The National tribune., 1909-04-29
THE ST. CLOUD COLONY.
Capt. James, IL Years Editor of the
Kissimmee Valley, Says The National
Tribune Location Is Best i'm Florida.

Kissimmee Valley, Says The National
Tribune Location Is Best i'm Florida.
+ The National Tribune has had the
pleasure of call from Capt. Dillon H.
James, now with the Government Print
ing Office, in this city, but for IL years
resident of Kissimmee, Fla, where
he published the Kissimmee Valley, a
newspaper afterwards absorbed by the
Gazette, of that city. Capt. James was
member of the 54th Ohio, and spent
over three years in the service. He was
asked to give some of his impressions
of Florida, which he did as follows:
There is so much to be said about
that State that it is hard to know Just
where to begin and where to stop. Con-
ditions there are different in a general
way as compared with the colder sec
tions of the temperate zone; besides,
portions of Florida lap well into the
Semi-tropics, where conditions are not
comparable with the North. The varie-
ty OF products possible of profitable
cultivation in Florida as a whole, is the
greatest in the United States. -.---t---.-.
The soil is lighter, as a rule, than in
the Northern States. but it responds
promptly to Intelligent treatment. The
crops. many tons to the acre, in some
instances SO abundant that to give to-
tails to the acre the quantities would be
hard to believe. The soil being light,
it Is not laborious to cultivate.
Truck farming is an established and
profitable industry in many parts of the
State. Osceola County is right in the
heart of where nearly everything in
agricultural life can be INDUCED in
Vegetables are of rapid growth. and
therefore not surpassed in quality. Sew
eral different crops can be grown on the
same ground each year; indeed, every
month can be made to contribute some
thing to the table or market. Persons
VINO engage in the culture of fruit and
nut-bearing trees may be raising vege-
tables between the rows and securing
an income from the ground while watt
ing for the trees to come into bearing
Cuitiyating the orchard land is really
beneficial to the trees.
All Kinds of Fruit.
"Of fruit trees there is an extended
choice. Besides the citrus varieties
Grange, grapefruit, lemon, lime ard Cit
ren-nearly all the Northern fruits can
be grown. as well as the fig, cocoanut
banana, pineapple; but to call off the
list would be like running down thru a
nursery catalog. To get fruit ripe from
a
down there to enjoy.
Flowering shrubs and foliage plants
many OF them only known in the North.
erh conservatory, attain luxuriance and
superb growth and beauty in the omen
ar. one does not need to wait for
years to make home place beautiful
with flowers, vines, shrubs and traas
and the realization after planning ar,
tractive surroundings can be uuicklv
realized. '@A'y
The people of Florida can ALWAYS
feel insured against hunger hv tho
abundance wit.I which tubers and other
nourishlng roots can be produced. The
Varieues most commonly cultivated are
sweet and white Urish) potatoes. All
the salad plants grow in abundance All
varieties of rice are easily obtained
Corn, oats and millet are among the
staples. Plants that are rich in fatty
materials can be cultivated for the ey.
traction of oils. These include the pea.
nut and castor bean. There are many
klnds OF drug plants. The camphor
tree VIII in time be made a source of
large profit. There Is a future to grow
ing trees of all kinds
fIorida Is one of two States In the
Union producing the high-priced Suma.
ira tobacco. 1t leads all the States In /
the production of the highest-pricedl
cotton known to the world, the long
CoUlHiOHlY called Sea 4
Asiand cotton. used for making thread.
"A delightful climate is one of fhe
many assets of the State 1 would
rather live there than in any other mart
OF the country, and j have been pretty
wen over the United States 1 speak
from IL years of residence in Kissim-
NEE. My health was uniformly good
while l was there. / am a native of |
Ohio, and owing to the failing health
of my father 1 induced him to come and
live with me. He was then 81 wears
old, and so poorly in health that / had
doubts about getting him thru. He |
picked right up, however, and lived for |
10 years and two months, reaching the |
ripe age of 81 years and three months |
l doubt whether we would have lasted |
another year in Ohio.
The range of temperature is the
in the country. When the sun
goes down the temperature fails, and / |
seldom ever experienced a night in the
when It was above 70, A sui |
try night is practically unknown. and
The blessing of being able to sleep comes
to all who have clear conscience and
10 not overeat at supper time, l never |
'elt the need of having a musketo bar
on window or door, altho at certain /
times we have mosketos as they do
everywhere, but never as bad as they
are in the American Northwest, in Can
ada and Alaska, If We are to believe the
stories told about people wearing head
lets up there to keep them of. / never