Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-04-08

u BOI16 OIueE klDub, IL 10 excellent 10
put up. and also very fine for making
wines, being very juicy and high-favor-
ed. yielding from 3 to 81 gallons of
juice to the bushel.
TIMBER LANDS.
1t may not be generally known that
the vast forests Of pine timber extend>
ing throughout Florida, Alabama and
Georgia, covering an area of millions of
acres, is the pitch or yellow pine-Bot
hemlock-so much priced in the North,
and which costs hore to obtain than the
white pine generally used. The yellow
pine of this southern country is proba-
bly, the best in the world. The grain is
beautiful and we'll adapted to what is
called hard finish" in houses and furni-
ture. The trees are not so large and tall,
nor do they stand so thickly on the
ground as does the white pine in the for
ests of the North. The medium rsiZed
tree has the finest texture in wood.
There is a growing demand throughout
the world for this yellow pine. and the
immense supply should be utilized. Ii
needs capital and enterprise to develop
this resource of our country. 1t is now
commencing to be done. Lumber
men are here from different parts, look
ing it up, and purchasing large tracts of
pine lands with that view. On yester-
day l sat with gentleman at table. who
was attending Forestry Congress and
Farmers Institute held here, who told
me he belonged to a syndicate that had
purchased 10000 acres, and was devel-
oping it by introducing saw mills and
shipping the lumber to all parts-New
York, Liverpool and other ports. The
Southern people are now taking hold of
the matter-the man alluded to is a
Southern man. This splendid pine lum-
Der sells at the mills here fer from 81
to sic thousand ; a fine margin between
that and what we at home have to pay
S25 to $50. These lands are bought
from 81 25 to Sc 90 per acre.
AS TO THE QUALITY OF SOIL
and its capabilities in this State, one
meets people who live in different parts.
who will tell you that their particular
locality has soil of the very best quality.
far superior te any other. Talk with
men from Jackson county, they will tell
you that theirs is the very best for agri.
culture, and also rich in minerals, and
brag good deal about their rocks and
hills, and that this (Walton) county
does not, at all, compare with it; and
with the same assurance, men from
Washington county say theirs is superior
to both. Then again people from Jack
sonvllle and vicinity will tell you that
along the st. Johns river is the only
place in the State where good soil is
found. If you take as correct what each
man says as to where the good soil is.
you must conclude that wherever the
man lives, or is interested, there the soil
is very rich and productive. and that ev
erywhere else in the State the soil is
very poor and barren. 1t reminds one of
the statement of the man out west, who,
when asked if there were many mosqui-
tOs in his locality. He said, whilst he
kept both hands going, lighting them off: (:
mo, there are none here, but further Oh,
over in the next county, they are pretty
badT" suspect it is true that there is
a great deal of almost worthless land for
agricultural purposes. Indeed, L am
sure that as rule, the soil is too light
and sandy, especially on the higher
lands, to be productive for the above
purpose unless regularly and abundant
ly fertiliZed. But there is. as before IN
dicated, an inexhaustible supply of the
fertilizer which nature has provided,
ready to hand. lying in the bays or
ham mockS, here and there around,
with which, by the expenditure of the
muscle, energy and mule power, the
land can and should be abundahtly sup
piled. After all, think the up-lands,
such as a good deal OF it is here in west
Florida, are better adapted to tree or
fruit culture mot Oranges), than for
general farming Undoubtedly TIE best
for the latter purpose is the hammock
lands On the lower level. The lands of
the State might be cassed into three
general divisions. viz: East Florida, in
which the lower hammock lands pre-
dominate; South Florida, which is best
adapted to the grange culture. and West
Florida, which csntains the rolling
lands, and more or less of minerals, ,Seme
rocks and hills, more diversified in It's
character, and, as | think, tue best condi-
tiOns for
HEALTHFULNESs.
It's a pretty well established fact that
in all semi-tropical climates, the M Jst
healthy parts. naturally, is on the higher,
and, often, the less productive regions;
whilst the lower, marshy or hammock
lands are more productive, but not so
healthy, and would be exceedingly IN
healthy, especially in the swamps of the
Gulf States, were it not for some ceunt
teracting influences, such as the salt sea
breeze, which has a purifying effect, and
also the wonderfully abundant growth
of the celebrated Spanish moss, so COM
mon in the low lands, which live entire
ly upon the atmosphere, and lick up the
poisonous gases and miasmatic yapors.
Summing it all up, is Florida d good
place to which to come
TO live OP MAKE A TIVJNG1