Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-27
aarirul.nral Department.
THE FIELD, FARM AND GARDEN.


We solicit articles for this department.
~bename of the writer should accompany
the letteror article, not necessarily ior
publication, but as evidence OF good ialth.
Truck and Fruit Soils In Florida.
Il seems that every man going into
new country to farm or grow fruit would,
before purchasing land for the purpose,
Arst ascertain which of its variety OF soils
was best adapted TO the crops he proposed
IN raise. Not to do so is to take the FISK
NJ heavy outlay, much work and loss OF
time to no purpose. 1t must be very dis
couraging to the new settler to find, after
twoor three years. work and heavy outlay
IN poor, fiat sandy pine land, that oranges
cannot be grown on such land short OF an
ovnense that would enable him to buy
o,anoes in the market cheaper than ne
can raise them; and yet very many nave
committed this error In going to Florida,
nc if thew reasoned from the old Aristot-
tleian sylogism: Oranges are grown In
Florida; therefore, every foot OF florlda
soil will produce oranges. While this
NAV in some sense be true, since they are
raised even farther north than any part
nj that State, it cannot be very practl-
cal method Of accommodating wealth from
that source. The same may be SAID oil
truck and all other kinds OF farming.
Low. fiat. sandy lands must not only be
drained as the first step to their cuitiva-
ZION. but they must be fertilized entire
that ia. nearly, IL not quite all, their fer
tility must be furnished, and then, after
draining and tertillzing, they will require
immense moisture to preserve vegetation
through the dry season. The latter Is often
wholly absent, and, Of course, the crops
are parched and greatly injured II not de-
stroyed. 1t is evident, therefore, that
these lands are costly and difficult not
withstanding their low prices, and cannot
proftably be undertaken without suffl-
Gent means to place them at once upon
productive basis. But there are otner
qualities of pine lands in Florida that
must be distinguishes; one Of which is
the high, rolling sand hills, often sparsely
covered with blackjack and scrub-plne,
very healthy but barren, and wholly un-
adapted to agriculture; while third lie
urdulating, we'll covered with vegetation,
grass and fine timber. Large sections Oh
the State present this kind OF landscape
TO the farmer, often set with beautiful
lakes and drained by bold, clear streams
of good water. These are the most plea
SAINT regions to reside in, generally healthy
and reasonably fertile, presenting most
of the advantages required by the agri'
culturists. But he finds his ideal favor
able conditions for farming in the undu'
lating forests of mixed timber, the so
called hammocks of pine, hickory, oak
ash. dogwood, sweet gum, beech, iron
wood and sometimes cedar, wahoo. pal
metto, magnolia and led bay. Hammock
are always on elevated well-drained lands
generally with clay subsoil. and more
fertile than the pine lands, except where
the latter is we'll lined and the former not,
which the vegetation will always show.
This class of lands is most sought for by
good Judges and by land sharks, which
accounts for their reservation or being
early taken up in large bodies. The first
settlers generally pre-empt in or near
these hammocks, and they are therefore
about the first to be cleared away for ag.
riculture. Distinguished from them, and
surprising all other varieties in fertility
and value, are the swamp lands often Dor
dering lakes or streams, sometimes SUBJ
ject TO overflow, and always low andlevel.
The great accumulation of vegetable
matter in such localities and abundant
moisture constantly increases the fertility
and they are found covered with SO dense
growth of trees and shrubs as to make
it a difficult and costly Job to prepare
them for cultivation. Once reclaimed,
however, drained and put in order, they
surpass UNNECESSARILY all other varieties
Of land in productive value. Their deep
soil of decayed vegetation is admirably
suited to truck farming and general crops
Of Southern produce; while the hammocks
and first class pine lands are better adapt.
ed to the growing OF fruits and melons.
The hammocks are, in general, about as
healthy as the good pine lands, but the
swamps are malarial and the cultivators
must reside beyond in the pine lands
which nearly always form a belt along
their borders.
Ii those who go to Florida to try their
fortunes will give some attention to these
plain matters of easy observation before
investing their money there will believer
disappointments and losses, and more
appreciation of the real merits OF one OF
the most delightful regions in America
In which TO reside.