The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-03-08

and other like sections, where the grazing
spring and early summer, there is a breed
OF cattle that wade and swim around over
the flats and Craze as they go-often pokin&
their heads into the water until nothing
but their ears stick above the surface. A
herd of this description was seen by over
200 OF us last Saturday morning few
miles north of Sanford, us the steamer c.
e. Plant plowed along on her upward
course that day. These little cattle
seemed TO enjoy that kind Of grazing as
much as the fine steers of Crahbottom &c
the fine blue grass pastures of that high
section. And they swan as though they
had a set of fins for the purpose
Lands are cheap here, although the tide
OF land seekers is on the increase daily.
In this county, land may be had for S.
per acre and upward and in close proxim.
ity to the railroads.
man OF moderate means Can get a
tract to suit him on good time, and having
as he will, II months in the year in which
to labor, raising crop after crop, and get
ting enormous prices for his crops, he can
soon be in easy circumstances. Cabbage
is quoted in New York and PHILADELPHIA
at 81. so to $500 per Dbl and it takes but
IS cents to transport it from here. Re-
turns are had in to 10 days. A few fig
ures will show what an acre will nett the
grower On the same land upon which
the new man plants his orange, lemon and
citron (the citron of commerce grows IN
perfection here he can grow While the
trees are growing, preparatory to bearing
crops of any vegetable he thinks most
profitable. When an orange tree is four
years from the bud, it pays. At 10 on
ward it yields from ten to fifteen and
more boxes of that fruit-quoted now at
$500 1.-THE lowest) to So. so (the highest in
New York. Now take, say so cents off
for freight and commission, and see what
grove will do.
AS to the healthfulness of the climate
of Florida, it may be said that as whole
no State in the Union is more healthy
True there are malarial districts. yet that
much is true of Virginia, and of every
other State in the Union
AS matter of course it is hot here, yet
the heat is not as Sensibly felt in Florida
as in New Y DIRK The thermometer never
goes over 1859: it has reached 1917 in the
basement Of the treasury building in Wash
ington.
In this Immediate locality and for a
hundred miles north, and the whole length
OF the State southwark of here, there is
always delightful breeze in summer,
either from the ocean on the east or the
Gulf of Mexico on the W est, so that we of
the North swelter in the broiling sun
painting fol breath, these people are
famed 10y the refreshing breeze from the
salt water. The nights are never too hot.
Florida has without doubt its disadvan.
tages, but when they are weighed against
those of any other. State they are found
light in comparison.
Now is the time for those who conte4n-
alate leaving Virginia to better their for
tunes, to come here and see " hat is to be
seen. Mechanics can Gud lity to do,
and at prices far better than en- BE had
IN the States north Of us y road trip
ticket can be had from .Stastl Oh VIA At
lantlc coastline to JackeolvIi:e i,.r SIS So
After reaching the State TelN f.c,ii is
afforded for visiting all s,c,ions IN the
quest for information. A man of energy
and push with enough to br ng him here
can easily make ends meet lil tnen some
to spare. A five acre lot wi. Il iine view
of the lake, can be purchased ia Occee for
500 on easy time, and there are some land
owners who will give a lot TO any respecta-
BILE man who will obligate himself to build
on it within a specified time And these
lots arc far from worthless. They are val.
liable. They lie in the orange belt, and
adjoining them, III a half stone throw, are
farms and lots rated at 81 600 per acre.
Farms that pay their owners i'll orange
crops alone $4,000 per acre oftener than
less. In few years an acre could not be
bought here at any price. Now the coun-
try is new and the enterprising land own
ers want population, and for this reason
hold out inducements.
In the corporate limits at Ocoee. a map
OF which | send you, there are not less
than four lakes, the smallest of which is
four times the size of the Fair Ground
Jake. These lakes-of which the largest
Is Starke, p miles by a-are of the clear
est and purest water. They are literally
filled with fishes of various kinds. Upon
them are row and sail boats innumerable.
and on these balmy evenings when the air
is hardened with the odor of orange
blooms from the groves on the margin, it
is beautiful sight to see the merry
gentlemen and ladies rowing hither and
thither Ger the crystal surface of Starke,
and Blanchard and Olympia singing, laugh
ing and talking. A sail round this chain
of lakes during the day will give one an
idea of what is being done in the line of
agriculture here, for on each farm can be
seen the busy workers planting trees. or
pruning them, transplanting cabbage, to-
matoes, &C., &C., or sowing seeds in the
soft, finely .palveri2ed soils. Sugar cane
of the finest quality grows luxuriantly in
Orange and neighboring. counties. The best
molasses | ever saw was made in Florida.
and is now on exhibition at the sub-Trop,
ical exposition.
No one twho can spare the time and
cost of the trip should fail to visit Jack
sonvllle during this exposition, for here
may be seen everything of interest in the
State. A fair is in its height in Sanford
also, and here, too, is a fine display of the
good things of this land of fruits and
flowers.
| could not reasonably ask for more
space in your valuable paper thar | have
already taken upi in this, but inasmuch as
there are those who have made up their
minds to change of States, deem it a
duty to call their attention to cline to
which Billiards, and cyclones. and snow
storms, and drouths, and forest fires and
slagnant waters and (for tie most paitl
malaria are unknown, but where for
twelve months one may work every day,
where all the year the trees bloom, the
bird sings and the sun Shines Where
lands are CHEAP and time given TO nav for