Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-08-20
INTERESTING LETTER.
News From Florida.

DR.. 7. j.. Basket. Mexico, No.
LEEsBuRG, FLoRInA, August 3rd.-
Your letter of the 26th was receiv-
ed and you want to know something
about Florida and how ] am pleased.
Many one in my place would say
unhesitatingly: 81 hate the State
and everything connected with it"
for / have been called upon to suffer
the sorest bereavement that can befall
q man OF sensihility In this world of
sorrow and disappointment. My
wife died the 10th Of June, after q
sickness Of eight days.
All Florida is malarious, unless the
high pine land be, as is claimed by
some, an exception. But I do not
think Sumpter county more malarious
than was Galloway county when I
went there in 1872. We probably
have here some more malignant
attacks while less proportion of the
inhabitants suffer. For about three
years there has been an epidemic
dysenteric influence. It is not re-
garded as indigenous, but it is ex-
pected to disappear soon. With
these exceptions Florida is healthy !;
consumption does sometimes occur
here. The editor of our paper died
recently from tuberculsr consumption,
apparently caught from his wife,
whom he married few months be-
fore her death from consumption,
which had caused her to come to
Florida. While many who have come
here on account of the disease die
many recover, and for all catarrhal
affections I think there is no doubt
of the sulubrity of this climate.
From October till the last of May
last year the temperature was not
noticed by me above IS or below 40 /;
we had three slight frosts in June,
and several hot, close days, said to
be phenomenal. The thermometer
registered 81 as the highest. II has
not been quite SO high since and We
have had good breezes; from 8 a.
M. till 2 p. N. the sun is generally
oppressive. As a rule one can work
comfortably in the afternoon at al
times you can be comfortable in tht
house, if not exercising.
The pine lands are poor and have
to be fertilized either by muck Oh
commercial fertilizers. It is nov
hard to get hold of good ham,
mock land near a railroad. Near th,
towns all good lands are high. PIN
from $50 to $3.50 per acre and ham
mock still higher. You cannot ge
|pine lands anywhere suitable for
Igrove near transportation for les
than $40 per acre. It is possible Il
buy say 10 acres of pine lands neare
transportation, say for s25 per acre
land make a grove on it in ten years
worth ten or fifteen thousand dollars
Some do even better than that, bu
it requires labor and skill and goot
lluck, at least not much bad luck.
/ What pays best is TO buy grow
started by some one who has no
either the perseverance, skill, tast
Or capital to complete it. Such
chance now offers in this neighbol
hood on large scale for capitals
or company; 200 acres hammock
100 acres cleared, 1000 bearing
trees, 800, 200 trees in nursery; tn
whole valued at $4,000, is offere
for one-half. For any sum owe
} l$2, 900 man can make a good inves
|ment in an incomplete grove-on
that will pay a good per cent.
There never was country bette
supplied with doctors, yet there ma
be places where medicine would pa.
In Leesburg VIC have four regular
and one homeopath that are doin
! well, especially the two biggest hun
bugs. Humbuggery pays anywher
Most Of the doctors here have retire
from the practice.
The great question is how to NAL
a living while your grove is growin
, That is to me practical question.
. tried gardening and lost nearly S2(
in hiring hands, &c. Planted ca
bage that the worms eat; plantt
potatoes that the wet weather rottet
g had planted each a month earlier
! would have made money. If ever
u thing hits, gardening here is profit
u BILE; if everything does not hit, viii,
is very often the case, it is a first-ra
way to lose money. The objectit
}. to the climate is that too much Of
: good thing is not good. You 6
tired of so much warm wealth,
There are many pests; Of the inse
Il pests I may mention gnats, mosq,
. toes, wood ticks, chiggers or r.
: bugs, fees and cock reaches. All
!" these yon can keep your house Gle
Is of and can generally avoid out
= doors except the gnats and mosq'
u toes. A large proportion Of I
e weeds and grasses have thor
'i prickles or spurs on them. The sa
- spur is a villainous pest. The gr,
y which produces it, / call the Flor
~ blue grass, is sweet, nutritie
grass and grows luxuriantIy, |
the head is vacuum full of burs "
y short, hard barbed prickles that '