The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-11-21
THE FLORA
OF
PALATKA AND VICINITY.
BY DIR. SCHAFFRANEK, BOTANIST,
PALATKA FLORIDA.

The welfare of Florida depends a great
deal on the development of her natural
resources. As our state is not a mining,
but an agricultural one, the Department
of Agriculture in Washington, and even
the different railroad and steamboat
companies ohould give us all the assis-
tance necessary to bring to light all the
hidden treasures of the kingdom of
plants, of which we possess great
many that will become not only bene-
fit to agriculture, horticulture, industry,
pharmacy and commerce, hut also great
restorers of our common wealth. Ac-
cording to Botanical Almanac which
will be ready for publication by April
1886, more than two thousand species of
plants will be found in our State and
more than one fourth Of them can be
gathered in the vicinity of Palatka. a
list of Plants of the Flora of PaIatka
and Vicinity, including all the Phaeno-
gamus plants, also the Ferns, Club Moss
and Water Fern Family of the Cryptic
gamus plants collected and arranged by
my self according to their natural orders,
Will Dt dutttd dt t1ic tHI vi tilio Hti tiOiN'
In regard to the number mentioned, |
wish to say that good many species
more may be found and Il great many
new species will be discovered as soon
as the sealed hook of Florida's great re-
sources will be opened entirely and as
all of her treasures have been rought
to light Very often | have been re-
quested, indeed, to give my opinion and
to write some articles on the sandy soil
Of PaIatka, etc, whether anything could
be raised on it nothing at all. Not
having finished my researches at that
time, | could say nothing, for false re-
port would have done more harm than
good. / kept silent therefore until now,
when l can prove by myself what can
be done with this sandy soil with little
care. Now I can invite the correspon-
dents to come, to see and to judge for
themselves. Now l say to them Look
here, 81 months ago my place was q will
derness, now it is to me "a Sweet
Home"
In Palatka and vicinity eau be raised
Corn, Irish and sweet potatoes, even
rice, Sugar cane, Broomgrass, Millet,
Ramie, Cassava, Cotton and Tobacco.
For culinary purposes Artichokes, AS
paragus, Beans, Beets, Cabbage, Car
rots, Caulifiowers, Cress, Cucumbers,
Egg plants, Garlic, Kale, Kohl-rabe,
Leek, Lettuce, Musk and Watermelons,
Mustard, Okra, Onions, Passlesy, Pars-
nip, Peas, Pepper, Pumpkins, Rad
dishes, Spinach, Squash, Tomatoes and
Turnip5 have been successfully cultiva
ted on this soil. The orchards yield the
choicest fruits: Figs, Japan Plums, Ja-
pan Plrsimmons, Jujube, Peaches,
Pears, Pomegranates, Guavas, Ounces,
Grapes, Mulberries, Raspberries and
Strawberries. Everywhere the Banana
is developing it's ornamental leaves. [
believe that Almonds, Apples, Olives
and Tamarinds could be raised satisfac-
torily if properly attended. The Or
ange groves, the pride of Palatka and
vicinity, have been and will be admired
every year by every visitor, who during
the winter months left the icy North for
the Sunny South, to enjoy our delightful
ken system, to inhale the rich sweet
balsamic perfume of the myriads of Or
ange-fowers and to amuse himself by
plucking the sweet, delicious golden
fruits of the Citrus Family. What a
great difference to look at the lovely dill
dern of Flora that bloom in the gardens,
TO look at the different Tea, Bourbons,
Remontant and Noisette Roses, at the
Violets, Pansies, Pinks. Geraniums,
Plumbagos, Bouvardias, Durantas,
Passtioras. Budleyas, Lagerstroemias,
Metrosideros, Lantanas, Myrtles, at the
Tecoma. Rhynchcspermum, Bignonia,
Clerodendron, at the Marantas, Alpinfas,
Ginger and Hedychiufn. at the Lilies,
Amaryllis, AlOcasiaS, Colocasias, Gala
diums and Cannas at the same time
where the great artist, Mr.. Frost, puts
his arabesques and frescoes with his icy
brush on your window panels i'll the
North? What change to promenade
here among Magnolias, Live Oaks and
Palmettoes while the people of the
North are freezing nearly to death while
sitting around the fire place? What a
beauty to escape the snowstorms and
snowtlakes of the North and to gather
the wild flowers of Palatka's vicinity
Yes, our woods and swamps, hills and
hammocks contain beautiful flowers, in
deed, and more than that, they contain
valuable timber for shipand house build
ing purposes as wei! as for furniture.
staves, hoops, etc.: Loblolly Pine,
Curled Pine, Yellow Pine, Cypress.
Maznolias, Sweetgum, Hickory. Per
simmon, Wild Cherries, Wild Plum>,
Beech, Elm, Pianer-tree, Hope-tree,
Hornbeam, Laurel Oak, Live Oak, Myr-