Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-06-18
ARP IN FLORIDA.
Corn Is Now Growing Whore
Orange Orchards Were.
Truck Farming IL Very Livciy-Floridisn'
Preparing for the Exposition-Ths
Plsnt System Arranging
o Grand Exhibit.

don't see any difference in Oh
weather here at Sanford and at home In
North Georgia. 1t Is Q delightful
spring everywhere down South. The
ride from Jacksonville here was pleas
ant-no heat, no dust and the scenery
along the way was lovely. OF course j
missed the orange groves, but l never
saw greener trees or brighter flowers or
more luxuriant grass. The cattle wero
was in the silk and tassle and higher
than / ever saw corn in Florida. 1t was
planted on the ground OF the old orange
groves that had been fertilized and
| shaded for years and will make hno
crop. Vegetables and watermelons
have also been given place in many OF
these old groves, and so something will
be made out OF the great disaster. Most
OF these groves have been cut down and
from many of the stumps new sprouts
are growing-growing from the stand.
ards but none from the budded trees.
They are all killed root and branch,
and don't care much. have an idea
that We have been dwarfing our fruit
trees too much in the last twenty years.
The old standard peach trees in Georgia
have gone. We boys used to climb to
their high tops and gather great, big
yellow peaches that had nipple on the
end. They were red and yellow and
juicy. And there were large, round
white ones called English peaches, and
there were old fashioned Indian peaches
that you couldn't eat without having
the juice to run down the corners of
your mouth. And there were small,
pinkish clcarstones that we peeled for
cream and sugar. And there were the
white October clearstones that were al
most as good-what has become of all
these standard varieties? The alberta
is fine, | know, but it strains the little
trees to bear them and make them
short-livCd. An old-time peach tree
was good for twenty years, but these
budded oncs1give out in ten. just so 1t
is with budded orange trees; they are
short-lived and they can't stand
freeze. rode out to see the remains of
the famous Speer grove and vas sur
prised to see the trees sending up tall,
vigorous shoots from near the roots.
The tops are all dead, but in two years
these shoots will be bearing fruit. The
Speer grove of five acres has given net
income of $1,000 a year for twenty-five
years, and it may do it again. Florida
Is not dead by good deal. Business is
very dull here in Sanford, but the peo-
pie are not hacked as bad as they we're
three months ago. Almost everybody
has found something to do. Trpck
farming is going on and the river is
still full of fish. The workshops OF the
railroads keep hundreds OF hands busy
and their wages maintain many fami.
lies. There are still many wealthy
people here and near here who had other
properties besides orange groves, and SO
trade and traffic go on in limited way
and Sanford is still ono of the prettiest
towns in Florida. | have not heard a
word about politics or silver or gold
since I've been here-and don't dare
to introduce the subject. Judge Well
born said ! had better not was in
Texas when the Hogg and Clark excite
ment was up, and ono day drummer
OH the train rose up and said: Gentle
men, rise to mako a motion. / move
that the first man who mentions Hogg
or Clark in this car shall be put off the
train. The motion got half dozen
seconds and was carried unanimously.
Very soon another drummer asked
another for some tobacco and he cut of
half of it and put it in his pocket. The
drumn.er said, "Well, wouldn't make
hog of myself" and they had liked
to have put him off for that. wish the
newspapers would let us all rest a
month or two. 1t is too soon-there is
no election in sight.
But l do hear good deal OF talk
about the exposition. Florida will be
on hand with full display of her won
derful resources. l witnessed the prep.
arations of the Plant system today.
They have begun on magnificent
scale. Mr. Plant had an exhibit at
Paris, but this will eclipse that and any
other that railroad corporation has
ever made. He is having a map made
of Florida that will be sixty feet long
and twelve feet wide that will be geo.
graphical, geological, Typographical,
tropical and every other zeal" and will
be the finest and most artistic piece OF
map work ever made. 1t will take his
artists two months more to finish it.
OF course the phosphates will occupy a
liberal space. But i am not authorized
to disclose what the Plant system has
designed.
or course the other railroads will seek
to emulate Mr.. Plant and will be on
hand. And so the great exposition
keeps on swelling in its proportions,
and 1T is now certain that 1t will be a
grand show and grand success. When
1t was first proposed thought that 1t
was the most cheeky, foolhardy thing !
ever heard of, but Atlanta knows no
such word as fail. The southland is
coming to the 'front.' Even the reunion
at Houston is not only tolerated but
patronized by Northern soldiers. Gen.
Schofield was there and smiled gallantly
snd lovingly on Miss Winnie Davis. /
love everybody who loves her, for she
Is the daughter of the Confederacy.
She is our Joan of Arc.
Florida is still the same delightful
land--the land of flowers. All kinds
and colors adorn the grounds that bor-
der on the sidewalks. They were not
killed. The sweet odor from the cape
iasaamina perfumea the air ,Nharovor