The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-01-25
Correspondence Of THE RKcoRp.l
A WINTER IN THE SUNNY SOUTH.
LETTER No. Z.
GULF PARK, ARao P. o.,


and make it spot that would rival any
pleasure resort in the world. No place
has better reputation for healthfulness
than Gulf Park and all it needs now is
settlers. 1t is perfect paradise for hun
tiers and anglers. Here on the coast
would be superb position TO build
large Winter hotel for the scenery in all
directions as viewed from this point is
perfectly grand, greater portion of the
Gulf being visible. The ''Swannee rib
Der" is not far from here. We have no
twilights down here-all at once darkness
will fall from the clouds of night upon
the just as well as the unjust, and morn
ings it is light two hours, more or less,
before sunrise. If northern capitalists
had this place, they could make fortune
by erecting sanitarium. The only diff
hculty would be to furnish room enough
to accommodate their guests, as the place
would advertise itself. The lands down
In this section of country are composed
of pine lands, hammocks and swamps.
Pine lands (pitch and yellow plne), form
the basis of Florida. They are divided
into three classes: First, second and third
rate pine lands. The first-rate pine land
In Florida has nothing analogous to 1t in
any OF the other States. The second-rate
pine lands which form the largest proper
ton of Florida are all productive. These
lands afford fine natural pasturage. They
are heavily timbered with the best species.
OF pitch and yellow pine; they are for the
most part high, rolling, healthy and we'll
watered, and are generally based upon
mari, clay or limestone. They will, when
properly cultivated. produce the finest
Cuba tobacco, oranges, lemons, lines and
various other tropical productions. Even
the lands Of the thirdrate or most inferior
class, are by no means worthless under
the climate OF Florida. This class of
lands may be divided into two orders:
the one comprising high rolling sandy dis
tricts, which are covered with a stunted
growth of pine, etc., and the other en-
bracing low, fiat swampy region, occa-
sionally inundated, but which are covered
with luxuriant vegetation, and most
generally with valuable timber. 1t is
scarcely necessary to add that the second
order OF the third rate pine lands are far
from worthless. They afford most ex-
cellent range for cattle, besides being val
liable for their timber There is one fea-
ture about Florida, which no other coun
try In the United States, possesses, and
which affords great security TO the
health OF its Inhabitants. 1t is, that the
pine lands which are almost universally
healthy, are nearly everywhere studded
at intervals of few miles, with hammock
lands of the richest quality, aud these
hammocks are not, as is generally sup
posed, low, wet lands; they never require
ditching or draining; varying in extent
from twenty acres to forty thousand
acres, averaging about five hundred acres
each. Hence the inhabitants have 1t
everywhere in their power to select resi-
dences in the pine lands, at such conve-
nient distances from the hammocks as
will enable them to cultivate the latter,
without endangering their health, II II
should SO happen that any OF the inhabi'
tants proved to be less healthy than in the
pine lands.
1; has been satisfactorily shown that
residences only half mile distant from
cultivated hammocks are entirely exempt
from malarial diseases. Low hammocks,
which from the fact of their participating
10 the nature Of hammocks and swamps,
are not inferior to swamp lands in fertili-
ty, but perhaps are not quite as durable.
They are nearly always level, and have a
soil of greater tenacity than that of the
high hammocks. High hammocks are
the lands 10 the greatest repute in Florida.
They differ from low hammocks in occu-
plying higher ground and in general pre-.
senting an undulating surface. 1t will be
readily understood by any one at all &C
quainted with agriculture, that such a
soil, (sand, clay, mari or limestone) in
such climate as Florida, must be ex-
tremely productive. This soil scarcely
ever suffers from too much wet nor does
drought affect 1t in the same degree as
other lands. High hammocks produce
with but little labor of cultivation, all the
crops Of the country 10 an eminent degree.
Such lands are not infested with iujuri-
| Gus weeds or grasses. Tbe.oak and hick-
DRY lands are found in pretty extensive
bodies in many parts OF the State.
AS regards productions, 10 no State Of
the Union can so extensive variety Of
valuable productions be successfully cul-
tivated as here. Indian corn, to the mass
Of the people the ''staff of life," is grown
in all parts OF the State. February is the
best month to plant. 1t is plated in
bills, four feet apart each way, thnnip 6
out to one or two stalks to each bill al
the first blowing. Three plowings, the
last carly in June. During the Fall
months the ears OF corn are broken of
and stored 10 the crib without husking.
| April Is the month for planting cotton
many commence the last of March. The
picking season commences the last OF
| August and continues until Christmas
two hundred to three hundred pounds OF
short cotton per acre is a fair yield upon
ordinary soils. But we cannot enter into
details of It's culture nor give you an esti
mate upon the cost of cultivation. Sugar
cane has been cultivated for home con.
sumption and to some extent, for market
1t will grow 10 almost any OF the soils OF
Florida, south Of the mouth of the 81.
Johns river 1t is generally planted be-
tween Christmas and January, and some.