The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-04-22

centrated, and where so many on their
way to heaven have turned aside, con-
cluding to tarry until greater induce
ments can be offered furtheron Besides
here are landscape views in fine fold
er, and in large sheet, highly colored
prints showing the orange groves with
the fruit in golden hues-all going to
prove that the magnificent oranges,
which have several times come to us from
the generous DeLand are the veritable
products of this Great Orange Belt"
This town has already population of
over 1900, and still they come. New
houses are going up in various directions.
The two large hotels have recently been
both enlarged and more than doubled in
capacity within year; now third ho-
tel equal to either is being finished at
Lake Helen, a sort of suburb to DeLand
that is being built up six miles eastward
in the woods on the borders OF a beauti-
full little lake. A railroad has been built
within year, from the st. Johns River
five miles to DeLand, purely for the ac-
comodation of this one town and sur
rounding country, and soon, probably,
will be extended on six miles to Lake
Helen, and ultimately on to some new
watering place that will be built up
on the Atlantic Coast. The first and
chief attractions Of this town are the
healthfulness and agreeableness of it's
climate, pleasantness of it's scenery, the
excellence of its society, the superiority
of it's advantages educationally and re-
.ligiously, and the great proftableness of
its principal business. orange and lemon
growing The vast solitudes of these pine
wood regions are rapidly echoing to the
songs of new homes being erected among
them and their dull monotony is disap-
pearing before the ever living green OF
multitudinous orange and lemon or
chards that are being planted. OF course
the whole of Florida is not growing sc
rapidly as this town, though some Other
towns are growing equally rapidly, AND
this prosperity and growth, as we think
are healthful and, PROBABLY, permanent
| There is only one Florida on ourcontinent
saf leastu 10 ethexs belensipS to this conn;
Il try, and the n1uItitudeS OF lnValids, aged
and pleasure-seeking people, who will
demand such climate and such resort
will ere many years, fill this peninsular,
semi-tropic extreme OF our continent
with vast population, largely immigra-
tory and transitory it may be, but, main
ly, permanent. OF the pleasantness of
OuT ClllldlC dO Olllo OOe'
son it will be enough to say that as we
drove to church last Lords day in an
open buggy, an umbrella was required to
keep off the hot rays of the sun, the
thermometer standing all day at about
75o in the shades. OF course, no fires
were required, and, so far this season,
never have been wanted in the house of
worship, and only few times, except for
cooking purposes, in our homes. But
best of all the same blessed religion of
Christ that is enjoyed in Maine and Ore
gon, and all over earth where the gospel
is preached, is enjoyed here, and | am
prayer meeting and Sunday School, has
never seemed more sweet or more prec-
ious than it does here. Yours, with
compliments of the extreme southeast of
our country to the extreme northwest
G.. j. Johnson, IN Baptist Beacon.