The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-25
4 FLORIDA FARM.
The Battle Field of OIustee
BIOssOming into a Park.
SUCCESSFUL. EMF RiME\TS.

Farming Possibilities ~ Haker
County Major Eu>srir~ Hrauti tiful
Estate t.un,h.rin" Operations
Iis>. Nuts and Vegetables The
Peach.
OlITrEE, R,kER Co., tI.h. June H.
Your curresInnd,nt had for weeks
been promising himself visit tn Ja"k-
souyiIs and half lay at Pablo Rrch.
81, choosing the busy mans pleasure
.lay, SUNDAY, he hultoned his iuSter
CLOSELY about his throat and seated HIM
sclf IN the car, this morning, He t"ok
the News from hl, packet and would
doubtless suon been deeply absorbed in
its contents h;,I not the heat ani dust
continually reminded him that "a p'w III
church would have brtn more cnutrrtt
ll,.. Ills collar hid wIlt.d already and
he was Just wishing himself ain,et any
wllrr,. hut on a railway tIaln, when
D-hstet was announced Here WAS Il
chantr. lls recalled "A long standing;
invitation To- visit there; the famous btt
tl,-rlaliud came up before his unagl
natiun. hr caught glunl,s. oi tas -,l Il
com li,lls. the smoky mil and the blu"
waters 1T the lake hy"nd and was oil
the tram IN a ~ wlnkling.
At the end of a remuhahly delightful
day. with all its sight seeing AMI surprls
IS fresh in remembrance the thought
suggested itself that tl" readers at the
News may bc interested To- know about
one of the crcl. farming enterprises of
Florida.
Some wear, a-,n the firm of EppIng'r
a Russell purchased a tract uI forest
land here embracing 10000 acres. The
track of the Florida Railway and NavI
CATION ,omvany divides this rurcha>c
Abmt a quarter of "A mile from the ia
t,on. ON the shores of n'ran Pond. stands
the trims saw null. Il is tilted mp with
all kinds of improved machinery. AMI
has IA caparItA ut lo.Op0 feet per day. on
mere according tu the demands ot the
market. From til, mill suiI,lwarl into
the heart Of the forest runs u railroad
owned and operated by the firm. When
We consider that this track uf land cN-
tends fourteen miles north anl snut h
and averages eight miles from east Ia
west. some idea can br formed ~ to the
magnitude ni the lumb'ling optratIons
carried on here and the necessity fora
perfectly equipped railroad upon the
: firms own domains This road l,rlcven
miles in length and will eventually hr
EXTENDED farther south IT, give the lum.
lar another outlet to- a market. Vt pres
pht the timber j. carried tp Jarkson> illr
and Fernandina hy the Florida Railway
anl Navigation Company. and thence
find, lis way ,ntn every market oi the
north anl east. The business glvrS cm
rlnN mcut IT, a large nnml"r 1T people,
who occupy cuttagr" near the MIL The
remains ut the confederate carthWotkS
can IL, distinctly traced en'ithwaiI from
the lake; they atr covrrtd with Il tltlrk
growth Of bushes. among which the
ha,cfootrl negro rhl'llcn play, nncon-
s'ioue that they arrtrahlng on historic
ground.
Major John * Russell, fur,'srrlng the
farming lussihIIti,- ui Baker county,
plircha, for hims,lf a portion Of the
land living ON he south and east shores
Of the lake. THIS homestead contains
200 acres, AMI has a lAk" front Of over
three milps Win true Yankee energy,
Ma ior Russell struck AK into forest and
b. day ran sit upon his broad voiandas
and hook upon II clearing of 10 acres,
smooth ~ a floor anl aS handsome a
farm a. can br found in all IL rIIa. bne
hundred and twenty acres af" already
under cultivation. There was apparent
" M poorer land IN the whole tract than
where this farm now stands, 1t was
comprised ~ what are known Il, the tat
wood hands; bat thesr, when cleared and
drained. are proving 10 h. the most fer
/ THE lands in all Florida to day. TIA" soil
j. a clay luani. ra.IIy worked AMI very
fertile.
\ drive over this extensive farm ~.
,ealed state Of affairs which vii l"' u
rtnulnr surprise to- many rrople.
Florida has 81 long been Il scented with
ornng" cuItur" and the production "t
tropical fruits that ii seems hardly pos '.
blr that So near urir h,orA are raised ani
marketed such diversity uf products ~
Major Russell pointed ont. fIret We
drove through long rows ut peach trees,
each loaded with fruit and comprising
all the well known varieties. What was
particularly noticeable about them wa-
their sound, thrift, condition. II Orange
county is regarded a. the hntnr of tn.
fruit from which il takes IT'S naut,
Baker county should change IT. name at
once. Tor il Is the home of the peach l."
yund lDuht. Here hung FROM the bend
my honshs IN all their Iu~rlot~nc~1, th"
we'll known peen tns, the Honey peach.
\Ihprt Sydncy1. thu General l'"~, Stonr
walls. Thuilurs aud early and lat,
traWfurl- Some early shipments at
these last week nrtted the producer over
two cents apiece. When wr reflect that
here are over :. .00D bearing peach trees,
all sound and healthy. that a wurny
peach la- never vet been seen in Baker
county. and then consilcr the proximity
Of a good market. the profits # the crop
can he readily estimated, ani the igur's
will be surprising. There is one variety
Of peach produced hy Major Russell not
as vet named. hut which j. destined t.
rpvolutinnizr peach culture in tlnriia.
II is Of a deep crimson color, all over
alike, very large and Of exquisite ilav"r.
II certainly has not superior proiirei
anywhere in the country.
But this practical and experimental
farmer does not stop with p"arhes. lie
does not believe in allowing Texas t.
rnunopolizn the nut crop. Here ar" over
,. 500 pecan trees. besides jUn soft -h"ll
almonds and English waInut-, ~" latter
an experiment. The success rt pecan
rulturn hq, altratx bpru demonstrated