The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-07-23
Twelve Years in Florida.


Az / have spent twelve years In
quiet and PLEASANT par of West Florida,
t have come to the conclusion that 1t
might benefit some persons who have an
idea of coming here, and others perhaps
to know some things that have learhed
by experience. While like to live here
and want to say the best things that I can
trdthfdlly Of this country, I do hot Wish
to persuade any man to move here and
make this his permanent home, if he is
doing we'll enough where he now lives.
A great many persons when they learn
that few bearing orange trees that are
we'll kept, pay handsomely for the money
invested in them, naturally suppose that
large orange grove would bring quite
a fortune. Indeed, 1t costs no small sum
even to have large grove set ont and
cultivated until it ia even self supporting.
Some orange trees bear a little when
eight or ten years old, but generally they
are about fifteen years old before they
pay for the cost Of keeping them.
do not think that orange trees need
much plowing and hoeing, but they do
need very careful attention In several re-
spects, and, If they..are not we'll fertilized
each year, will not give good yield of
fruit. More than once I have seen 8
young man start to raise orange trees
here, and have vsutured to advise him to
plant just few trees, not more than fifty
and to give those few extra good atten-
ton. Invariably. however, one could not
be satisfied with planting less than one
or two hundred trees, although he had no
income to support him during the time
that his trees had to be cultivated by his
own labor. Hence, some have become
discouraged and abandoned their places,
after letting them run down, and others
have sold out at a sacrifice. Thus, it is
obvious Why not many young men make
success of orange culture. Patience
and perseverance are needed in this as
we'll as in any other pursuit. Florida is
regarded by some very unhealthy coun.
try, but I have not found it so much SO
as great many imagine.
We have chills and fever here quite of.
ten, but generally the chills are slight
and are easily controlled. believe OBJ
stinate chills and fevers are not any more
common here than they are in a great
many parts of the United States. Then
we seldom have any sickness here except
chills and fever. a case oftyphoid fever
is something very rare in this vicinity.
Then if q person will avoid exposure to
the night air, and working out in the
middle Of the hot summer days, he need
not have chills and fever much. I dare
say this climate is somewhat debilitating,
but I believe that the timely use OF q few
simple remedies will counteract that in.
huence. Some, who live here, think
they must spend at least two weeks on
the coast every summer, but they like
the strong wind and salt baths better than
I do. I have spent only one week on the
coast during the twelve successive sum-
mers that have lived here. But some
fifteen or twenty miles from the Gulf of
Mexico, one can enjoy gentle sea breezes
during the greater part of the year.
Here We seldom have sultry day or
an oppressively warm night. In October,
1883, having desire to live near some
relatives moved away, but became dis
satisfied and returned the next March.
I do not know of more delightful coun.
try than this, but I think it is best suited
for those who like quiet, retired life
and have merely sufficient income upon
which to subsist. I would advise those
who are lond of gaiety and have good
health in cold climate, to remain there.
Insects and reptiles are not SO dreadful
here as I expected to find them. I fire..
quently see lizard on the window, as if
looking fog a fly, but they seem to be
harmless little creatures. Ifone happens
to be shut up inside the house I turn it
out gently, but when snake comes near
the house it is fortunate if it escapes a
sudden death. A few times I have found
one in the house. They come in to hunt
mice, I.haye been told, but I cannot toler.
ate such mouser.
When first came to Florida I lived
near large lake, and very often in the
spring could hear several alligators, each
making great noise similar to the roar
ing of lion in circus tent, but since
this country has become more thickly
settled I Iseldom hear one. Mosquitoes
are very annoying to those who like to
sit up late at night and read, but if one
will retire early and dispatch the lights
from the house quite soon, he will hardly
be troubled by them great deal. I
sleep with my window blinds closed near
ly every night in the summer and prefer
to do without mosquito nets.
1 can keep the house pretty clear of
reaches by searching, brushing, and
shaking them out where the chickens can
catch them ; but bedbugs used to put me
to the greatest task of any pest with
which had ever contended. When 1
found them first on my beds here 1
thought the washwoman had brought
them in on the clothes, but later inves!i-
cations have led me to believe that they
may have gotten into the house by some
other means. A neighbor once told me
that she found turkeys nest that vas
full of bedbugs. She removed the eggs
and burnt the nest. For eight years I
was annoyed by them at times, and I
thought no one could live in Florida and