The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-04-19
Arcadia. Florida. April 4, 1913

Arcadia r 'OFtud. Ftptil =, ''t'-
While the letters l receive from
Colorado. Kansas and Nebraska all tell
of storms, cold weather and snow, We
are ENJOYING to the limit summer Ne"
potatoes, string beans, squa h. straw
berries and in fact all varieties OF gar
den truck, are ia full growth, While the
oranges and grape fruit are simply the
most Juicy and delicious OF any 1t mas
ever been my privilege to eat Ot
course. this IS not Heaven nor IS IL
Calfornla. but when IL comes TO raising
early vegetables and citrus fruits this
country can certainly produce the goods
and 1t Is surprising to me too, Tor l
had always been taught % believe that
a rich loan was essential to good crops.
but here II is sand everywhere on the
surface and yet the good crops are very
much in evidence, due, | am informed
to the careful selection OF locations
with d sirable sub-soils, aud the charac-
tiers OF these sub-soils IL of such vital
importance that unlts SIS their Sc &C ION Is
born in mind when settling here, that
one Is liable to fa!i IN his efforts.
The one greatest asset IS the climate,
warm and moist, not oppresslyely
moist, but sufficiently to thoroughly
stimulate the nervous system The
breezes coming from either the Allan
tic or the Gun are constantly blowing
across the peninsula. So that one can
always be comfortable in the shade.
A stranger would hardly believe how
in-breediug has det, rIorated the native
stock existed anywhere in the United
States. These cattle run wild and are
found everywhere in the timber and
on the open prairie. 1t seems that be-
cause OF the old fashioned woodtick
whose sting produces the fatal Texas
fever among foreign cattle brought into
the state, the cattlemen seldom at
tempt to improve their herds. Scrub
by cattle and scrubby hogs ('razor
backs'D are in evidence in the most un-
expected places. This is especially true
of the razor backs whicn are occasion
ally seen in the streets of the towns.
There is a iarge and rapidly increas
ing northern element coming INTO the
state, buying up the orange groves and
other improved properties so that the
early settlers, the Cracker, are sell
ing out and moving further back, away
from the towns Bacaus- Of this in
eux of new citizens, prices OF all class
es of real estate are advancing and yet
they are sull away below similar prop
ositIons IN California where the grow
ing Of grape fruit is not success while
here it grows TO perfect and be
cause OF meeting with little compe
tition in the markets., is making bet
ter money for the growers than oranges
Because of the nature of the literature
man, OF the real estate men are send
ing out telling of the wonderful and
quick possibilities of this country, :
believe it wise for any persons cor
templating making this state their fu.
ture home to investigate condition
very thoroughly before deciding upor
any course of action. | am told. or
what | believe to be competent and re.
liable authority, that it requires IRON
10 to II years before the seeding Of
orange or grape fruit orchards may be
depended upou to show much of prof
it above the cost of up-keep, however
ii is a. fact that the buddtd trees beal
sooner than the seedlings.
In .he northern part of the state the!
make great success growing pptatoe
and that is the only section where
have seen any farming on what nigh
be called commercial scale. | an
SUE it is possible in many places. bu
whltI have seen have been small
tracts where they figure what the re
turns would have been had they plant
ed fun acre or more. The great bnsi
ncss here has been the growing of citru
fruits and in most years this has beer
success, but because of very bat
management MANY growers did no
make any profit this past season. The,
will eventually have good citrus e,
change and will properly care for thei
fruit when it is being shipped, the sam,
as they are now doing in California
and the orchards will without doub
show very handsome returns for thu
trees certainly grow well and produce
heavy crops Of splendid fruit.
Everything here is largely in an un.
developed condition which in a yreat
measure accounts for the comparatively