potatoes, peas.l
millet, ,squashes, tomatoes, melons, Gu
cumbers, pumpkins, corn, and a variety.
of grasses too tedious to, mention; to-
gether with an almost endless list of the
most lovely flowers gathered from almost
every part of the globe. Here they have
fruit growiIAsAfor their table the year
round and after the wants Of the family
have been supplied, then it is the rule
of the house to sell what is left.
The Major showed us the spot where
was raised watermelon weighing 80
pounds; another where he took from the
ground tropical yam weighing 37la
pounds; an orange bud only months,
with II oranges of fine quality on the
bud lime tree from which he gathered
this year over 1000 lines: fig trees five
years old producing ! ! bushel of figs; a
spot of ground covering q of an acre
from which he dug 100 bushels of sweet
potatoes, and small piece of ground
from which he sold, this season 500
worth Of pine-apples. Y sdi .seiiif3 =
Maj. Rocks AYERS that nall the dis
trict of Fruitland Park there has been
in five years very little Sickness, and
only two deaths. One OF these con-
sumptive who went there to die; and
the other a colored woman who died
from exposure.
As this place is not yet supplied with
hotel and sivery accom- modatioIs, we
advise EVERYONE tho comes to lie sburg,
to verify our statements by procuring a
conveyance and spending one day in
riding over this Beautiful tract of coi1n-
try. +. JOHNSON q Co.