Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1915-02-18
ALL NOT GOLD
| THAT CUTTERS
IN SOUTHLAND
E. 7. Hopkins Writes En-
tertainingly of the State
of Florida.
/! I, ( ~
DISCUSSES The
KIND OF SOIL
Discovers One New Idea
Wilson Had Not Thought
About, He Says.

The Graystone.. Hotel, Kissmmee, Flor
ida, February TIN my former letter
told your readers something about
Florida. 1t must be of interest to them
as have had several letters about it.
| told them the central lower part of
Florida was higher, dryer, warmer and
more healthful than the coast country.
Let me recall few facts about Florida
that are not generally known, perhaps.
A line due east from San Diego, Cali
fornia, to the Atlantic ocean will pass
north of Jacksonville, Florida. From
there to Keywest is five hundred miles
by railroad, little less in straight
line, so you see Florida lies entirely
south of California on a narrow neck of
land running out into the ocean. This
protects it from winter cold and sum-
mer heat, making the climate the most
equable in the United States. 1t is
semi tropical California has its high
mountains and much snow in the win
ter; Florida never has snow and rarely
frost in the central portion.
Three Kinds of Soil.
The soil 10 easy to work and 10 of
three kinds, namely: Sand with clay
subsoil, good for citrus fruits; dry
hammock, +" best land for all purposes,
hickory, oak, pecans, oranges, corn
and many things growing on it; and
muck, black, rich land, mostly decayed
vegetable matter, but sour until drain
ed and we'll worked, grows sugar cane,
celery, tobacco, strawberries, toma-
toes, peppers, pine apples, bananas,
broom corn and all garden truck in pro-
fusion. Celery growers have made aa
much as two thousand dollars per acre
on muck land. The United States gov
eminent is taking great interest in this
soil and experts are testing fruits,
grains and grasses largely, for you
know this is the latest and newest as
we'll as the oldest settled land in the
United States. st. Augustine is the
most ancient city in the United States.
1t is quaint and foreign and is we'll
worth visit of some length. Never
mind the hack men or real estate men;
they would not hurt you.
indigo Venture.
Many years ago an Englishman nam
ed Turnbull raised the indigo plant at
New Smyrna just south of st. Angus
tine. He obtained men and women
workers from the island of Minorica,
several thousand of them, and made
slaves of them. Turnbull was finally
driven out and the people moved to st.
Augustine. They were white of Span
| ish decent. You can see and hear their
children talking Spanish, they are
clannish and still retain many of their
old customs. It's worth while to study
them and get their point of view; they
are Catholic and their priest is an inter-
esting man to know.
have written about the soils of Flor
ida: there are millions of acres known
only to timber cruisers and cattle men,
swarming with game and lakes with
| fish.
Some Disadvantages.
Florida has great future; but it
has disadvantages also. The climate
| is 90 mild that insects breed in great
numbers and prey on grain and fruits.
They must be fought constantly.
1t costs a great deal to get the land
in shape to produce and then it must
be fortified. It's not good country
for a man without some means. The
negroes do most of the work.
One Party State.
It's one-party state. The Demo-
Gratis control everything. No matter
what the constitution says or the rights
of the black Republicans may be, they
are not low d to vote and
o.~.~-~.~.~.~~~~~~