The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-08-06
New Industries.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. july 9. 1892.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA, July 9, 1892.
Awaiting myself Of your invitation to
write an account of the tobacco industry
OF Leon county, am led to reflect on
the great changes Leon county has un-
dergone from the old occupations of the
first settlers 20 that Of the present citi-
zens in their new ind ustries. 1t is inter-
esting to note these changes. Tallahas-
see, the county seat of Leon county and
the capital of the state, is one of the
most picturesque cities in the union.
Situated on and about cluster of hills
hills and valleys on all sides as far as
the eye can reach, and miles beyond, in
country whose agricultural resources
know no limit, she long ago linked her
identity with the surrounding hills and
valleys, and made their prosperity her
prosperity, their adversity her adversity.
In the earliest days Leon county was
rich, agriculturally. The cotton plant
e-s were the typical rich planters their
hospitality was the open, bounteous hos
pltality OF any country blessed with a
profuslon of natures products. With
ene great civil eruption came changes.
ShiftleSS tenartry succeeded organized
labor, Indifferent husbandry took the
place OF the master mind of fixed pur-
pose, want succeeded abundance. credit
succeeded cash, emigration succeeded
immigration and the pail of profitless
labor hung on the land once so lavish
with her fruit to the delivers in her
bosom.
With the years came changes. The
negroes wandered to the building rail-
roads and larger cities, and vacant plan
tations appeared everywhere. Then
gradually came the stock farms, truck
farms, dairy farms, pear groves, nut
forests, vineyards, and last but not least,
tobacco farms.
Leon county probably offers more in
ducements to farmers, and particularly
to tobacco farmers, than any other To-
cality. Pear groves yield large rev.
enue, from $500 to $500 an acle. The
dairy and stock farms are paying we'll.
The butter production is larger than the
home consumption and is eagerly bought
elsewhere. The vineyards, both eating
and wine grapes, are enormously pro-
ductive and the owners of the bearing
nut trees possess veritable gold mine.
But the coming big crop of Leon county
is the TOBACCO crop. The quality OF
the Leon county wrapper tobacco is un-
excelled anywhere. In the olden days a
little tobacco was raised, but during the
great change it dwlndled into nothing.
A lew years ago some of our cotton
planters. in their despair tried tobacco.
fUnd were sassOmishsd .at the rSsulf'
They found that our tobacco made
wrappers and filters equal to Sumatra
and Cuba. Last year less than fifty
acres were planted in tobacco. This
year over 300 are planted, and in spite
of the dry weather the plant is in
splendid condition. The weed is now
being cut the first time. and it is es-
timated that the yield will be over 15O,-
600, lbs. AS this years crop is now an
assured fact and offers the planters such
remunerative results, it is estimated
that over 1000 acres will be planted
next year.
The Tallahassee Board of Trade is aid
ing the planters all it possibly can, anG is
now making efforts to have packing
houses established in order to properly
prepare the crop for market.
81. V. r. SCHRADER.