The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-09-28
FLORIDA AND ITS FUTURE.

| UeSlTC. W IeUuTU.
FLORIDA AND HIS FUTURE.
Atlanta Constitution.)
Florida is the coming State, and you
will do we'll to keep yonr eye on it.
Last season demonstrated it's superiori-
ty to California as winter resort. The
tide of travel has turned towards Florida,
and California is stranded Year after
year it has demonstrated that it is, and
must be forever, the great market garden
Of this country, the source Of its oranges,
lemons, pineapples, bananas, and all trop-
ical fruits.
These two points alone would make
Florida rich, for as the population Of the
country grows, every foot Of land in our
tropical peninsula will be called into re-
QUESTION.
But Florida has Of late presented more
serious claims of consideration than these.
She is rapidly becoming one of the best
agricultural States in the Union, and is
backing her fine and profitable gardens
and groves with fields, plantations, pas
lures and stock farms. The agricultural
statistics of the State are simply astound-
ing to those who have believed that it
was nothing but a great garden and
grove.
Wise investors are rapidly turning to
Florida. Almost every large tract of
land has been bought, and immigration
companies are pouring new settlers into
the State. Mr. Flagler, who has spent
100000 in hotels and improvements at
St. Augustine within the past two years,
has now purchased the Rockledge prop
erty, and will run a railroad from ST. Au-
gustne down the Indian river to Rock
ledge, and will build a magnificent hotel
there. This is but an indication of the
tendency to rush to Florida next fall with
money and muscle from all parts of the
Union.
German Millet and Uugarian Grass
both are grown very prottably for forage
crops.
Sorghum of many varieties is a popu.
lar and profitable crop, and few acres
to be handled in summer, when there is
little else to do on the farm, insures
handsome profit in syrup and sugar
Alfalfa or " California Glover" seems
specially adapted to the climate and soil
of Leon. AS yet it is not being generally
planted, but in such cases as it has been
tried, has given most unqualified salts
faction.
Rice is a profitable crop on every
flrm. There are generally an acre or two
of meadow land that can always be made
to pay handsomely in rice. From forty
to seventy bushels is good crop, and
this commands generally 81 per bushe,
in the hull or ruff"
Wheat is not among the commodities
commonly grown in Leon county, from
no Inability to produce it proftably, how
ever, for during the civil war, when flour
could not be had from other quarters.
some planters grew wheat very success
fully, and made about fourteen to eigh-
teen bushels per acre.
Tobacco has been very profitable
and tavorlte crop In Leon. Since the war
1t has been eglected, but is again coming
into favor. The Cuba seed are generally
preferred, producing tne-favored article
that commands top prices. About 600 to
700 pounds Is considered fair crop per
acre of Cuba tobacco, worth about fifty
cents per pound in this market.
Oats are a reliable and important
crop In Leon county, and are coming
more extensively into use among the
farmers each year. From twenty to thir-
| ty bushels per acre is considered fair
crop on old land, without fertjlizing, but
the application of fifty bushels OF rotted
cotton seed per acre, costing about IS,
puts the yield up to forty to sixty bush
els.
-Sugar-cane is a sure and profitabl
crop In Leon county, and every farmer
grows some. About ten barrels of syrup,
or Dix barrels OF sugar per acre is good
crop, and a few acres on each farm are
not in the way of other things and bring
in ready money, and gives the thrifty,
provident farmer many tons OF bagasse or
refuse stalk, that are rich in both nitrogen
and potash, and are valuable addition
to the compost heap.
Rye is made use of extensively by
farmers as winter pasturage for stock.
For this purpose it is a cheap and reli-
able crop, and after being kept under
foot all winter, if the stock are removed
in March, a pretty fair crop of eight to
ten bushels can still be cut per acre. To
the keeper of live stock, whether of horses,
beef-cattle, dairy-cows, or even hogs, the
possession of few acres in rye. for green
winter feed is great item of economy,
and saves much money.
H Only 800 for a 10-acre lot for
planting to Pears. GEO. w. SAXON.