Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-03-13

who is All all around geatleWaD,
and is much liked by the prisoners.
Since We have seen the kind treat
ment of these convicts We feel that
the question of ptonage was great
lY exaggerated few years ago
when we all read about the brutal
itY at the camps in the South.
Every prisoner is we'll taken care
OF and are granted many privileges
with rules Of the camp.
They are guarded pretty much like
the convicts on our Virginia roads,
on The bad ones a chain is kept. In
case one makes his escape blood
bonds which are kepta at the camps.
are pnt on his trail, and conse
quently they hardly ever try to get
away. The dogs are given practice
once or twice a week by getting
a "trusty" to take scout OF sever
al miles through the forest. The
Captain sent us word one morning
that he was gong to give us an OPP
ortuuity to seehow fugitives arerun
down by blood hounds. A con-
vict was sent out an hour ahead to
make a trail in plain view Of Mr.
Huyler's house and at given time
the dogs were turned loose. The
dogs seem to know when there is
something on hand, getting very
alert and restless. The Captain and
two of our party followed the
hounds. and from the time the dogs
struck the trail until they freed the
negro in a tree it was continu
al excitement. The dogswere we'll
trained and under excellent control.
We are indebted to the Captain for
a chase we never dream of seeing
MIR Huyler's grape fruit and or
ange grove is in Manatee county,
in which is situated Sarasota, the
winter home of Mr. q T Fleisher
and wife, Mr. Trimble, and daugh-
ter, Mrs Hevener, and Mr. E NJ Ar
bogast, and among the pleasant
features of our stay was a visit OF
our party to Sarasota. This was
true not only because Of the pres
epce of homefoIks and acquaint-
aDces, but also because the town Is
a pleasant resort. Through the
kindness Of our host we were given
a yacht ride from this point to the
gulf, new experience and delight
full treat for We editor, and we were
enabled to bring with us some
beautiful shells as souvenirs OF this
particular section.
The soil of Florida is mostly sand
but there are places that one finds
soil that remind us very much OF
Highland bottom land, dark loamy.
This land is used for trucking pur-
poses and is the most expensive
wild land that is found. 1t gener-
ally sells for hundred dollars an
acre. To keep this land productive
it requires about double the fertll-
izer that of our land. But there is
one advantage at least that the
farmers and truckmen have, the
absence of rocks. You may walks
for days and not find one.
Florida is great vegetable coun-
try. Most every kind imaginable
are grown in the greatest quantity
and perfection. The many kinds
it was our pleasure to partake OF
we found very palatable, and we
only wished we could have shared
them with our Highland friends
Of the various vegetable sections
in Florida hardly two ripen near
the same time, generally several
weeks apart, consequently the old
state is seldom without new vegeta-
bles.
The pineapple grows on plant
or stalk that resembles the century
plant, only one on stand, and is
first noticed By a small red bloom.
They are planted in rows from
three to four feet apart.
The stalk Of banana has the
that of corn but much
thicker. In the section we were in
this fruit had been gathered and
Of course we did not have the pleas
ure Of seeing it grow.
There is very little grain raised
in Florida. Corn is the principle1
grain grown and is q small flintY
The cattle, no particular color,
are small and the three and four
Year olds weigh from five to six
hundred on an average. They are
sold at $40 to $13 head. The
stock get very little attention. The
farmers brand the stock and turn
them out to get their own living,
in boundIess area of forest land,
often not seeing them for several
years. They live principally on
dry, dead looking grass which
grows to be knee high. Occasion
ally a farmer will burn a patch Of
this old grass so the new will come
up. but this is often objected to by |
the turpentine people as it often
destroys hundreds of pine trees.
The hogs and sheep get abont the
same attention. The stock owners
meyer know what the increase may
be until they have doubled or the
I 1 I lli.