The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1912-02-23

GRnnN cow sPRINas. FLA.
BY 5. >.

K GREEN COVE aSPHIN9ns 4 LA.
10 me Jou,rat
Il has for long time been my we'll resolved
purpose to give to the readers Of the MIDLAND
JOURNAL, brief outline Of things heard aid
seen while travelling over and sojournfng In
the different parts of the State, and taking IN
the inland as well as coastal towns ana cities.
suppose ought to take the trip seriatim'
for so varied are the conditions and require
ments that what would prove we'll for one
Industry would be poison to another MY first
plunge will be to speak of the State in general
Not at this writing shall go into detail for
my wish IL TO have more than one basket on
our trip from Green Cove to Arcadia We
passed through some beautiful and fertile
sections, each wholly adapted to its own
peculiar products; for instances, sections
given under natural conditions to the growing
Of vegetable will not prove an investment
along any other line, and the orange section is
not confined to the vegetable section as pay
ing proposition, simply because it is not given
to natural environments hence one must know
what be wants to do. Vegetable farms are all
right If rightly located but the orange indus
try. as gentlemen who had such splendid,
thrifty grove received my compliment by say
ing, orange groves are the rich mems pride.
Groves that seemedt to be in their prime and
vfgor two years ago, are ready from the
rayages Of the White Fly. to have the ak laid
at the root. Three things are wholly essential
In the growing of oranges. First. soil adapt
ed thro' natural elements of soil contents and
soil character. This is to say you can put
your foot ON soil that will not grow oranges,
and all the artificial treatment you can give
has no influence. yet under the most favorable
circumstances one has to cultivate, irrigate
and spray them, and then too, the frosts are
liable to blast the brightest hopes.
Those who have enjoyed gazing over the
varied plains Of Florida, well know the
similarity Of the State in natural state Of de-
velopment, when we consider that less than
onezhalf of one per cent of Florida, is.just as
the waters left it, excepting the depletion Of
the forests, and when one considers this
State is at least 200 years behind many others
and 50 far as land development is concerned
she heads our own State far enough in miles
of good roads, electric light and water. Many
homes have artesian wells for irrigation pur-
poses. just here wish to say, after seeing
an article in the Oxford News regarding q
celery enterprise which some Of the Oxford
progressives are contemplating, that they had
better study the situation and fully fortify
themselves on bn6 uAbufal conultionS ftuat
await their decision, but they had better go
slow. MY observation bears me to say that !
see some as fine land as the sun ever shone on,
and strange to say this land has not yet at
tracted attention of the moneyed men. On one
ofmy OF tripsin the forest adjacentto Punta
Gorda I came across cotton stalk in the
forest miles from civilization which is a credit
to any cotton plantation, for a reproduction
under most favorable conditions. Now this
section is not improved. but it is from
evidence, we Judge the case for any young
man or woman who has few hundred dollars
can make no mistake in making a land invest
ment In Florida. free from the clutches of the
land sharks. can freely use their judgment and
contemplate before making purchases. and
calmly sit and hold their hands, waiting sub
missively for the other fellow who assumes
the aggressive side Of the deal, while all the
precious stones are not going to fall in pleas
ant places. On our way from Lakeland to
Arcadia, for miles, we passed through the
poorest section I ever saw. Some day all this
will be taken up for winter residence Beyond
this lies stretch OF county possessed Of virgin
fertility. Some parts adapted to sweet and
round potatoes and truck Of every kind.
(ConcgMded IN Next s0eek's issae.)