The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-01-07

Mr.. EDITOR: According to promise !
will try to let the readers of your paper
have look at Florida as see it, and as
it really is. Only short while ago
was in a snow bound land. Now I am
in sunny cline, where the flowers bloom
in open air the year around, and the
birds sing as merrily as if it we're not
winter strange this seems, but neverthe.
less it is true.
Florida has been praised too highly on
some points, and not enough on others.
The fruit crops seem to be all that most
writers think Florida soil is capable OF
producing, but not so. 1t can grow near
ly if not all the crops that other States
do, though all of her lands are not as
fertile as Western prairie. With dill
gence, however, one can acquire good
livelihood and lay by snug little sum
for rainy day. The opinion of many
is that Florida is poor, so poor that one
would starye in season with years
supply ahead. This can only be attri-
buted to ignorance, because if people
would only observe the official reports
they would see and be surprised at the
rapid strides she is making, which could
not be done if she did not possess solid
foundation on which to build. One
must need come to Florida to fully ap-
preciate all its qualities. There are no
two that come that see it alike. Itseems
to appear differently to every one. No
writer can describe so as one in foreign
country coming here would see and un-
derstand as he wrote. Her resources are
almost wholly undeveloped and present
new fields for extensive operations, for
idle capital to be employed, aud many
capitalists are taking advantage Of them.
She is the oldest State in the Union, and
has been in the background till only a
few years ago, and has just walked up
from a three hundred year sleep. Real
izing that she is on the back seat of ad-
vancement, she has set lively to work
and is moving to the frouS more rapidly
than any of her sister States. Within
the last FIVE years she has more than
doubled her taxable property. In 1880
it was $50, 100000; in 1885, $50, 100000.
Her population in 1880 was 100000; /;
in 1885, $4,000; gain of $4,000 in five
years, or an increase of about 27 per
cent. 1885 shows 1852 farms and 596
manufactures.
Florida is thought also to be very un.
healthy. To prove chat it is one of the
healthiest States, will quote the mortu-
ary statistics, which show that of $4,000
persons, of all classes and ages, only 2,777
die: Rather small ratio for sickly
country. This much is little queer !:
that one in good health coming TO Flor
ida is more than apt to be sicK, more or
less, till he becomes acclimated. On the
other hand, one in poor health improves
from the date of his arrival. For con.
sumption there is no safer harbor of
refuge if they cvme in the early stages.
7 don't claim that her climate will resur-
rect the dead.
Agriculture doesn't pay as we'll as in
the West, and not half what the people
ought to make it pay them. The corn
yield is from 10 to 40 bushels per acre,
and some lands produce upwards of 100
bushels, but the first figures are what the
average lands will produce. Oats make
a good yield. believe they can be
grown better here than in any other
State. The yield per year is 20 to 40
bushels per acre, and very often from 60
to 70 bushels. Rye averages about %
bushels per acre. Wheat doesn't grow
here to much profit, though the lands
Weld from s to 25 bushels per acre. The
weeyils eat it to a dust before it can be
worked. Sea Island cotton and upland
do we'll. Upland yields bale on from
l to % acres. Sea Island is as much al
home here as on the islands In the South
Sea. Its yield is from $50 to $50 pounds
per acre, or one bale to 81 or 4 acres
Rice does almost as we'll here as in the
swamps of South Carolina and Georgia.
yielding as high as so bushels per acre
Pinders, or ground-peas as they are bet
ter known, should grow, l think, only in
Florida. Chufas and sweet potatoes are
grown for hogs, and are seldom market
ed, though if they were, would pay we'll
Fine cigar tobacco is also grown, but not
extensively. Chewing tobacco cannot be
grown scarcely at all. Sugar cane, from
which sugar and syrup are manufactured
is grown by almost every farmer. In
fact, almost every thing that is needed
for home consumption can be grown
here; but over one.balf that is used is
brought from the North, simply because
people are too lazy and indolent to grow
what they want.
Judging from what one reads in the
papers, Florida is young heaven, but
let it be remem bered that there is bitter
as we'll rs sweet here. The advice / gise
to all is, if you are doing we'll enough
let we'll enough alone. If you have q
good home, stay there, for you wont bet.
ter yourself 60 where you will. This is
good country for poor man, young
man or rich man, if he comes with the
expectation Of working, for these words
hold as true here as elsewhere: "by the
sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread. ;
Thanking you, Mr.. Editor, for this
kind indulgence, I am, very respectfully
JESSE RUSSELL.
In this country q young man who
made his living father q present OF
coffin would get bounced out of the
house, but in China it is the proper thing
to ,,o Every father cxpccts his sou Il