The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-04

THE WINTERS HARVEST.

One who knows Florida thoroughly
recently remarked, .'He who has ten
.cres Of average land in this State and
cannot make q living by working two
DAYS in the week il extravagant or I'M
reasonable Our people now pay less
attention to the visitors who were once
believed to furnish our only harvest and
are learning to be self-sustaining ana m
dependent. The crop Of empty cans
about our homes ID rapidly decreasing
in variety and number-about US MOWERS
are cultivated in profusion and hne
lawns are growing scarcely noteworthy
because they are becoming common
place. Only a few years ago all thought
rrass could not be grown-now many
make hay in sunshine almost unbroken
and gardens are relied upon for our
heaviest profits.
Fruit culrurists in this vicinity have
not made heavy crops but they are
realizing good prices and experience has
taught them TO avoid many minor ex-
penses which have heretofore been large
enough to eat up all the profits. With
no intention to raise tax values on any
one we may be allowed to say that in
one grove near Palatka, sixty-two trees
welded over 70O boxes Of fine oranges
and these brought a net price OF two dol
lars each. In another fifteen trees pro-
duced 1875 boxes and one tree has yielded
during the eight years past annual
crops averaging over twenty-five boxes.
Another tree has made an average OF
1000 oranges each year and each orange
has sold for more than one cent. New
groves are being set out in every direc-
ton and there is much to disprove the
pessinistic views which grew out OF last
winters failure.
The prospect for the truck farmers this
year is unusually bright. Near Palatka
NAV be seen a six-acre field OF
cabbages which can not be excelled any
where. The broad succulent leaves
cover the ground and the heads are be
ginning to form in expectation OF ths
call which will soon be heard from thu
North. From this field OF six acres vii
be shipped at least 800 barrels and tn
price, from present indications, vii
range from three to five dollars. No
less than two thousand and possibly
three thousand dollars will thus be real
lied at cost for cultivation, fertilizer
and seed of less than three hundred.
1t 10 too early as yet to predicate any
thing of the smaller or more tender va
ties of garden produce, but our farmer
are confident, have gained experience AM
are preparing their ground. Oats ant
rye are already green-the cows chev
rich cuds in confident hope for the fu
ture and the razor-back is disappearing
before the Berkshire and the Guinea.
II we continue for a few years tn
work so well begun the Yankee viii be
come mine of wealth practically dis
regarded save as an excess for hospitaiit,
and long before he has sickened Of CAL
fornia, he viii tind his advent in Florid
q matter of importance only to the nc
tells and the calamity liar. We mus
speed the pillow and cease to believe tina
in advertising" lies the panacea for tn
financial woes of a whole State-we sha
be more prosperous when we pay NOR
attention to the development OF GU
wealth tn. in forecasting its appeal
ance when we shall sell to the Mort
and West for money instead of asking !
exchange canned stuff and the graz
which are poor substitutes for the prt
duce of our own fields.
Putnam County can show to-day q
fine turnips, potatoes and other roo
crops as can be seen anywhere-he
grapes and wine move steadily to tn
front with her fruits and 1888 will seer
like the beginning Of the independent
we shall achieve and make permaner
before the beginning of another century