Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-04-08
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
DE FUNIAK SPRINGS. FLA,
March 81 1896.

mid the Land of Sun and Flowers" has
about expired. We expect to leave here
IN the morning for Pensacola, where we
will pitch our tent for a night, and then
make another daylight march to MoDt>
gomery. Ala, and from thence. next
morning, move of to Atlanta, GA,
reaching there Saturday afternoon, and
stop over till Monday noon, wien we
will resume our bomeward journey as
far as { Chattanooga, Tenn. which will
be our final resting place before making
our last march-by rail to Cincinnati,
and by river to Wheeling.
The weather has been mild, not to say
warm, all the time since cur coming
mercury averaging 20 degs. IN the shade
bright and fair mixed, with frequent
warm rains, whic.. haYe served good
purpose in bringing out the checked fo>
liage and flowers.
In my last, l intended saying some
thing about the surroundings of this
soil, Florida in general,
her products. etc, but before got it said,
nv letter was so intolerably long that
l had to cut it off, and reserve what |
wanted to say for another letter. And
now, before get through, this letter
may be too long also. There is this
about it, however, if the reader sees it is
too long 10 spend time in reading, why,
lust Quit at the end of this paragraph.
A snort distance back of the town, on
either side. are heads of small streams,
the outlet of numerous springs which
bubble up; these little streams meander
about over a surface of quarter of a
mile in Width; in some places, as they
pass away down "A gentle slope, watering
this area so tt at mosJ luxuriant growth
Of trees, bushes, vines, and all manner
Of underground is produced. and Is
perfect jungle, almost impenetraole, with
mere and there tall magnolia, cypress,
aud green bay tree. and has been grow
ing, and leaves and wood maturing and
decaying, for the last 1000 years, per-
naps, making a muck, or when dry, a
mould of the depth of four or fve feet,
aud as strong and rich looking as barn
ward compost bed. This is just what is
needed, and nature has provided 1t to en-
rich the soil on this high, sandy ridge,
for | do not think it would produce
much in the way of good crops without
II, ur something else equally good. The
supply of this muck is abundant, and all
That is needed to enrich the soil is pluck
to give it good coating, and work it in
muck and pluck). These strips of terrlr
tory are called bays. because they are
the outlets to the numerous springs that
crop out along down the slopes. They
are, in fact, one kind of hammock land.
which when cleared is the very kind OF
land to produce. A gardener here told
me he raised, last summer watermelOns
On the border of one of these bays, that
80 pounds.
Two miles west Of town, lear the
is
LAKE STANLEY,
an irregular body of water of an area Of
perhaps 100 acres or more. surrounded
BY a level Plat of land covered by for
est OF tall yellow pine trees. Here, near
the border of the lake, the railway com
pany has donated so acres of land for
The purposes of college building to be
built under the auspices of the NJ. Z.
church, under contract that it shall De
commenced within two years. The
lI6SUfGOilduS,
similar tract of land nearer town on
which it is proposed to build a. memoir
al college. One of the favorite carriage
rides is out to and around Lake Stanley.
A broad street called Live Oak av>
snue, is laid out and being beautifed
by planting rows of trees OF various
kinds, on either side, extending out past
the sites of the colleges, and around the
akes on which it is proposed to run
street cars when the population lncreas-
IS sufficient 10 justify. In the town and
country is a magnificent
place for
DRIVES.
The gentle undulations of the grounds,
The smoothness of the roads, and their
entire freedom from mud, wet or dry,
and their being partially shaded by open
pine forests through which they pass,
are conditions calculated to make riding
or driving most enjoyable. Our party.
a few days ago, spent an entire day from
noon till night, in driving out around
the country. We found the above con
ditions true. In some places the scene-
ry is charming, especially in passing a
short distance out the south side toward
the Gulf, down the gentle slope of the
lidge, where a rolling country comes in
view, with its delightful groves of tall
pine trees; springs that feed ripping
rills, and they the babbling brooks and
limpid streams flowing on to the Gulf.
this slope from De Funiak to
the sea, beauty is all around, where lie
far more productive lands than is the
light sandy soil atop the ridge, where
stands the former place from which we
started. Blocks of land of ten, twenty
and forty acres, more or less, are seen
Lere and there on either baud, fenced
in, cleared and under cultivation, on
which are growing. acre upon acre, OF
young fruit Trees apple, peach, cherry.
jig, orange, and the La Conte pear. the
latter speciality. Sugar cale and corn
also flourish here, It's said, though did
not observe that, it not being the season
for them to show up. To drive amid
such a place where at every turn tbs
ever new, under bright, blue, sunny
sky, famed by gentle, balmy breeze
rom the Gulf, beneath the shade of for
,sts and breathe the air freighted with
he aroma of the resinOus pines, is real
lelight, and it was greatly enjoyed by us.
said the
LIE CONTE PEAR
5 made a speciality. 1t takes its name
rom Prof. LIE Conte, of the University
,f California. Two trees were brought
10 Washington, ID. c., from China before
he war. Mr.. LeCunte obtained them.
md set them out on his plantation i'll
Georgia. These trees were prOpagated
rom cuttings. 1t had been observed
hat the seed would not mature in this
oeality, and the idea was conceived of
these trees from cuttings.
An experiment was made, and the meth
Ids 80 perfected that large majority
If cuttings would take root. The tree
axes somewhat the shape of the Lom-
,ardy poplar, if crowded, and ought to
lave room to spread itself" The fruit
$ said to be of line flavor. and ranks
Ugh among the pears of the country;
lot quite so fine in texture as the Bart
EFT, but in keeping qualities it excels-
renee it is the best to ship to distant
markets. 1t is more profitable to grow,
rom what | can learn, than the orange,