The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-05-14

We learn that the Senate of Florida refuses to
appropriate for the Paris Exposition Is this
not wrong view when we consider that one of
the chief wants of Florida to-day, as it has been
Tor years is an immigration that will convert
into cultivated fields the tens OF thousands of
waste acres throughout the State-acres rich in
their SOIL rich in their climate, capable of as va
rious and bOuneous production any lands
under the sun! We Floridians know ,he capac
ity of our State, but do our legislators reflect
that but few others know when or what Flori-
da is, particularly the farming and the land
desiring part of the world? But few indeed of
the tillers Of the soil outside of the State have
any but the vagucst conception of the products
Florida is capable of. 1t they have ever heard
OF Florida their impression most probably is
that lis normal condition is malaria for air TO
breathe, SeminOles and alligators for population
and Til swamps for lands. How few reflect that
the Infinite numbers who live by turning up the
soil have no better idea of Florida than nine hun
dred and ninety of a thousand in Florida have
the nature of the lands in the climate of Wyoming
or Oklahoma. Ii \ man were here from one of
the old and rich farming counties of Onio, offer
ing to sell his farm there, how many of the
farmers of Florida could say that the farm would
be desirable at any price?' Yet no more
knowledge has the vast body Of farmers of
Florida as farming country.
BY what; means can W. induce the tle of
the soil from other parts of the world TO come
among us California has spent her hundreds
OF thousands OF dollars, has sent regiment OF
agents. her carloads OF products, her myriads Of
pamphlets and posters to baZon the gories OF
her soil and climate to the world. The various
railroads west of the Mississippi, traversing he
millions of acres of their domain, the donations
of the Government, spare no expense in adver
Using their lands throughout the world. They
have an army of agents to advertise their lands
along their roads, they carry the settler for re-
duced fares, and they cause the vast tide of farm
ing population to drift to the West. Advertise,
advertise is the theory upon which they build
for success Advertising is their open sesame to
bring their lands before the world, and it does
open them to hordes of settlers Florida must
do the same. Some OF the countless boards OF
trade and railroads have done so 10 a partial ex-
tent by sending out printed matter. but what
has been done is slight when compared with
the efforts OF other sections. What more effect
ual mode can be adopted to bring her vast re-
sources before the world than the display she
can make at Paris At the exposition there will
be mutitudes from all the civilized natiOns
These will examine and inform Themselves OF
the productions from all countries there col
lected, and will dffuse their knowledge upon
their return home No country exceed
Florida 10 the variety and value of her agrlcul-
tura products. There would be her different
cereals her sea island cOttons, the finest IN the
world after the seaboards OF Georgia and Caro-
lima, her sugar cane, her pulp, her photographs
Of a hundred different vegetables, OF her un-
equaled citrus family and her unrivalled flowers.
There would be specimens of fifty kinds of
valuable timber, her rich soils, her lime and
flint rocks. To these might be added rom the
Smithsonian Institute the duplicates of all the
beasts, birds, fishes and eggs which the Institute
has spent years in gathering. Among these are
perhaps fifty kinds of edible fishes taken upon
the coasts and interior waters OF the States
There are also specimens of the huge turtles and
sponges which form such valuable exports from
Florida With these would be the printed
matter gotten up by several OF the counties
and by different bodies and railroads, with
other matter which our Commissioners would
procure. setting forth the characteristics
and advantages Of the State among which would
he her health statistics and her unequa led eli
mate. If all these various products OF Florlda
are brought together at Paris, her exhibition
will be unique. No country in the world can
surpass it in extent variety and value. say
let us give to our commissioners the means to
present Florida in the full dress of her magnif.
cent resources 10 the world soon 10 be assembled
AT Paris AS sure as we live, the few thousands
that may be spent for this purpose will, IS bread
cast upon the waters, return, not after many
DAYS. but at short period, and bring return
of MANY hundred fold. l know two ofthe Com
missioners appointed 10 the Exposition, hessrs.
]. L. Gaskins and G. w. Wilson. These gen
,lemen are educated and intelligent, earnest and
nrooressive. fluent in speech and thoroughly
acnnainted with the State. Don't let Us send
them crsmped and handicapped, bat with means
70 set brth Florids's display TO the best advan-
tage. ALAcHoA'
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