St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-08-03

ARP IN FLORIDA.

W. xANO L OxNS y
| ARP IN FLORIDA.
Corn Is Now Growing Wherl
Orange Orchards Were.
Truck Farming Il Very Lively-Floridiaal
Preparing Tor the ExpositIos-Ths
flsns System Arranging
Grsad Exhlhit.
don't see any difference in th(
weather here 1t Sanford and 1T homo in
North Georgia. 1t is . delightful
spring everywhere down South. The
ride from Jacksonville hero was pleas.
ant-no heat, no dust and the scenery
along the way Was lovely. OF course
missed the orange groves, but never
saw greener trees or brighter flowers OF
moro luxuriant grass. The cattle were
all fat and the corn was on boom. II
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 fne
crop. Vegetables and watermelOns
nave 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 dwarfiHg our fruit
trees too much in the last twenty years.
The old standard peach trees in Georgia
have gone. We boys used to climb u
their high tops sid 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 clearstones 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 Elberta
is hne, 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 ones give out in ton. just 50 it
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 ~as 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 Ave acres has given . net
income of $1,000 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 were
three months ago. Almost every body
has found something to do. Truck
farming is going on and the river il
still full of fish. The workshops of the
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
besides orange groves. and so
trade and traffic 20 on in \ limited way
and Sanford is still one Of the prettiest
towns in Florida. l havc not heard
word about politics or silver or gold
since I've been here-and l don't dare
TO introduce the subject. Judge We'll
born said l had better not. ] WAS in
Texas when the Hogg and Clark excite
ment was up. and one day drummer
On the train rose up and said: Gentle
men, ! rise to make . motion. ! move
that the first man who mentions HoxR
Or Clark in this car shall be put on the
train. The motion got half dozen
seconds and was carried unanimously.
Very soon another drummer asked
mother for some tobacco and be cut on
half Of it and put it in his pocket The
drummer said, "Well, l wouldn't mah
! hog Of myself" and they had liked
10 have put him of for that. wish TIE
would let US all rest
month or two. 1t is too soon-there 10
no election in sight
But l do hear . good deal Of talk
lbout the exposition. Florida will be
IN hand with full display Of her won
ierful resources. witnessed the prep
lrations of the Plant system today.
They havc begun on . magnificent
'calc. Mr.. Plant had an exhibit At
Paris. but this will eclipse that and any
,ther that = railroad corporation has
'ver made. He is having = map made
i Florida that will be sixty feet long
md twelve feet wide that will be geo.
.raphical. geological, Typographical,
ropical and every other ''cal." and will
,e the finest and most artistic piece Of
nap work ever made. It will take his
.rtists two months more to finish it
If course the phosphates will occupy .
LIBERAL space. But am not authorized
o disclose what the Plant system has
esigned.
or course the other railroads will seek
o emulate Mr.. Plant and will be On
,and. And SO the great exposition
,eeps on swelling in its proportions,
nd it is now certain that it will no .
rand show and grand success. When
/ was first proposed l thought that it
sas the most cheeky. foolhardy thing
yer heard Of, but Atlanta knows no |
UGH word as fail. The southland Is |
ominr TO the front. Even the reunion |
{ Houston is not only tolerated but |
steonised BY Northern s0ldierA Gen.
was there and smiled gallantly |
nd lovingly ON Miss Winnie Davis.
ove every body who loves her, for she
] the daughter Of the Confederacy.
he 10 our Joan OF Arc.
Florida is still tho same delightful
.ud-the land of flowers. All kinds
nd colors Adorn the grounds that boz
er on the sidewalks. They were not
illed. The sweet odor from the cape
,ssamine perfumes the air wherever
ou 20. But Florida was not named for
overs. Ponce de Leon discovered Il ON
,..t>r SunAav which in SnAniah IL