{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3479", "width": "2080", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "Class\\nBook__\\nCOPYRIGHT DEPOSIT", "height": "3411", "width": "1976", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3427", "width": "1966", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3411", "width": "1976", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "it\\ni^i\\nTiiTiiTitniiHHtiiiiiffifliifliilliiJlliaiiHiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiinMHiiiiiiuiiiiiriiHiiiiinhiHiimn^\\nPolk County, Florida.\\nLet us go where the wild flowers bloom,\\nAmid the sweet dews of the night,\\nWhere the orange dispels its perfume,\\nAnd the rose-bud speaks of love and of light.\\nliiilaiifljiMiMmiiiHiitHinniiiiMninifflimniiininif imrimiiiim i\u00c2\u00bb nniiiiiiiin\\nSEP\\n1I 6\\nPRICE, 25 CENTS.", "height": "3427", "width": "1966", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3411", "width": "1976", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND;\\nA DESCRIPTION\\nOF THE\\nClimate, Productions, Resources, Topography, Soil,\\nOpportunities, Attractions, Advantages, Devel-\\nopment AND General Characteristics\\nOF\\nPOLK COUNTY,\\nzpxjOiRinD^^\\nBy SHERMAN ADAMS.\\n1885.\\nTI 3-IsrEI2,, TJ^TTJlVn C O HVE 1= J^ 3^ Z\\nI^n\\nPrinted at The Times -Union Book Rooms, Jacksonville, Fla", "height": "3427", "width": "1966", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 188.5,\\nBy SHERMAN ADAMS,\\nIn the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.\\nEditors of newspapers are authorized to make extracts from this worli, without det-\\nriment, if proper credit be given.\\nOrlando, Fla., July 4, 18S.5. SHERMAN ADAMS.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND.\\nThe desirability of a home in this fair, fertile, balmy, healthful and\\nprogressive interior section of South Florida, in Polk County, where cold\\nand stormy winter never enters; where plenty abounds, enlivened\\nwith bright and soul-cheering sunshine, fragrant and healthful breezes,\\noverflowing with the balsamic aroma of the majestic pine forests and\\nthe perfume of countless flowers the attractions and advantages of a\\nhome in Homeland will be considered in these pages.\\nHere can be made the true Homeland, for which the human\\nrace has ever sought. Here can be realized humanity s brightest\\ndreams of an Eden upon earth, with no tempter serpent to awaken\\nunholy desires, nor flaming sword to prevent the full enjoyment of the\\nchoicest delights that can be appreciated by the most refined, virtuous,\\nintelligent and contented people, that may here make for themselves\\nthe rnost pleasant and delightful of homes.\\nIn Homeland every one can sit beneath the shade of his or her\\nown vine, fig and orange tree, with none to molest or make afraid,\\nwhile bounteous plenty, like a fair and loving goddess, pours the con-\\ntents of her overflowing cornucopias at their feet; the choicest products\\nof the temperate and semi-tropic zones.\\nHere gaunt and ravenous want is unknown pinched and shiver-\\ning poverty has noplace; fell disease is shorn of its most virulent\\npower flowers bloom all the year fruits and vegetables ripen at all\\nseasons; the feathered songsters make the air melodious with their tune-\\nful notes of joy, love and praise; bright, sunshiny days impart bouy-\\nant health, strength and cheerful thoughts delicious breezes, im-\\npregnated Avith the balsamic healing of the pine, and the quickening\\nand inspiriting odors of delicious flowers refresh and soothe the cool,\\ntranquil softness of the nights invites to calm, grateful, restful, life-\\nrenewing repose the days are warm, but tempered by fresh and genial\\nbreezes while the mornings and evenings are inexpressibly delicious,\\ncalm and mild, possessing a rare inherent charm, that once experienced\\nis never forgotten, though it cannot be adequately described.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "POLK COUNTY.\\nTHE eyfs of the whole world are directed towards Florida as never\\nbefore, the interest growing rapidly with each succeeding year.\\nTired of cold, inclement winter,tired of the hard sti uggleto keep the wolf\\nfrom the door, disappointed in hopes and expectations of securing\\neither a competence or wealth, wearied in mind by continuous ex-\\nhaustive effort, imbued with a strong desire to secure a fortune, or, en-\\nfeebled in body by the diseases so prevalent in various sections of the\\ncountry, peoi^le everywhere are desirous to make a change for the\\nbetter.\\nReports, faint and few at first, and more than counterbalanced by\\nthose of an opposite character, have, for the past few years, been heard\\nfrom Florida, from the land where, more than three centuries ago, nota-\\nble Spaniards sought health a fountain of eternal youth and others\\nsought wealth the glistening yellow gold. Both are to be secured in\\nthis fair and balmy land, if rightly sought. The truth of the mes-\\nsage, Seek and ye shall find, can here be realized by all truly earn-\\nest souls.\\nThe better reports have grown stronger and more numerous from\\nyear to year, until at the present time there are few sections of the\\nUnion that have no representatives in lately despised and bitterly-ma-\\nligned Florida, Thousands have here secured restored health, and\\nother thousands have gained fortunes, or at least a satisfying compe-\\ntence, as well as health.\\nConsequently, diligent inquiry and earnest effort is being made by\\nthe more energetic people of all classes, in all sections, to learn the ex-\\nact facts with regard to this delectable land of sunshine and balmy\\nbreezes. Are the good rejiorts true regarding Florida is the earnest\\nand oft-repeated inquiry.\\nThis question and many others, it will be the endeavor of this pamph-\\nlet to answer as regards Polk County, an interior section of the delight-\\nful South Florida peninsula that its residents, as well as the rapidly in-\\ncreasing number of visitors, consider the very choicest and most de-\\nsirable locality that the whole world affords. Its lauds are fertile, its\\nwaters are pure and abundant, it is noted for its healthfulness, its cli-\\nmate is the most delicious that can anywhere be found, its surface is\\ndiversified with hill and dale, meadow and plain, numerous lovely clear-\\nwater lakes reflect the bright sunshine, while their banks afford delight-\\nful building sites here are running streams of sparkling water; here\\nyou can listen to the mocking bird to your heart s content, or watch", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "6 HOMELAND.\\nthem in their sportive glee; sturdy oak as well as beautiful pine and\\nother trees abound on the uplands, while along the courses of the numer-\\nous streams are hickories, oak of several varieties, maple, gum, cypress,\\nwild orange, cabbage palm, whitewood, magnolia and other varieties\\ntoo numerous to mention. The surface of hill, plain and valley is cov-\\nered with vigorous luxuriant native grasses, as well as beautiful trees\\nthe numerous lakes and streams are well stocked vith fish, turtle, etc.;\\ncattle, swine and sheep thrive on its fertile ranges, in winter as Avell as\\nin summer sheep raising is found to be very profitable poultry\\nthrive and give quick returns honey is abundant, bees increasing rap-\\nidly and laying up large stores the growing of corn is more profitable\\nthan in the far West sweet potatoes, pease, rice, sugar-cane, cassava,\\netc., are staple crops all the citrus and many other semi-tropical\\nfruits grow vigorously and produce abundantly garden vegetables give\\nimmense returns all kinds of industries thrive; new settlers are lo-\\ncating rapidly the residents are eminently sociable and hospitable,\\nkindly welcoming new comers numerous business and social centres\\nare already established, with churches, schools, stores, etc.; well regu-\\nlated railroads give close and continuous connection with the roads of\\nthe whole country other roads will soon be built, and the present\\nroads be further extended desirable locations abound, and lands can\\nnow be purchased at moderate prices, but are rapidly increasing in\\nvalue the roads are hard and firm, as well as free from mud or dust;\\nsnow is unknown and frost is rare the country is exempt from cy-\\nclones, tornadoes, electrical storms and destructive winds, it being in a\\nneutral zone, where it is impossible for such storms to enter. Many\\nother pleasing and attractive characteristics might be mentioned, but I\\ndesire to be brief\\nLOCATION OF POLK COUNTY.\\nBut, says the reader, where is this wonderful land, this health-\\nful, productive, attractive and charming County of Polk?\\nIt is located near the centre of the Florida peninsula, which is\\ndestined to be the most populous and wealthy, as well as the most en-\\njoyable and desirable })art of the known Avorld. It lies mostly be-\\ntween the twenty-seventh and the twenty-eighth parallels of north lati-\\ntude, and east of the eighty-second degree of longitude, an area that\\nJudge J. G. Knapp, a prominent and well informed writer on Florida,\\ndesignates as the Central Zone. It is, in fact, the golden mean be-\\ntween extremes that is so sincerely desired and earnestly sought.\\nELEVATION.\\nPolk County has no high mountains, but a broad plateau of high\\nland extends through it, near the centre, from north to south, the road-\\nbed of the South Florida Railroad at Haines City reaching an eleva-\\ntion of 210 feet, about the same elevation being maintained at Lake-\\nland, some twenty-five miles to the west. Some of the hills are still\\nhigher, being from forty to sixty feet above the surface of some of the\\nlakes.\\nFRESH WATER LAKES.\\nAn incomparable charm is given to the surface of the country by\\nthe hundreds, if not thousands, of lovely clear water lakes, many of", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 7\\nthem with attractive shores that afford delightful residence sites, that\\nare scattered promiscuously over the face of the county. They are the\\nmost numerous, however, just north and northeast of the centre of the\\ncounty, forming the far-famed Lake Region of Polk. In size they\\ndiffer greatly, varying from one acre to five thousand acres in extent.\\nOn the eastern border of the county are the great Lakes Tohopeka-\\nliga. Cypress and Kissimmee, with respective elevations of 64.5, 62 and\\n59.66 feet above the sea level. South of Lake Cypress, in Township\\n28, Range XXIX, is Lake Hatch-e-ne-haw, with an elevation of 60.23\\nfeet. In Township 29, Lake Rosalie, in Townships 30 and 31, Lake\\nWalk-in-the- Water, 61.94 feet above the sea. Also, Lake Arbuckle, in\\nTownship 32.\\nWATER-COURSES.\\nThe Kissimmee River, a broad and navigable stream, forms the\\neastern boundary of the county, separating it from Brevard and con-\\nnecting the three great lakes first mentioned. Arbuckle Creek con-\\nnects a series of lakes to the west. By cutting connecting channels\\nthe Drainage Company has made navigation practicable through lakes\\nand river to the Caloosahatchie River, and through that to the Gulf of\\nMexico. The result has also been the drainage of large quantities of\\noverflowed lands. In fact, the configuration of Polk County is such,\\nand its elevation so considerable, that portions needing it can be easily\\ndrained, it being highest in the centre.\\nPeace River, which has its source in Lake Hamilton and its trib-\\nutaries in the north-eastern portion of the county. Range XXVII, runs\\nin a southwest course to Range XXV, Township 29, where it is aug-\\nmented by the waters from Lake Hancock, flowing through Saddle\\nCreek. It then continues southward in Range XXV. It could be\\nmade navigable the whole distance at a moderate expense, and un-\\ndoubtedly will be in the near future, a charter having been secured for\\nthe purpose.\\nTiger Creek and Arbuckle River, in the eastern part of Polk\\nCounty, connect the series of large lakes found there with the Kissim-\\nmee River, and are being made navigable, which will give excellent fa-\\ncilities ip the matter of transportation, and aid greatly in the develop-\\nment of that attractive section.\\nThe Alafiaand Hilisboro Rivers and their branches intersect and\\ndrain the fine lands in the western part of the county. It was among\\nthe headwaters of these rivers that the first settlements were made in\\nthe county some forty years since, Tampa, in Hilisboro County being\\nthe seaport and trading headquarters. Polk County is well watered\\nby numerous creeks and streams of pure running water.\\nTHE GOVERNMENT SURVEY.\\nReferring to the survey made by the General Government, it will\\nbe seen that Polk County extends north and south through Townships\\n25 to 32, inclusive. At the south it is included in Ranges XXIII to\\nXXXI, while the northwestern corner that projects up to the west-\\nern border of Orange and into Sumter County is included in Ranges\\nXXII to XX VI. The area of the county is 2,060 square miles or\\n1,388,400 acres.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "8 HOMELAND.\\nCONFIGURATION OF THE COUNTRY.\\nA comprehensive, or bird s-eye, view of Polk County shows it to be\\ndivided by nature into strips-of a few miles wide, extending in a north-\\nerly and southerly direction. Near the centre, from east to west, is\\nevidently the finest, most attractive and productive strip of country;\\nat all events, here are the most improvements and much the greater\\nportion of the population.\\nLakeland, Acton, Auburndale and Sanataria, on the South Flor-\\nida Railroad, some fourteen to sixteen miles in a northerly direction\\nfrom Bartow, the county seat, are active and thriving new towns, the\\ngrowth of the past year. To the north of them for a number of miles\\nis a fine high country that will soon be develoi)ed, as the Florida South-\\nern Railroad passes through it from north to south, forming a junc-\\ntion with the South Florida at Lakeland. To the South, fourteen\\nmiles to Bartow, six to the Bethel neighborhood, six more to Fort\\nMeade, and a few miles beyond to the southern boundary, is a very\\nnotable strij) of high j)iue and oak land from three to five miles wide.\\nOn this are many clearings, cultivated fields, fruitful groves, pleasant\\nand even elegant residences, and three busy, rapidly-growing towns,\\nLakeland, Bartow and Fort Meade, with churches, schools, hotels,\\nstores of varied kinds, public halls, post-ofiices, exjiress and telegraph\\nofiioe.^. The first two have railroad depots and the other doubtless\\nwill have in a short time.\\nThis central, well developed strip of country lies to the west of\\nPeace River. To the east is another apparently equally choice strip of\\nland extending through the county but as yet, however, thinly pop-\\nulated, there being neither post-office nor store. At short intervals on\\neither side of Peace River are creeks, or rivulets, that empty into it the\\ndrainage of these fertile side lands, hammock at first, but gradually\\nrising to productive oak and pine lands, then less fertile pine edged by\\na strip of varying width of a flat-woods character, interspersed with\\nbays, cypress swamps, grass ponds, etc.\\nThe northwestern portion of the county may be considered as a\\nsej^arate division by itself, as Judge Knapp does with the northwest-\\nern part of the State. Its characteristics are those of Hernando and\\nSumter rather than of Polk proper, the bulk of which lies below the\\n28\u00c2\u00b0 of latitude, while this projection of four ranges, between four and\\nfive townships in depth, is north of that line. Consequently, it is in\\nthe North Central, instead of the Central Zone, according to the very\\nconvenient division of the State of Florida by Judge J. G. Knapp into\\nthe Northwestern, the Northern, the North Central, the Central (in\\nthe northern part of which the most of Polk county is situated), the\\nSouth Central, the Southern, the Semi-Tropical and the Tropical\\nZones, each of which, with the exception of those at the extreme north\\nand south of the State, occupy a full degree of latitude.\\nThis baker s dozen of townships contains considerable quanti-\\nties of excellent land. There are also many ponds, cypress swamps,\\nflat lands, etc., especially on the eastern half adjoining Orange county,\\nwhich, by some freak of the law-makers here, adds a half dozen town-\\nships to its southwestern portion. It is certainly high time for a change\\nin the State Constitution, that the boundaries of a number of the coun-\\nties may be revised.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 9\\nAlong the western border of the county, expecially in the south-\\nwestern portion, and also along the eastern, the lands are of a flat-\\nwoods character, a rim of which virtually extends around the county.\\nThe soil is mostly fertile and there are numerous knolls, or bruken\\nridges, that supply excellent sites for buildings, groves and cultivated\\nfields, while the lower lands afford nutritious grazing for fine herds of\\ncattle, swine, etc. These opportunities are being improved and the\\nresidences of farmers and cattle-men are well scattered over the whole\\ncounty, especially in the western section.\\nTHE LAKE REGION.\\nNorth of Bartow, in Range XXV, Township 27, the beautiful\\nLake Region proper commences and extends in an east and southeast\\ndirection through Polk to the centre of the eastern portion of Manatee\\nCounty, which is situated in the southern part of the delightful Central\\nZone. There is also a group of fine lakes in Range XXIV, Townships\\n27 to 29. The drainage of the whole eastern part of the county tends\\nto the great Lake Okeechobee, from which the Drainage Company is\\ncutting canals to Gulf and Ocean, thus insuring the drainage of an\\nextensive tract of country.\\nThat which is designated as the Lake Region proper lies to the\\nnortheast of Bartow, beautiful sheets of water being here grouped\\nvery thickly together. The South Florida Railroad passes through\\nthe heart of the lake system, and new towns are springing up as if by\\nmagic. The more important thus far are Haines City, Bartow Junc-\\ntion and Winter Haven, which, though of the present year s growth,\\nare developing very rapidly, the chief attractions being the rare\\nbeauty and healthful salubrity of the country. The soil, though not\\nas fertile as in the exceptionally fine strips of productive country on\\neither side of Peace River from Bartow to Fort Meade, which is the\\nmost desirable that can be found in Florida, is nevertheless well\\nadapted to citrus fruits. Along the margins of the lakes and small\\nstreams are many tracts of very fertile land well adapted to the\\nprofitable production of all kinds of vegetables for market, the numer-\\nous sheets of water being a good guarantee of protection against frost.\\nStrawberries, pine-apples, bananas, etc., also succeed well in these\\nsheltered localities. Judging from present indications, but a short\\ntime will pass before this whole lovely region will be very thickly\\npopulated.\\nLAKE HAMILTON TO LAKE ARBUCKLE.\\nGoing southeastward from Haines City, we find a high ridge of\\nland several miles in width, uith lovely lakes to the east and to the\\nwest. This has been so unfavorably situated as regards transportation\\nthat almost the entire surface is yet covered with the primeval forest.\\nSettlers are pouring in there, however railroads will soon follow, and\\nan entire transformation will be wrought in a very few years, while\\nthe hardy pioneers will have secured fortunes. Even now a railroad\\nis projected from Haines City to Rosalie, a new and vigorous town on\\nthe lake of the same name. Steamers run to this place from Kissim-\\nmee, on Lake Tahopekaliga, and past here through the Drainage", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "10 HOMELAND.\\nCompany s canals that connect the several lakes with the Caloosa-\\nhatchie River and the Gulf of Mexico. Those who have traveled\\nthrough the section, from Lake Hamilton on the north to Lake Ar-\\nbuckle at the southeast, are enraptured with the beauties of the high\\nrolling country and the many advantages to be secured by the settler.\\nThere is little opportunity to obtain homesteads, as all the choicest\\ntracts are already purchased or occupied.\\nThe flat lands between this delightful ridge and the Kissimmee\\nEiver are excellent for grazing, and when the Drainage Company shall\\nhave completed their operations, here will be found extensive and\\nprofitable fields of sugar cane, rice, etc. The cane fields at Rosalie\\nare already giving wonderful returns.\\nGREAT VARIETY.\\nUnquestionably Polk County contains a gre^iter variety of soil\\nand scenery than any other section of the State, thus aflfording some-\\nthing almost sure to suit all tastes and desires, however varied. The\\ndiversity of vegetation is also very great, while the cultivatable crops\\nembrace nearly every variety grown by civilized man in both the\\neastern and western hemispheres. The capabilities of the county are\\nimmense and the value of its products can be readily increased at\\nleast a thousand-fold by earnest and active intelligence.\\nDOMESTIC ANIMALS.\\nThe chief source of wealth in the past, and an important industry\\nat the present, is the raising of cattle for market, most of the business\\nand professional men, except the later arrivals, having been cow-\\nboys in their youth, their herds grazing not only in Polk County,\\nbut also far to the southward. This industry is now somewhat de-\\npressed in consequence of the closing of the Cuban market, from\\nwhence they have drawn large store of gold but the rapid increase\\nof emigration into Polk County will afford some relief by the increased\\nconsumption here.\\nPonies are raised in moderate numbers, but the supply falls far\\nshort of the demand. Consequently the larger number of horses and\\nmules are imported from other States.\\nSheep are not raised extensively as yet, but have been found to\\ndo well, giving excellent and profitable returns.\\nSw iNE here find their paradise, the abundant mast furnished\\nby the frequent oaks and the great quantities of esculent roots along\\nthe water courses giving them abundant food with little trouble.\\nPoultry thrive here as in no other section of the Union. Broods\\nof chickens are hatched every month in the year and grow rapidly,\\ngiving abundant returns.\\nAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.\\nCorn is an important crop and large quantities are raised for\\nhome use. Its grovvth secures to the cultivator more profit to the\\nacre than is realized by the grower in the far AVest. The average\\nyield is from ten to forty bushels per acre, according to the quality of\\nthe land.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 11\\nField Pease are an easily-grown and jDrofitable crop, affording a\\nlarge amount of sustenance for both man and beast. The seeds are\\nespecially excellent for poultry and the vines are greedily eaten by\\ncattle.\\nRice yields bountifully both upon the uplands and the lowlands.\\nThe straw makes excellent forage.\\nSweet Potatoes are a standard crop and always find a ready\\nmarket at good prices. The yield varies with the quality of the land,\\nthe preparation and the attention given, ranging from one hundred to\\nfive hundred bushels per acre.\\nCassava is also a very desirable and profitable crop, easily raised,\\nand should be grown extensively.\\nSugar Cane gives excellent results. Fine fields of cane are\\nquite common and profitable.\\nCotton of fine quality has been raised, the soil being adapted to\\nits growth, but other products can be grown with so much more ease\\nthat it receives but little attention.\\nWheat, barley, buckwheat and some other grains are but little\\ncultivated, though there seems to be no known reason why they would\\nnot do well if planted at the right time and given proper care.\\nOats have given excellent results at times, but are mostly grown\\nas a forage 2rop and fed in the sheaf.\\nRye is attracting attention as a soiling crop, and can be grown\\nextensively with profit. Sown in the fall, it will grow all winter,\\ngiving a very pleasant appearance to the fields as well as profit to the\\nowner.\\nThe Peanut, or Pindar, here finds soil and climatic conditions\\nvery favorable and yields large returns.\\nChufas, a species of ground-nut, are very productive and are ex-\\ncellent for promoting the growth and fattening of swine and poultry,\\nwho prize them highly and will help themselves whenever the oppor-\\ntunity offer s.\\nField Beans are recommended as a sure crop, by high authority,\\nif planted in June.\\nTobacco grows finely, but its culture is not advised, as it is a\\nvery exhaustive crop.\\nExperiments should be made carefully and continuously with\\nall known products. Some of the results will be agreeably surprising\\nand profitable.\\nTHE GRASSES.\\nThfi natural grasses are so abundant and some of them are so nu-\\ntritious that but little attention has been given to the cultivated. Crab\\ngrass springs up and grows luxuriantly in cultivated fields, and ought\\nto be utilized for hay. A kind of blanket grass makes excellent pas-\\nturage. The same is true of smut gfrass. Bermuda grass grows luxu-\\nriantly, and a mixture of this with smut grass would undoubtedly\\nmake excellent pasturage. I have also seen fine specimens of red\\nclover growing in a number of places. It might thrive on the firm\\nlands of Polk County. Alfalfa ought to be given a thorough trial\\nthroughout the county, as it is a great favorite in California and is\\nwinning high esteem in the Southern States. It might be grown in", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "12 HOMELAND.\\nthe orange groves, as its roots penetrate the suhsoil hence it would\\nnot be open to the objections urged against grasses that are surface\\nfeeders. St. Augustine grass has been highly recommended for lawns.\\nThe country seems naturally adapted to grasses, most of which,\\nhowever, are too wiry when mature for fodder. There is no doubt\\nbut that by judicious care and attention good stands of cultivated\\ngrasses can be secured, and dairies be made numerous and profitable\\nwith as little trouble as in any part of the country. Every family\\ncan keep a cow, and there are no long cold winters to necessitate filling\\nlarge barns with hay. They can be fed profitably with the large va-\\nriety of green forage and root crops that here grow luxuriantly.\\nGARDEN V^EGETABLES.\\nIrish Potatoes give good returns. They are planted in the fall\\nor winter and dug in the spring.\\nSweet Corn is a profitable crop, for which there is a good de-\\nmand for home use as well as for shipment. Those who desire can\\nhave it on their tables from Christmas to the 4th of July.\\nMelons, squashes, pumpkins, etc., grow to large size and produce\\nabundantly. In fact, Polk County seems to be the native habitat for\\nvines, as all kinds grow luxuriantly.\\nCucumbers, beans, tomatoes and cabbage are standard crops\\nfor shipment, and give large and profitable returns.\\nCabbage, cauliflower, and the like, find soil and climate especially\\nadapted to their vigorous growth.\\nBeets, turnips, carrots, parsnips, radishes, etc., here find favor-\\nable and satisfactory conditions, and yield abundantly.\\nEgg Plants, okra, lettuce, etc., do finely.\\nOnions grow to a large size and are of excellent flavor.\\nPepper Plants grow to the size of small trees and yield abun-\\ndantly from year to year, at all seasons, in winter as well as summer.\\nThey are ornamental as well as profitable.\\nHerbs and plants for seasoning, as well as for medicinal uses,\\nyield a supply for all needs with very little care and attention.\\nGarden Vegetables, with hardly an exception, give excellent\\nreturns when planted at the proper season. They, as well as other\\nplants, are benefited by watering, in the event of a drouth, which\\nsometimes prevails in April or May.\\nVARIED FRUITS.\\nStrawberries are a luscious and delightful fruit, as well as\\nprofitable. They are peculiarly adapted to the soil and climate of\\nPolk County, and ripe berries can be had every week from December\\nto June. They are always in demand here, but can be shipped North\\nat a time to secure the very higWist prices.\\nThe Fig does well and yields a good amount of pleasant and nu-\\ntritious fruit\\nGrapes grow wild in the hammocks, and may be cultivated with\\na good degree of success.\\nBananas grow vigorously and fruit well, the stalks attaining\\nthree feet to forty inches in circumference and twenty-five feet in height,", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND 13\\nwith leaves from twenty to twenty-eight inches across and five to six\\nfeet in length.\\nThe Guava is a favorite fruit that grows well and fruits abun-\\ndantly in most localities, but, like the banana and pine-apple, is quite\\nsusce|)tible to the effects of frost.\\nThe Lime is an important fruit for extensive cultivation, but,\\nlike the guava, requires favorable localities as regards exemptioa\\nfrom frost. It has been recommended for hedges as well as for fruit.\\nPiNE-ArrLES may be profitably grown under the same condi-\\ntions as the banana and guava, as regards exemption from frost, and\\nwill give very profitable returns. If grown in an exposed locality it\\nwould pay to give them protection in the event of probable frost, for\\nthere is no such thing as a frost line in Florida, though the low lati-\\ntude of Polk County and the large numbers of lakes to the northward\\ngive the main body of the county exceptionably favorable conditions,\\nsuperior to more northern localities yet, even here, much depends on\\nthe situation, which can only be learned by personal observation and\\nexperience.\\nThe Lemon grows well, and is destined to be a very profitable\\nfruit. It is more hardy than the guava and the lime, but less so than\\nthe citron, grape-fruit or orange. The genuine Sicily is the variety\\npreferred.\\nThe Citron, of which there are many varieties, has thus far\\nbeen grown only for ornament, the proper mode of preparation for\\nmarket being unknown but that difhculty is about being overcome,\\nand its cultivation will no doubt be very profitable.\\nThe Grate-Fruit is the favorite for the spring-time, its extreme\\njuiciness and sub-acid flavor making it very palatable and refreshing,\\nas well as healthful.\\nThe Japan Plum and persimmon are destined to be important\\nfruits, but their culture is yet in its infancy.\\nThe Peen-To and the Honey Peaches will no doubt become stand-\\nard fruits but attempts at cultivation are very recent.\\nThe Mulberry is of quick growth, makes a fine tree and yields\\nan abundance of wholesome fruit.\\nThe Castor Bean, or Palma Christi, here grows to the size of a\\ntree, and yields abundantly year after year. The making of castor\\noil promises to become a profitable industry.\\nExperiments are being made with a great variety of desirable\\nfruits, and there is no doubt but that within a few years the list will\\nbe greatly extended.\\nThe Orange, however, is the king of all the fruits, the standard\\nof excellence and chief dependence. All other fruits are merely ac-\\ncessories, side issues, at present, though some of them may eventually\\nrival it in profitableness, if not in lasting durability. The fertile soil\\nand delicious climate of Polk County combine to produce the most\\nvigorous and fruitful trees and the most luscious fruit that can be pro-\\nduced in any part of the world, and that, too, with the most ease and\\nrapidity, and at the least expense. This is due to the excellent\\nquality of the soil, it requiring very little, if any, fertilizing, and the\\nvery mild and very short wintei s, thus giving nearly all the year for\\ngrowth, which are pertinent facts well worthy of consideration. The\\ntrees here attain an immense size, the older ones yielding from 1,000.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "14 HOMELAND.\\nto 10,000 each of the golden fruit. There being no destructive freezes\\nhere the beautiful and luscious fruit can remain on the trees all win-\\nter, if desired, and sold upon the most favorable market.\\nHOW TO MAKE A GROVE.\\nDirections for the making of a grove of orange or other fruits,\\nor for the cultivation of vegetables or farm crops, the management of\\npoultry, cattle, etc., have no place in a work of this character, the sole\\naim of which is to show what Polk County is, what has been and may\\nbe accomplished there, and the advantages it offers to the immigrant\\nin the way of soil and climate, health and fortune. Instructions as to\\nhow work should be done are useless, until one is on the ground, ready\\nto go to work.\\nThe Agricultural Department at Washington has published in-\\nstructions as to the making of a grove and other matters pertaining to\\nFlorida. Rev. T. W. Moore, of Fruit Cove, Fla., has published a\\nstandard treatise on orange culture, which, as well as several other\\nagricultural works pertaining to Florida, can be procured of any\\nbook-seller or news-dealer.\\nTo get at the true inwardness of a State, and especially of Flor-\\nida, an acquaintance with its leading newspapers is indispensable.\\nEvery one desiring to know of Florida, should, as a first step, send\\n$1.25 to the 1 imex-l iuon office, at Jacksonville, Fla., C. H. Jones\\nBrother, j)ublishers, and secure for that sum the Weekly Times, a\\nlarge folio of thirty-six columns, and Munroe s Annual, an octavo pam-\\nphlet of about oOO pages, which contains an immense amount of sta-\\ntistical and other desirable information about Florida. The local\\npapers of the section, in which you think you might be interested,\\nAvould also be good investments. Their prices are from $1.50 to $2\\na year. By getting the Weekly Times you secure not only an excel-\\nlent family newspaper, but also matters of news and correspondence\\nfrom all parts of the State, ably edited and well selected. The Z)is-\\n^afc7t, of Jacksonville, and The Agriculturist, oi DeLand, are weekly\\npapers that you will need after you get here to teach you what to grow\\nand the best methods. The Weekly Times also has excellent articles\\nin this line by J. G. Knapp, the experienced agricultui al editor.\\nFIBRE PLANTS.\\nThe tendency of the soil and .climate of South Florida seems to be\\ntoward the production of f;bre and but few years need elapse before\\nthe millions of dollars annually sent to the East Indies for fibrous\\nmaterials can be kept at home to increase the wealth of the country.\\nJute, hemp and ramie, and a variety of other fibrous plants grow here\\nwith grtat vigor. Eveii the grasses here tend to fibre. Notably\\namong them is found a plant growing wild in the woods, known as\\nbear grass. It attains a length of three feet, and has a white fibre of\\nwonderful strength. Jute is indigenous to the State, growing wild\\nand becoming a pest or weed about the farms, as it springs up peren-\\nnially. The saw-palmetto, with which thousands of acres are covered,\\nis also a very valuable j)]ant for fibre. From it are made brushes,\\ninatti-esses, paper, etc.; but it is needless to continue the list. The", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 15\\nfibrous productions of Polk County only await utilization by intelligent\\nand enterprising men to develop immense wealth.\\nROSES AND OTHER PLANTS.\\nThe low latitude, the equable temperature, and the absence of\\ndestructive freezes, enable those who will to have their yards and\\ngardens filled with flowers throughout the year, while their residences\\nareejnbowered in beautitul running vines. It also gives profitable op-\\nportunity to raise roses and other plants for Northern markets, where\\nthey bring excellent prices. There will also be an active home de-\\nmand for flowers from the thousands of winter visitors. Those who\\nhave a taste for plant culture have here the source of a handsome\\nincome.\\nIvEYS, honeysuckles, Spanish goose-berry, cypress and a great\\n.variety of other vines thrive wonderfully.\\nINSECTS AND REPTILES.\\nNone except those resident here have any idea of the bitter in-\\njustice that has been done to Florida, and especially to Polk County,\\nas regards annoying insects and poisonous or dangero s snakes and\\nother reptiles. The facts are that no part of the United States, or of\\nAmerica, in fact, is more free from pests of this character. As regards\\nmosquitoes, they are so few that mosquito nets are unused, and unseen\\nin a large part of the county. The same is true of sand-flies. House-\\nflies, too, are much less abundant than at the North. Fleas breed on\\nhogs, but are not especially annoying after the first year. Roaches\\nare no more common than in other parts of the South, and some places\\nat the North. The quantity depends upon the neatness, or reverse, of\\nthe housewife. Gnats are no more troublesome or abundant than in\\nother localities. The same may be said of the varieties of flies and\\nother insects that are found in woods and fields all over the world.\\nThere are as few in Polk County as anywhere.\\nPoisonous and other snakes may be dismissed with a word.\\nThere are few, very few of them less probably than in most sections\\nof the Union.\\nGators have been hunted so extensively for their hides and teeth\\nthat they are becoming not only scarce, but timid, and keep at a safe\\ndistance.\\nGAME, FISH, ETC.\\nGame always disappears with the advent of civilized man. Polk\\nCounty affords no exception. Deer, wild turkey, etc., have been\\nplentiful. There are some foxes and squirrels, abundance of rabbits,\\ncoon, opossum, etc. also quail and other game birds.\\nThe lakes and streams are well stocked with black bass, catfish,\\nbream, perch, soft-shelled turtle, etc., but people here fish and hunt\\nfor the sport, and not as a means of livelihood.\\nHONEY BEES.\\nBees do extremely well in Polk County, and those who have a\\ntaste for apiculture can secure quite a revenue from this source.\\nFlorida honey is not only equal but superior to that of any other", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "16 HOMELAND.\\nsection. In this regard, as was proved at the New Orleans Exposi-\\ntion, even California has to take second place.\\nWHAT INDUSTRIES.\\nThat Polk County has the capacity and the requisites for the suc-\\ncessful prosecution of any and all the industries common at the North\\nand West, except that of mining, will be self evident to all who have\\nperused the fcn-egoing pages, besides a number peculiar to the country.\\nIt is also highly probable, so much so as to be a matter of almost ab-\\nsolute certainty, that the thousands of active men who are coming\\nhither from all sections will originate many new industries, or adapt\\nold ones to the needs of this section. Here are thousands of oppor-\\ntunities for earnest, clear-headed men to achieve fortunes.\\nTHE SOIL.\\nThat Polk County has a first-class reputation for excellence of\\nsoil has never been denied. In fact, it is credited with the possession\\nof the best and most productive soil in the State. It also has the\\ngreatest variety, though the better class predominates. It has high\\nand low, gray and black hammocks, poor and rich pine lands, pro-\\nductive oak lands, and barren scrubs, dwarf pine and black-jack\\nridges, wire-grass and saw palmetto lands, bay-gall and sand-flats, open\\nprairie and grass ponds, rich bay-heads and cy()ress swamps and lakes\\nof every conceivable size and variety of beauty. Every taste, desire\\nand requirement can be gratified.\\nPRICES OF LANDS.\\nPrices are rapidly advancing, but they are so variable, and de-\\npend upon so many conditions, that it is virtually impossible to give\\nany satisfactory idea regarding them. They range from SI. 25 to\\n$2,000 per acre, and depend upon quality, location present and pros-\\npective, as regards business centres and railroads and the views and\\nnecessities of the owner. Prices are rapidly changing, but the new\\nprice is invariably an advance on the previous price. Every lot\\ncleared, every new house built, every railroad constructed, or new in-\\ndustry started, increases the selling value of all the lands in the neigh-\\nborhood. Fortunes are being made in lands. Average prices range\\nfrom $5 to $50 per acre.\\nCAUSES OR BASIS OF PROGRESS.\\nOne imjjortant cause of the rapid growth and development of\\nPolk County, since the South Florida Railroad was constructed\\nthrough it, is due to its exceptionably favorable climatic conditions.\\nThe cheapness of the lands; their unusual fertility the great variety\\nof productions of which they are capable the ease of obtaining a\\nlivelihood; the unexcelled beauty of the country; the many lovely\\nlakes and numerous running streams; the excellence of the water the\\ncomparative freedom from insect pests and dangerous reptiles the re-\\nmarkable healthfulness of the country the attractiveness of the\\nabundant oak growths, reminding prospectors of more northern States", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 17\\nthe kindly social and neighborly character of the people the surprisingly\\nfirm character of the ground in the better portions the absence of deep\\nsands, insuring good roads and easy travel all these, and a large num-\\nber of other reasons that could be adduced, give a great impulse to im-\\nmigration, and the purchase of land as soon as the facts become known\\nto the outside world but, thus far, Polk County has made but little\\nshow in newspapers, or in the pamphlets of advertising agents. The\\nyear and a half since the railroad reached her boundaries, or more\\nproperly the half year since the South Florida Railroad penetrated to\\nthe centre of the county, to Bartow, its county seat, has not given time\\nfor any extensive advertising. It is, however, developing very raj^idly,\\nbecause of its intrinsic merits.\\nCLIMATIC CONDITIONS.\\nIts low latitude, between the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth\\ndegrees, and moderate elevation, as well as its numerous modifying and\\nprotective bodies of water, insure Polk County against destructive\\nfreezes, and give to its vegetation and products a semi-tropical charac-\\nter, as well as long seasons for growth, with very short and very mild\\nwinters.\\nBeing not only located in the centre of a peninsula, but also\\nwithin the region of the trade winds, that blow with unfailing regu-\\nlarity, it is sure of refreshing daily breezes, that both cool and purify\\nthe atmosphere, and make stagnant and sultry air absolutely impossi-\\nble. Being insular between the broad Atlantic and the Gulf of Mex-\\nico, with the intervening spaces filled with balsamic j^iue forests, the\\nair, as it filtrates through them, becomes heavily charged with their\\nhealing and health-givmg aroma, in addition to the life-giving ozone\\nfrom the Ocean, as well as with the perfume of countless flowers, more\\npotent medicines than any physician can give.\\nThe days are shorter and the nights are longer in summer than in\\nsections further north hence, the earth has less time to become heated\\nand more time to cool in summer than in higher latitudes. In addi-\\ntion to this, during the hot days of summer the evaporation is very\\nrapid from lake and river. Gulf and Ocean, rendering much of the\\nheat latent. The vapor rising, forms clouds w^hich intercept the heat\\nof the sun, shielding earth and man from its calorific rays. The moisture\\nbecomes excessive, and it falls in refreshing showers, cooling the atmos-\\nphere and preventing dust and drouth, as well as absorbing heat by\\nspeedy evaporation. Much of the heat is also dissipated by the breeze from\\nthe Ocean and borne across the narrow peninsula, here only a hun-\\ndred miles wide, to the Gulf Thus these several causes, and there\\nmay be others, combine to make the heat less, as well as the air more\\npure and strengthening, than at any distance to the north. Therefore,\\nwe find that the farther south we go on the Florida peninsula the less\\nthe altitude of the thermometer in .summer, while the heat really felt\\nis actually several degrees less than indicated. Thus, a really hot day\\nis less exhaustive and more enjoyable than in any other part of the\\ncountry. People generally do not understand these facts. When they\\ndo, South Florida will be a popular summer, as well as winter, re-\\nsort.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "18, HOMELAND.\\nIn summer the ocean is cooler than the land, consequently breezes\\nfrom the ocean, like the trade winds, make excessive heat impossible.\\nYet these trade winds extend but a short distance beyond the tropic\\ncircles, as will be seen by examination of any physical geography.\\nAs regards Florida, they are felt regularly only in the southern por-\\ntion, in South Florida, and the farther south the greater their power.\\nTheir eflects are also felt more completely on an elevated table-land,\\nor plateau, like Polk County, which reaches its greatest altitude in the\\nwide central strip or ridge that extends through the county from\\nnorthwest to southeast, giving full scope to the winds and affording\\nexcellent natural, and opportunities for artificial, drainage. These\\nfacts make a residence in Polk County much more desirable than in\\nthe lower and flatter lands, by which this central ridge is surrounded\\non all sides for many miles. It is also preferable to, and more to be\\ndesired, than localities further north, both because of the superior\\nbenefit it gets from the trade winds, that give such excellent results in\\nPolk County, j^urifying the air and mitigating the summer heats until\\nthey become very enjoyable, and the comparative absence of frost.\\nIn winter the waters of the Ocean are warmer than the land.\\nHence, the eflTect of the breeze from the Ocean is reversed and winds\\nfrom Ocean or Gulf are warm and enjoyable. These winds also pass\\nover the warm Gulf Stream. It is only the northerly winds and those\\nfrom the home of storms in the northwest, among the Rocky Moun-\\ntains, that bring disagreeable cold. But these winds are modified and\\ndeflected, bent northeastward, by the prevalent winds from the east\\nand south that sweep over the Gulf Stream s warm waters, which flow\\naround the south end and up the east side of the peninsula.\\nHence, though localities to the west, the northwest and the north,\\nmay suffer from disagreeable cold and even frost, the favored ])arts of\\nPolk County are exempt, for several reasons, among which may be\\nmentioned the fact of the lower latitude of Polk, and consequently\\ngreater natural warmth the fact that the cold winds are beaten back\\nby the prevailing winds, giving them a direction to the northeast and,\\na final important consideration, the beneficial influence of all the lakes\\nin the State to the north of Polk County, as well as the large numbers\\nwithin her borders, in taking the frosty sting from winter s chilling\\nwinds. Any one can see that facts like these are self-evident. The\\nlower the latitude, with the same or a less elevation, the higher the\\ntemperature in winter the warmer and the more constant the winds\\nfrom the east and the south, the less the cold that can reach the lo-\\ncality from the north, and the greater the number of lakes interposing,\\nthe more equable the temperature and the less the variation in the range\\nof the thermometer. In this connection may be properly noted the\\nfact that the days and nights are more nearly of e iual length than in\\nany locality at any distance further north. This, as will be readily\\nseen, insures a greater time and amount of sunlight in winter and\\ngreater consequent warmth. Hence, we conclude that as regards\\nmildness and equability of temperature, absence of cold, disagreeable\\nwinds and frost, with all the consequent advantages to be derived\\ntherefrom, Polk County stands without a peer unequalled.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 19\\nCYCLONES, TORNADOES, ETC.\\nNot only can Polk County justly claim a more genial, equable\\nand desirable temperature than any other section of the State, greater\\nfreedom from insect pests, more varied lands and landscape, a more\\ngenerally fertile soil, and a soil and climate that give opportunity for\\nthe profitable production of a greater variety of fruits and vegetables\\nthan any other section of the State, or of the Union, but it also has a\\ngreat advantage over all other sections, except a moderate tract of in-\\nterior country a few miles to the north and to the south of its borders,\\nin the fact that it is situated in the centre of the narrow belt extend-\\ning across the South Florida peninsula that is exempt from\\nDESTRUCTIVE STORMS,\\nas is proven by experience, and evidenced by careful and scientific\\nstudy of the course which storms always take and the physical con-\\nformation of country that shapes the pathway, or route, of all severe\\nstorms. Neither cyclones, tornadoes, nor hurricanes, can ever travel\\nover the fair surface of Polk County, leaving devastation and ruin in\\ntheir track, as is so often the case in the West and Northwest, the\\nNorth, and occasionally in the South. The scientific reasoning by\\nwhich this is proven is rather abstruse and extended, and worthy of\\nconsideration. .We have not space for it in this work, as we are deal-\\ning only with facts, without extended reasoning as to the cause. The\\nfact is patent that no such storm has ever visited this section, and\\nscience shows that it cannot. Let these facts be deeply pondered by\\nthose who live in those sections of the country where the cyclone, the\\ntornado, the blizzard, the electrical storm, or even the fence-pros-\\ntrating, chimney-tumbling, roof-lifting equinoctial storms have full\\nsway. The people of Polk County are absolutely ignorant, as regards\\npersonal experience here, of the characteristics of a really severe\\nstorm. They do not know how to appreciate even a gale on the coast.\\nOne that has experienced storms as are storms cannot help smiling\\nat the residents relation of their experiences with, or in, storms that\\nthey considered severe. In the writer s four years experience of\\nSouth Florida he has not seen, known of, or felt any storm that can\\nbegin to be compared in severity with the usual equinoctial storms of\\nthe North or West, or with the gales that so often prevail on the east-\\nern coast of any part of America. In this regard, Polk and Orange\\nCounties are predominant. They have no equals anywhere. They\\nare unexcelled, unapproachable, for in. them the storm king is shorn\\nof his power. How immense is the sense of security and enjoyment\\nwhen you feel assured that your home is in a section where your crops\\nwill not be destroyed by unruly winds on a rampage where your\\nfences and barns will not be scattered over your fields, and where\\nyour house and your loved ones are secure.\\nEDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.\\nAt present, the system of common schools supported by the State,\\nand a few private schools, comprise the sum of all that is available in\\nthe matter of education. Great interest, however, is being awakened\\nin the matter, excellent school buildings are being erected in several", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "20 HOMELAND.\\nparts of the county, the very best of teachers are to be employed, and\\nthere is every reason to believe that the educational interests and fa-\\ncilities of Polk County will soon be fully equal to those of any county\\nin the State, or in other parts of the country. The county already\\nhas a handsome school fund from the donations of Jacob Summerlin,\\nwhich will doubtless be speedily increased.\\nRELIGIOUS INTERESTS.\\nThe Bajotists and Methodists have handsome churches and\\nparsonages in several parts of the county, church societies are or-\\nganizing, and these and other denominations will speedily erect other\\nchurch edifices and supply them with an able ministry, in addition to\\nthe present regular preaching. Well-attended Sunday Schools are or-\\nganized throughout the county!\\nMANUFACTORIES.\\nAt present, saw and j^laning mills, with wood-working machinery\\nfor making pickets, laths, shingles, mouldings, etc., comprise the bulk\\nof the county s manufactories. Bartow has a grist mill and a harness\\nmanufacturer. There has been a tannery and large boot and shoe\\nmanufactory at Fort Meade. There is also a brick-yard two and a\\nhalf miles south of Bartow. Polk County offers rare opportunities for\\nthe establishment of a great variety of manufactories that would pay\\na very profitable jDercentage on the investments. Those who find\\nbusiness dull at the North can here retrieve their fortunes.\\nVARIETIES OF BUSINESS.\\nGeneral merchandise stores take the lead, being established in all\\nthe more important places. The country is settling up rapidly, how-\\never new centres are being established, and there are increasing op-\\nportunities for enterprising men with stocks of goods to build up a\\nhandsome business. Bartow jmd Lakeland have especial drug, hard-\\nware and some other stores, and the variety of business is rapidly in-\\ncreasing in those and other places. Most of the centres have railroad\\ndepots, telegr ph and express, as well as post-offices. Hotels are\\nnumerous, and charges moderate. jNIost towns have one or tw-o livery\\nstables. There are, also, public halls and opera houses, skating rinks,\\nmillinery stores, soda and ice-cream rooms, billiard parlors, shoe-\\nmaker s shops, news rooms, barber shops, photograph galleries, board-\\ning houses, insurance and real estate agents, contractors and builders,\\nattorneys, physicians, butchers, grain and feed stores and a variety of\\nother occupations and industries. Last, but not least, Bartow, Lake-\\nland and Fort Meade each have wide-awake newspapers The In-\\nfoymant, News, and Pioneer that put into print such matters as the\\nrespective editors deem of most interest and benefit to the country.\\nDESIRABLE INDUSTRIES.\\nThe number of new and beneficial industries that might be es-\\ntablished with profit to the proprietor and benefit to the communities", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 21\\ncan be counted by the tens and the scores. We will note but a few.\\nEnterprising men, by a little reflection, can suggest many that would\\nbe likely to return a good income. Blacksmiths are needed in several\\nplaces. Wagon-makers could find rapid sale for their products, as\\nwell as considerable business in the way of repairs. Good boat-\\nbuilders are needed in the Lake Region. Machinist and repair shops\\nwith lathes and other desirable machines and tools would find a rapidly\\nincreasing amount of work. A few mills to saw out pickets, with\\nmachines to make an improved portable wire and picket fence, could do\\na lively business from the start; orange boxes and vegetable crates are\\nin demand, and a surprising quantity would find a ready market\\nnew furniture is in great demand, and there is plenty of excellent\\ntimber for its manufacture a welt-managed factory could do a large\\nbusiness. Many articles of domestic use are made of wood. AVhy not\\nmake them here, where woods are in great variety and suitable for\\nnearly every conceivable purpose? Barrels are needed for sugar and\\nsyrup a cooper could find constant employment. The wood-work, at\\nleast, of many agricultural and labor-saving implements, might be\\nmade here. Factories for the manufacture of the fibre of the saw-\\npalmetto into material for mattresses and upholstery could here find\\nabundance of work and raw material. Mills to reduce the palmetto,\\nbear grass, and other fibrous materials, to pulp for the manufacture of\\npaper and a variety of other articles, could here find unfailing employ-\\nment^ A mill for making oil from the castor bean could develop a\\nprofitable industry. Canning factories for the tomatoes, for making\\nguavajellj, etc., will here find an extensive field. Orange Avine will\\nbe the typical drink of the Floridian; manufactories are in demand.\\nCassava and arrow-root make excellent starch their cultivation might\\nbe stimulated by manufactories. The people of every village need\\ntheir wood sawed very short for cooking purposes; a portable engine and\\ncircular saw could have steady employment. Cement tile and artificial\\nstone are in constant demand they might be manufactured here and\\nsave the expense of shipment. Improved means of grubbing land,\\ncutting ditches, etc., are in demand; here is a valuable field for the\\ninventor. South Florida has no book bindery one is much needed.\\nPaper mills are in demand; plenty of the raw material grows wild.\\nAn ice factory is needed, to save the expense of shipment. Wood-\\nworking machines of all kinds can find steady employment in working\\nup the great variety of timber. In brief, there is room and oppor-\\ntunity here for nearly every, known industrial occupation, and the\\nfield awaits men of pluck and enterprise.\\nRAILROADS.\\nOf these promoters of development and necessities of civilization\\ntwo are already completed to Polk County the South Florida from\\nSauford, on Lake Monroe, to Tampa, on the Gulf of Mexico, with a\\nbranch from Bartow Junction, seventeen miles, to Bartow The Flor-\\nida Southern from Lake City to Lakeland, gives railroad connection\\nwith Jacksonville and the Avhole railroad system of the country. This\\nis to be speedily extended through Polk County to Charlotte Harbor,\\nthe date of completion being fixed at January 1, 1886. Work is pro-\\ngressing. The survey runs through Bartow and Fort Meade.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": "22 HOMELAND.\\nThe Tavares, Apopka and Gulf Railroad, which connects with\\nthe Florida Railway and Navigation Company s system, has been com-\\nmenced, and sufficient iron contracted for to lay the track to Fort\\nMeade. This road is to be built to Charlotte Harbor, with branches\\nto Kissimmee, the lakes southeast of Bartow, Manatee and Fort Myers,\\nmaking it a grand trunk line, running north and south through Polk\\nCounty, near the centre.\\nRoads chartered are the Tropical, or Peninsular the Jackson-\\nville, Tampa and Key West, which are to run north and south\\nthrough the county the Bartow and Tampa the Indian River and\\nManatee, from Titusville, Brevard County, via Bartow and Fort\\nMeade, to the mouth of the Manatee River Fort Meade, Keystone\\nand Walk-in-the-Water Railroad, with a branch from Keystone to\\nArbuckle River, and the Bartow and DeLeon Springs Railroad. In\\naddition to those already chartered, several others are contemplated,\\nand will be built, doubtless, with but little delay, as the railroad sys-\\ntem of Polk County gives great promise of being very intricate and\\ncomplete.\\nGROWTH OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES.\\nBriefly noting that Florida came into the possession of the United\\nStates in 1821, we will defer consideration of its early history to a fu-\\nture chapter. All South Florida, with the exception of a few seaports,\\nand a considerable portion of the northern part of the Territory, was in\\nthe virtual possession of the Indians until the breaking out of the In-\\ndian war in 1835. The war ended in 1842, military posts having been\\nestablished about twenty miles apart throughont a large portion of the\\npeninsula. In 1845 Florida was admitted as a State into the Union. In\\n1852 Fort Meade was occupied by a garrison of United States troops, but\\nthe whole country was a wilderness. About this time settlers, and es-\\npecially cattlemen, began to settle on the fertile lands and pasture their\\ncattle on the luxuriant ranges. It was then a part of Hillsboro\\ncounty.\\nIn 1855 another Indian war broke out, but was ended in 1858 by\\nthe emigration of most of the Indians to beyond the Mississippi, the\\nGeneral Government paying $250 in gold for each warrior, and a less\\namount for the squaws and pappooses.\\nIn 1859 Polk County was formed by a division of Hillsboro\\nCounty.\\nIn 1861 the Florida Legislature passed an Act of Secession, and\\ncast her lot with the Southern Confederacy, and even the slow devel-\\nopment of the county virtually ceased.\\nIn 1865 the Act of Secession was repealed, the war having ended,\\nand a new Constitution was framed and adopted by the State but time\\nwas required to recuperate from the effects of the war before there\\ncould be substantial progress.\\nEfforts had been made since the organization of the county, in\\n1859, but without success, until Jacob Summerlin, in 1866, donated\\nforty acres of land the present site of the business portion of Bar-\\ntow to the county, for school purposes and a county site. He also\\ngave twenty acres each to the Baptist and Methodist religious organi-\\nzations at the same place, then known as Pease Creek. A court-\\nhouse, hotel, stores and several other buildings were built that year.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 23\\nTime passes on the population slowly increase, a few orange trees\\nare set about the scattered residences corn, pease, sugar-cane, cotton\\nand a few vegetables are raised, but the chief wealth of the county is\\nin the numerous herds of cattle that feed upon the luxuriant ranges\\nof Polk, Manatee and Monroe Counties, and are exchanged for Span-\\nish gold, the cattle being shipped from Punta Rassa to Havana. Tampa,\\nforty-five miles to the west, w-as the entrepot and chief centre of trade,\\nbut Bartow and Fort Meade each had a couple of stores that did a\\nheavy business.\\nThe northern and ^astern part of the State, accessible from the\\nSt. Johns River, had made good headway in its development. The\\nSouth Florida Railroad, the first in South Florida, had been built to\\nOrlando in 1880, and opened to Kissimmee in 1882, and new settlers\\nwere pouring in by hundreds, and prospectors by thousands, but Polk\\nCounty was shut out from the activities of other parts of the country\\nbecause of her lack of means and ways of transportation. There was\\na rough, unabridged wagon road forty-five miles to Tampa, and a trail\\nthrough the woods, seventy miles to Orlando. There was no sale for\\nfruit or for farm produce, except corn, because of the difficulty and ex-\\npense of getting them to market. There were few immigrants because\\nof this same lack of transportation facilities.\\nThe more clear-headed and energetic of the inhabitants, feeling\\nassured that the sterling virtues of the climate and soil of Polk County\\nwould eventually be made accessible, and be in great demand, very\\nwisely went to planting groves. Though shut out from the busy,\\nbustling outside world, the people were self-sustaining, happy and con-\\ntented Talk of railroads was rife, and the survey of the South Flor-\\nida Railroad was made from Kissimmee to Tampa, and its construc-\\ntion commenced. Prospective settlers and the agents of capitalists\\nswarmed over Polk County, and many thousands of acres of land were\\npurchased of the General Government and of the State. Hamilton\\nDisston, who had purchased four million acres of the State, located\\nlarge tracts in this county, while thousacds of acres were reserved for\\nchartered railroads.\\nIn 1882, land was held at very low prices at Bartow and through-\\nout the county. In 1883, it began to advance. The surveyed rail-\\nroad was building through Polk County, about fourteen miles north\\nof Bartow. In 1884, it was open to the public. A branch\\nroad was surveyed to Bartow. The real building of the town had\\nhardly commenced in 1883. In 1884 it was earnestly prosecuted.\\nThings began to boom, January, 1885, the branch road was opened\\nby an excursion. The people of Polk County welcomed the guests\\nwith a magnificent barbecue. So abundant was the repast that at least\\nseven times seven baskets of fragments must have remained. There\\nwas music by the Bartow brass band, a procession, speeches of wel-\\ncome, music, a rare feast, excellent horseback riding by ladies and gen-\\ntlemen, and the day closed with a dance at the leading hotel and a\\nperformance at the new opera-house. The visitors were agreeably sur-\\nprised by the numbers of new buildings and the many unexpected\\nevidences of progress. Polk County had begun her development, and\\nshe commenced strong. During the year past, the pine woods have\\nbeen felled, and several vigorous new towns have sprung into being", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "24 HOMELAND.\\nalong the line of the railroad Lakeland, Acton, Auburndale, Sani-\\ntaria, Bartow Junction, Haines City, Winter Haven. Bartow has in-\\ncreased prodiguoiisly, and Fort Meade, always an important centre of\\ntrade, is making ready for wonderful strides when the railroad, or rail-\\nroads, reaches there the coming season. Other centres are also pre-\\nparing for rapid development.\\nThus is stated, as clearly and as- briefly as possible, the Polk\\nCounty of the past and of the present. Is any further explanation\\nneeded of the fact that she is not as densely populated as the one with\\nwhich she has the most points of similarity Orange County? Polk\\nhad her first railroad last year her branch to the county seat this year.\\nOrange has had her railroad to her county seat for five years. The\\ndevelopment of Polk County in the next five years, judging from\\npresent indications, will greatly surpass anything that has been seen\\nin Florida. It has the soil, it has the climate, it has the variety of\\nconfiguration of land and landscape, it has the locations for homes, it\\nhas the opportunities and advantages for self-support, for wealth and\\nfor fortunes, that is without a peer in this broad land. It is unequalled.\\nShe is not laggard in her progressive speed. She has started on the\\nrace of development with the strength of a giant and the vigor and\\nagility of an athlete.\\nPROSPECTS OF THE FUTURE.\\nCan anything be said that will enhance or show more clearly the\\nsolid, actual prospects of so healthful, so beautiful and so fertile, so\\nattractive and desirable a county as that of Polk a section where it\\nis a delight to live, Avhere life is easily sustained and where corroding\\ncare has no place\\nCan we picture the near future A dense population, each family\\noccupying from one to five or ten acres for the home lot, which is cov-\\nered with fruit trees, prominent among which is the beautiful ever-\\ngreen orange tree, laden with its luscious and wealth-producing golden\\nfruit. The houses are embowered in running vines and the yard is\\nfilled with beautiful shrubs and entrancing flowers, that grow and\\nbloom the livelong year. Near the kitchen is a plat devoted to the\\nvegetables, Avhich are supplied fresh to the table every day in the\\nyear. Also, we see a strawberry bed laden with delicious fruit from\\nDecember to June. There are also a great variety of fruits, for these\\nhealthful products of Nature s alchemy form a pleasant portion of the\\ndaily sustenance. There are grapes and figs, plums and peaches, va-\\nried fruits and great store of berries. But we will not enumerate;\\nthere is profusion and abundance everything that may delight the\\ntaste or satisfy the appetite. The house is neatly built and elegantly\\nfurnished. Abundance of windows and doors, wide halls and broad\\nverandas, giving free access to the balmy air, enable the happy owner\\nto banish exhaustive care and enjoy life to the full in the most de-\\nlicious and healthful climate that the world affords, where Nature\\nclothes the earth in the most entrancing garments of beauty.\\nThe near future will see active social centres every two to four\\nmiles, with post-oftice, telegraph, telephone, express, and other de-\\nsirable oflices with church, school, stores, etc., and most likely a rail-\\nway depot. Not only will trains be run on the intricate net-work of", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0030.jp2"}, "31": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 25\\nsteel roads, but the railroad tricycle, propelled by foot or by elec-\\ntricity, will give individuals and families opportunity to go where and\\nwhen they will on the regular lines, or on roads built for the purpose.\\nThe chief industries will be the growing of numerous varieties of\\nfruits and vegetables for export to less favored sections, the entertain-\\nment of the thousands of visitors that will flock here at all seasons of\\nthe year, and for vvhom the most elegant of accommodations and the\\ngreatest variety of means of enjoyment will be provided. Thousands\\nof people will find profitable occupation in the great variety of indus-\\ntries necessary to supply the needs, wants and desires of the great\\nmasses of highly civilized people that will here make their homes.\\nEducational institutions of a high order will be numerous, as the genial\\nand healthful climate will be found more favorable to study than that\\nof any other section. Hence, knowledge will increase.\\nADVANTAGES POLK COUNTY OFFERS.\\n1. The most delicious climate in the known world, with exemp-\\ntion from destructive frosts and freezes.\\n2. The most healthful section, as well as a varied, beautiful and\\nproductive country.\\n3. Fertile lands especially suited to the growth of citrus and\\nother semi-tropical, as well as many small fruits, grains, etc., and the\\nwhole range of vegetables, all of which yield abundant and profitable\\nreturns.\\n4. Opportunity to work every day in the year, if desired, and\\nthat, too, more comfortably than in any other section, the summers\\nbeing. cooler and the winters warmer than in other places.\\n5. No long, cold, stormy winters to exhaust the products of the\\nsummer s industry, but instead, bountiful harvests every month in the\\nyear.\\n6. The best possible opportunities to easily secure not only a\\nlivelihood, but also a competence or a fortune.\\n7. Choice lands that can be secured at very moderate prices, as\\ncompared with their prospective value in the near future.\\n8. Good society social centres with schools, churches, halls,\\nstores, etc., and a rapidly increasing immigration of the most intelli-\\ngent, cultured, earnest, energetic, temperate and law-abiding class of\\ncitizens that the whole country affords.\\n9. Ready means of communication by telegraph and railroad\\nwith all parts of the world, and rapidly increasing transportation fa-\\ncilities throughout the length and breadth of the county.\\n10. Temperate, orderly, progressive, social society, rapidly in-\\ncreasing educational and religious facilities, low taxes and the best\\npossible indications of a dense population and abundant wealth.\\n11. A country comparatively free from insect pests, poisonous\\nand dangerous reptiles and other common sources of annoyance.\\n12. Polk County is a section where the diseases are few and\\nmild, yielding readily to proper treatment where the death-rate is\\nvery light, and old age is the most fatal affection where typhoid and\\nscarlet fevers, pneumonia and phthisis, prevalent in other parts of\\nthe world, are very rare where diphtheria, yellow fever, hydrophobia", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0031.jp2"}, "32": {"fulltext": "26 HOMELAND.\\nand sun-stroke are unknown; where health and wealth, joy and pros-\\nperity abound where pleasures are many and real discomforts are but\\nfew; where labor, energy and intelligent enterprise secure abundant\\nrewards where new industries may be established with a certainty of\\nprofital^le returns where children thrive and grow strong and vigor-\\nous, untouched by croup, diphtheria, scarlet fever,fand other virulent\\ndiseases, that whelm with grief and sorrow so many families in other\\nparts of the country in brief, the great attractions of Polk County\\nare in the fact that it is a land of balmy breezes, genial sunshine and\\nactive health, of delicious joys and increasing wealth.\\nCLASSES OF PEOPLE WANTED.\\nPeople of every degree, the rich and the poor, the educated and\\nthe illiterate, even the rheumaticallylame, and the constitutionally lazy\\nare invited to make their homes, in Polk County, provided, always,\\nthat they are neither rascals, loafers, nor parasites. All such are ad-\\nvised to go to hades or sheol at once without taking the trouble to\\ncome to Polk County, as they would find themselves on the wrong\\nroad.\\nThe rich can here increase their fortunes the poor can secure\\ncompetence and independence the rheumatic will be healed also, the\\nconsumptive, if not in the later stages, and the constitutionally lazy\\nwill find that the climate infuses so much life and healthful energy\\nthat even he will become ashamed of himself and be inspired with an\\nambition and earnest desire to also have a productive grove and a\\nbeautiful home.\\nLiterary people will here find a very congenial field, for here\\nthey can meet with the intelligent, the educated and the cultured\\nfrom all sections. Here they will find many phases of character that\\nthey can study with profit. They will also here find great variety.\\nAbiding pleasantly in some of the many lovely locations that Polk\\nCounty aflbrds, they can store their minds Vith facts from varied\\nsources. For exercise they have their choice of charming walks,\\nrowing, or sailing on the beautiful lakes they can hunt or fish fi)r oc-\\ncasional recreation, or they can attend the numerous picnics and thus\\ndivert their minds. Are they lovers of botany, ornithology, ichthiol-\\nOeJ .or any of the ologies of natural science, they will here find an ex-\\ntensive and wonderfully interesting field. Or, are they of a yet more\\npractical turn of mind, they can find abundant needful exercise\\nfor the body in the care of a charming grove, or a yard of lovely fiowers,\\nor a garden of toothsome vegetables, though devoting the bulk of\\ntheir time to their literary labor in this genial climate.\\nEXTENT OF FLORIDA.\\nFlorida is so large a State, extending nearly 400 miles from north\\nto south, and about the same distance from east to west, with an area\\nof 59,268 square miles, making it the largest State east of the Missis-\\nsippi River with a territory within less than 100 square miles as large\\nas the important States of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and\\nDelaware (a fact that is realized by very few), covering, as it does,\\nabout the same number of degrees of latitude and longitude as do those", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0032.jp2"}, "33": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 27\\nfour States, that people are apt to get very wrong ideas, not only of the\\nState as a whole, but, also, of special localities, some of the individual\\ncounties being as large, or larger, than some of the States of the\\nUnion. Hence the many absurd ideas that prevail throughout the\\ncountry with regard to Florida. A report, good or bad, may be abso-\\nlutely true with regard to a particular locality, yet utterly untrue as\\nregards many other parts of this great State, portions of which are\\ndestined to become the sanitariums of the Union, and the State, as a\\nwhole, very populous and wealthy.\\nIf a person were to enter New York at its northern boundary,\\nand make his way mostly by boat as far south as Lake Champlain,\\nwithout visiting the interior country, and write letters to the papers\\nwith the idea that he knew all there was to be known with regard to\\nNew York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Delaware, would you con-\\nsider his statements entitled to belief? Yet his case would be no more\\nabsurd, ridiculous as it would be, than is that of hundreds of tourists,\\nor prospectors, who, reaching Florida by rail or water, make a trip\\nby boat up the St. Johns River and return, thinking themselves thor-\\noughly posted Avith regard to Florida. The northern New York\\ntraveler would have a much better idea of the characteristics and re-\\nsources of those four States than would the Florida traveler up the St.\\nJohns, for the characteristics, resources and productions of the differ-\\nent parts of Florida are much more varied than are to be found from\\nnorthern New York to southern Delaware.\\nHence, the advice, Come and see for yourself, is very appro-\\npriate as regards Florida. Extensive tracts in the other States have\\nspecial characteristics of similarity. So has Florida, the special char-\\nacteristic here being that things are inextricably mixed. One man\\nhere may possess a perfect Eden, while his neighbor on the adjoining\\nquarter section, as compared with the good fortune of his neighbor,\\nmay be in hades or sheol, as the new translation makes it. The good\\nand the bad, the bitter and the sweet, are in close juxtaposition in\\nFlorida, and it requires practical common sense, and some acquaint-\\nance with the country, to determine the more desirable location. There\\nis much waste land, consequently really good and desirable locations\\nare sure to always command a high price, and are certain to be good\\ninvestments.\\nJudge J. G. Knapp, whose writings in the Times- Union show a\\nvery intimate knowledge of Florida, divides the State into eight dis-\\ntinct zones, the general characteristics of each zone being specifically\\ndifferent. The northwestern part of the State he classes by itself.\\nThen comes, proceeding from north to south, the Northern, the North\\nCentral, the Central, the South Central, the Southern, the Semi-Tropi-\\ncal, and lastly, the Tropical Zone, embracing the outlying islands or\\nkeys. Each division embraces a degree of latitude, except the North-\\nern and Southern, the State extending from 30\u00c2\u00b0 40 18 to 24\u00c2\u00b0 33\\nnorth. The longitude west from Greenwich is from 80\u00c2\u00b0 10 to 87\u00c2\u00b0 18\\n23 His division is a very convenient one, and as reliable as it is\\npossible to indicate special characteristics by arbitrary lines. There is,\\nin fact, a gradual change from north to south, his division indicating\\nthe prominent features.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0033.jp2"}, "34": {"fulltext": "28 HOMELAND.\\nTHE SOUTH CENTRAL BELT.\\nRegarding this belt of country, of which Polk County consti-\\ntutes the northern part of the centre, Judge J. G. Knapp, a standard\\nauthority, says If we were charmed above the twenty-eighth paral-\\nlel, in this South Central Belt we will be enchanted. The climate here\\nis still more salubrious, more equable, the breezes more balsamic and\\nrefreshing, the vegetation more tropical, more luxuriant, more con-\\nstantly growing, blooming and fruiting a summer where the sun\\ndoes not burn by day, and hot winds do not blow by night. Here\\nthe planting season begins January 1st, and ends December 31st.\\nHere frosts never freeze the orange, and it may remain on\\nthe parent tree till fully ripe. The grapefruit mellows and ripens in\\nApril sunshine, and sweetens in the warm days of May, The lemon\\nswells in size and fills with its luscious acid under the dews and bright\\nsun of winter. The limes grow under the warm breath of spring and\\nmature their medicinal juices in June, when fevers commence to rage\\nin colder climes. Here grow the melting sugar apples, the sops and\\ncheramozas, and mangoes, with the rich guavas, that ripen in summer\\nand autumn, and thus lengthen out the season of the bananas and\\npine-apples. Towering over all of these is the alligator pear, half\\nvegetable, half salad, strange compound fruit of a tropical laurel.\\nRoses bloom eternally, and all the region is one vast green house, not\\nyet filled with plants, because man has not been placed here to dress\\nand care for it. The way hither has, until lately, been blocked by\\nsavages, by false reports of innumerable pests of flies, snakes, alliga-\\ntors and wild beasts, is now just broken by a single railroad. The\\nbeacon of truth begins to shine brightly aloft. The Nation s eye is\\nturned thither, the ti-ead of the pioneer is heard, and men are making\\ntheir way there to stay.\\nIn this belt the backbone of the peninsula sinks down towards\\nthe flat-woods and grassy meadows of Southern Manatee and the Ever-\\nglades. The prevailing winds are easterly, and show that the tropics\\nare near. The dry lands are covered with the stately southern pines,\\nthe best fruit lands of the State, only needing the hand of man to re-\\nmove the trees and fill its sandy, well drained soil with vegetable\\nmatter. Hammocks as rich as any in the State are stretched along\\nits rivers and their branches, and elsewhere. The flat-woods are by na-\\nture rich grazing grounds, and can be cheaj)ly converted into ever-\\ngreen meadows and pastures. Sug. r-cane matures to tasseling, and\\nonly requires a fertile soil for its production. Rice on suitable soil\\nwill yield more bushels to the acre than can be produced on the rich,\\nblack lands of the Northwest of oats and barley. The sweet potatoes\\nand cassava roots ever lie in the soil of their growth. Irish potatoes\\nand garden truck are planted and grown when other regions are bound\\nin fetters of ice, and water-melons are ripe in April. He who shall\\npredict for this region a high rank among the incomparable belts of\\nFloi ida will not err. Its seaports are in Tampa Bay.\\nBeing credited by the general ptblic, who are conversant with\\nthe facts, with having given clear, reliable aiid unexaggerated state-\\nments with regard to the localities I have previously described, it will\\nbe my most earnest endeavor in the present work to maintain", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0034.jp2"}, "35": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 29\\nthe same high and trustworthy reputation, which I vakie more highly\\nthan aught else the world can bestow. My aim is to inform and bene-\\nfit, not to mislead. I believe that there are many thousands at the\\nNorth and in the great West who, did they know the exact facts, would\\nmake their homes in Polk County at the earliest possible date. Thou-\\nsands, and tens of tens of thousands, who are engaged in a ceaseless\\nstruggle to keep the wolf from the door, or to lay by something for a\\nrainy day can hardly be made to realize how greatly they could\\nbetter their condition, their prospects and their fortunes, by coming to\\nthis genial clime and securing a few acres of the fertile soil of Polk\\nCounty whereon to make a home, cultivate and improve the same.\\nExtended observation convinces me that the first step toward\\nsuccess in Florida is to be secured by the purchase and improvement\\nof land. There are several reasons for this fact. If a man owns the\\nplace where he resides, he will busy himself many odd hours, that\\notherwise might not be utilized, in making small and desirable, though\\nnot necessarily positively-required improvements. All the members\\nof his family, if it be a well regulated family, will be inspired with a\\ncommendable zeal to make the home as beautiful, comfortable and at-\\ntractive as possible. The home place will be a savings bank, wherein\\nare treasured the spare moments and hours, the spare dimes and dol-\\nlars. The more perfect the place becomes, the more earnest will be\\nthe endeavor.\\nSecondly, very few have any just idea of how valuable a place\\nof from two to five acres can be made, nor of how great an income\\ncan be secured from such a tract by proper cultivation and attention.\\nThe intensive system of cultivation is the only one that is profit-\\nable. The largest crop that can be grown on one acre pays much\\nbetter than an ordinary crop from a number of acres.\\nThe amount of fertilizer that can be derived from the slops and re-\\nfuse of a house, the privies and the di^oppings of the poultry, if properly\\ncomposted, is sufficient, if applied to Polk County soil, to grow all the\\neatables required for the family, and leave a surplus for sale to pur-\\nchase other desired articles.\\nAnother important fact is that in Polk County you can raise the\\ncitrus and other semi-tropical fruits that yield many times as much in-\\ncome per acre as do the farming lands of the North and West. An\\nincome of $500 to $1,000, and even double those amounts, per acre, is\\nno uncommon thing here, whereas, in other parts of the country, the\\nstandard crops do not average a tenth of the amount, though requir-\\ning much more labor and care. Such encouraging results are attained\\nby the growing of vegetables, as well as by the production of pine-\\napples, oranges, etc.\\nThe superior healthfulness of Polk County should be an import-\\nant inducement to the settler. The vitalizing sunshine, the balmy and\\ndelicious atmosphere, the genial days, the restful nights, the absence\\nof acclimatizing diseases, of phthisis and of zymotic diseases, as also\\nof those maladies that are so fatal to children in other States, show\\nvery significantly the superior desirability of this section in preference\\nto localities in other States of the Union.\\nA family can live much more cheaply, as well as comfortably, in\\nPolk County than in other parts of the country, and can earn more.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0035.jp2"}, "36": {"fulltext": "30 HOMELAND.\\nThere are no long and inclement winters to consume the substance of\\nthe harvest. There is no season of enforced idleness, but a man can\\nwork every day in the year if he choose. There is not a mouth, a\\nweek, or a day, but some of the products of the soil may be harvested,\\nand he may, if he desire, have pleasantly varied kinds of vegetables\\nfresh from his garden every day in the year. Here he is neither\\npinched with bitter cold nor exhausted by sultry days or nights, nor\\nis he consumed by exhaustive heat. Modified by genial breezes, the\\ntemperature is refreshingly delicious at all seasons of the 3 ear. Not\\nonly are the winters mild, bright, healthful and inspiriting to active\\nduties, but the summer heats, though extending over a longer period,\\nare less intense and less exhaustive than in any other State. Besides\\nthis, however hot the day, the air never becomes close, sultry and\\nputrid, as is so often the case in the interior States of the Union\\nhowever hot the day, the nights are invariably cool, refreshing, and\\nconducive to healthful, strengthening sleep. This is due to the penin-\\nsular location of the State, and also to the fact that the days and nights\\nare of more equal duration, giving less time for the earth to become\\nheated by the sun s rays, while the nights being longer, it has more\\ntime to cool. The peninsular form gives semi-daily breezes, the trade\\nwinds from the Atlantic by day and the reverse winds from the Gulf\\nby night. But the trade winds are only felt in the peninsular part of\\nFlorida. Polk County being located near the centre of the peninsula,\\nit gets the full benefit of the trade winds, which are a very important\\nfactor in securing for it the unexcelled deliciousness of its climate, that\\nso favorably impresses alF who have the good fortune to make its ac-\\nquaintance. In this respect Polk County claims the pre-eminence\\nover all other sections.\\nProvisions and general merchandise are supplied as cheaply and\\nas reasonably in Polk County as in most sections of the Union. This\\nfact is a surprise to many who come here. Supplies are received both\\nfrom Atlantic and Gulf ports, as well as from the interior of the coun-\\ntry. A man who can get a comfortable living at the North or AVest\\ncan secure one here with half the effort. He has every day in the\\nyear to work, the fertile soil yields abundant returns, the semi-tropic\\nfruits and vegetables give a much greater cash value per acre than\\nthe Northern and Western farm crops, fuel costs only the cutting and\\nhauling, and but little is required, less clothing is needed, doctors\\nbills vanish, taxes are light, encouraging prospects drive away the\\nblues, and there seems to be no possible reason why every sensible and\\nintelligent person should not only enjoy life to the full, but also leave\\nan increasing competence to his children after him.\\nThe people who come to Florida are mostly people of some means,\\nthose in moderately comfortable circumstances, who desire not only to\\nbetter their fortunes, but also to escape the rigors of the inclement\\nNorthern winters. The larger proportion are past middle age and\\nhave families. They are chiefly from the better classes of the indus-\\ntrious people, who are not afraid to work earnest, intelligent, and\\nmany of them highly educated.\\nThere are specimens only of the other classes that compose so-\\nciety. Those who come to Florida to make their homes are, as a class,\\ngreatly superior to the immigrants to the new Western States, socially,", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0036.jp2"}, "37": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 31\\nmorally, and intellectually. No other State was ever able to secure a\\nclass of people like those who are pouring into Florida by thousands.\\nThey bring their home ideas with them and put them in active opera-\\ntion at once. They are energetic, industrious, orderly, God-fearing\\npeople, the very cream or selection of the fittest from the same classes\\nat the North and West, the Middle and Central States, and the South.\\nWith a steady and rapid infusion of such fresh blood poured into\\nFlorida by many streams, and in augmenting quantities, is it any\\nwonder that her fast-increasing population begin to feel within their\\nveins the pulsations of the grand and sublime destiny that awaits\\nFlorida in the near future, and that will place upon her imperial\\nbrow not only the victor s crowns of laurel, of oak, and of bay, but also\\nthe most sparkling, the brightest, and the richest diadem that the\\ngenius of the age can produce Nature and art, wealth and culture\\nwill here unitedly labor to create the grandest achievements possible\\nto the human race.\\nThe people of the whole country, of the civilized world, in fact,\\nare attracted to Florida as a haven of healthful rest, and yet of busy,\\nenterprising activity. Few, indeed, are the localities on the whole\\nwide earth s broad domain where health and wealth can be simul-\\ntaneously pursued and secured, and that, too, in a land where the sur-\\nroundings are the most satisfying possible where every sense, feeling,\\naspiration and emotion that can give pleasure, or solid profit, is\\nbrought into healthfully active exercise. A land like Polk County,\\nwhere severe and destructive diseases are unknown a land where the\\nsoil is as fertile as it can possibly be, consistently with universal\\nhealth a land where the soil responds with royal munificence to the\\nefforts of the cultivator, and where the variety of products, of grain,\\nof vegetables, and of fruits is astonishingly large a land of fertile\\nfields, beautiful lakes, charming valleys and running streams a land\\nabundant in fish and game a land fiowing with milk and honey\\na land where the water is pure, soft, healthful, and easily obtained; a\\nland Avhose soil is firm and compact, surprisingly free from dust, and\\nmud, and stones a land of thrifty timber beautiful pines and sturdy\\noaks predominating among the scores and scores and scores of other\\nnative trees a land of running and fruitful vines a land abounding\\nin berries, in grapes, in a variety of wild fruits a land where the\\nfruits and vegetables of the semi-tropics, as well as of the temperate\\nzones, thrive, grow vigorously and produce abundantly a land where\\nthe mornings are unspeakably fragrant and delicious, the days radiant\\nwith bright sunshine, pleasantly obscured at intervals with beautiful\\nclouds, that flit like watchful and beneficent angels athwart the face\\nof the heavens, Avhile gentle breezes cool and renew the air. The\\nevenings have a charm peculiarly their own soft, soothing, restful,\\npromotive of a love-like, delicious languor that well prepares one for\\na restful and refreshing night s sleep, after the labors and pleasures\\nof the day. Of the nights themselves, it is impossible to overstate\\ntheir charms, their solid, substantial advantages, as compared with the\\nnights in other sections. Until realized by actual personal experience,\\nno one can form any adequate conception of the healthful luxury that\\nnight gives. He giveth His beloved sleep. Here the nights sub-\\nserve their true purpose. Sleep comes as ordained by nature restful,", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0037.jp2"}, "38": {"fulltext": "32 HOMELAND.\\nrefreshing, strengtheuihg. The sleeper awakes with the early dawn,\\nthoroughly renewed in body and in mind, fully prepared for the\\nduties and the privileges of the coming day.\\nIn Polk County there is no weai-ied tossing on burning couches,\\nvainly seeking rest, gasping for a. breath of fresh air in a sultry, op-\\npressive, stifling atmosphere, as is so often the case in interior coun-\\ntries, during the heated term. On the contrary, as soon as the sun\\nsets, a delicious sense of coolness pervades the atmosphere, permeating\\nevery locality to which the balsamic perfume-laden air has free access,\\nincreasing in degree as the night advances, until it culminates in the\\nglorious deliciousness of the early morning, calm, tranquil, freshly\\nodorous, and inspiring worthy thoughts and noble deeds.\\nDIVERSIFIED APPEARANCE.\\nThe face of the country is varied, though neither generally flat\\nnor hilly. The predominant growth is pine, though often interspersed\\nwith oak of diflerent varieties, persimmon, wild cherry, etc., which\\ngives a very pleasing effect. Along the water courses, sweet and black\\ngum, maple, cypress, cabbage palm,w ild orange, whitewood,etc..are the\\nchief growth. The numerous lovely lakes are a great attraction. The soil\\nvaries in different localities, but a large portion is of excellent quality,\\nproducing remunerative crops, without the aid of commercial fertil-\\nizers. Ever since the first settlement, some thirty years since, the peo-\\nple have secured a generous support from the raising of cattle and\\ncultivation of general farm crops.\\nSOIL, WATER, CLIMATE.\\nThe land is peculiarly adapted to the growth of citrus fruits, and\\ntheir quality is of the very finest. Strawberries are also a great suc-\\ncess, as well as garden vegetables of all kinds. Fibrous plants also\\ngrow vigorously. The soil is a sandy loam, underlaid at varying\\ndepths with a stratum of clay. Water of excellent quality is secured\\nat differing depths, the well diggers passing through several strata of\\nalternating sand and clay, until the water-bearing strata of fine gravel\\nand sandy clay is reached. The low latitude insures short and mild\\nwinters, sometimes without frost,, while the winds from Ocean and Gulf\\ntemper the heats of summer, making them much less oppressive than\\nfarther north, the extremes of temperature never being so great, in-\\nsuring deliciously cool and restful nights.\\nThe soil of Homeland is the choicest that can be found in the\\nmost healthy portions of healthful South Florida, and responds readily\\nto the cultivator s demands, producing a majority of the fruits, vege-\\ntables, flowers and woods grown by the civilized and enlightened\\nnations of the whole world.\\nIn HoMELAis^ can be brought to profitable maturity a greater\\nvariety of products than any other section can boast. Its soil is so\\nvaried that here can be found every kind and quality that may be de-\\nsired, high or low, rich or poor, all adapted to special and varied pro-\\nducts. Here are rich and productive fields, thrifty pines, vigorous\\na.nd enduring oaks, and a hundred or more other choice and desirable\\nforest woods.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0038.jp2"}, "39": {"fulltext": "IIOMKLAND. 33\\nIn Homeland are an abundance of lovely lakes, Jiiiminir f^ii .-ams,\\nbeautiful vallejs, grass- covered hills and plains, that respond readily\\nto the efforts and ilnibitions of those who may seek thereon to improve\\nhealth or fortune. It is not a fairy land, but it is a land of practical\\nand substantial realities. The earlier and the later sett lers heie have\\nbeen self-supporting from the first. Nor have they had to endure the\\nhardships of the pioneers of other sections. The land lias not been\\nhard to clear, and it has responded readily to the cultivator s art, the\\nearth producing abundantly.\\nBut, remarks the reader, this is all very pleasant and enc(jurag-\\ning, yet, I have often read glowing and enchanting accounts of other\\nsections that made them appear a veritable paridise. The stern\\nrealities of bitter experience, however, dispelled these illusi ns and\\ntaught caution how shall I be assured to a certainty that Polk County\\nis all that it is pictured in these pages? No one section has all the\\ngood things. The bitter ever mingles with the sweet, the evil with\\nthe good. It is thus throughout the whole realm of nature. What we\\ndenizens of other localites desire are the exact facts, the bad as well as\\nthe good, the unpleasant as well as the attractive features.\\nThe writer of these pages knows from his own experience that\\ndemands like the foregoing will be made, and justly, therefore he\\nwill earnestly endeavor fairly, squarelv and conscientiously to present\\nas plain, truthful and unexagerated a picture of Polk County as it\\nis possible to make.\\nBefore coming to Florida, in 1881, he had had an extended and\\nactive experience for nearly half a century in the Eastern, Middle\\nand Western States, as well as in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia,,\\nand therefore is not only well acquaiTited with the characteristics, re-\\nsources,capabilities and advatages possessed by those important sections\\nof the country, but with their disadvantages also. He well knows the\\ncharacter, aims and aspirations of the Northern and Western people,\\nthe difficulties with w hich they have to contend their annoyances, the\\nhardships consequent upon the storms, drouths and vigorous in-\\nclemencies of the seasons, and compare them fiiithfully and honestly\\nwith the conditions in this and other parts of Florida. His locks have\\nbeen duly bleached by the frosts of many winters, and his enthusiasm\\ntempered by experience and adversit}-. Fie may not have lost his\\nyouthful fire and earnestness, but he has been schooled by the cares\\nand duties of active life to close observation, thoughtful reflection and\\ncarefulness of expression.\\nFor several years before coming to Florida he received the news-\\npapers of all sections of the State, as exchanges, and studied theiu\\ncarefully also, many books and pamphlets regarding Florida. His\\nhealth steadily improving since reaching here, he has personally\\nstudied South Florida from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico,\\nthe results of his observations being published in various Northern\\nnewspapers and magazines, and in the local press of South Florida.\\nHe was also the author of Orangeland, the Orange County pamph-\\nlet, and has devoted his time and abilities to securing as thorough a\\nknowledge as possible of the characteristics, resources and advantages\\npossessed by the different sections of South Florida.\\nThus far, no one has accused him of exaggeration or misrepre-", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0039.jp2"}, "40": {"fulltext": "34 HOMELAND.\\nsentation, and his constant aim has been to neither flatter the country\\nnor the people, but to give such unequivocal information as may be of\\nthe greatest benefit to inquiring minds svherever they may be located.\\nIn writing this work, at the solicitation of leading citizens of Polk\\nCounty, who desire the exact facts to be made known, the same rule is\\nobserved.\\nBut, the interested reader will say, you have given the poetry of\\nPolk County give us the plain prose. We shall be glad to enjoy\\nevery delight, every comfort and luxury that Polk County has to give,\\nbut the first practical question is, how shall we so invest our moderate\\nmeans that, with our labor, we can secure a livelihood and an increas-\\ning competence for our old age and for our children.\\nThe question is a pertinent one to the majority who come to Flor-\\nida, to Polk County, to the true Homeland. The wealthy and\\nmany of this class are coming to Florida can get along without diffi-\\nculty anywhere, yet I have noticed that they are quite as careful in\\nregard to their investments, and in the choice of a location for a home\\nas are those possessed of less means. To them Polk Cotinty offers at-\\ntractive inducements in the most delightful climate anywhere to be\\nfound, in the very choicest of building sites, with or without lake\\nfronts, in an enterprising and very rapidly increasing population, no-\\nwhere excelled for good qualities, in ready access to the other parts of\\nthe country by the lines of enterprising railroads, in chances for\\nprofitable business, in sure and speedy increase of fortune by invest\\nments in land.\\nTo people of moderate means, the first necessity is a place to live.\\nUnless they have acquaintances in other sections near whom they in\\ntend to locate, their objective point will be rapidly-growing Bartow\\nthe county seat. This is reached by the South Florida Railroad, either\\nfrom Tampa, on the Gulf of Mexico, or by way of Jacksonville, from\\nSanford, on Lake Monroe, at the head of navigation, by large steam-\\nboats, of the St. Johns River. Or, the Florida Southern Railroad be-\\ning completed from Jacksonville to Lakeland, in Polk County, where\\nit forms a junction with the South Florida Railroad, will be a favor-\\nite route with many, as it runs north and south through the interior\\nof the State. It is expected that this road will be extended to Bar-\\ntow, Fort Meade and beyond, the present season, opening up one of\\nthe very finest tracts of country in Florida. The South Florida is\\nsoon to be extended also, and several other lines are chartered, travers-\\ning various parts of the county, and will soon be built. There is also\\nan all-rail route from Jacksonville to Orlando, thence to Bartow\\nbroad gauge as far as Orlando. This runs through the finest and most\\ndeveloped portions of the State.\\nReaching Polk County, a few days will be judiciously devoted to\\nexamining the merits of different sections, and the advantages oflfered,\\nby the varied properties. Bartow has good hotels and boarding-houses\\nwhose charges are moderate one to two dollars per day, but less by\\nthe week and there are active real estate agents who will gladly\\nshow you the country.\\nEverything looks strange to the new-comer. The contour of the\\ncountry and the vegetation is difterent. The soil, a sandy loam, un-\\nderlaid with clay in the best sections, is totally unlike the soils of the", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0040.jp2"}, "41": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 35\\n^orth and the West, yet the growing crops and the thrifty and abun-\\n\u00e2\u0080\u00a2dant vegetation prove that it has surprising elements of fertility.\\nThere is a firm, substantial tread to the land, totally unlike that of\\nmany other sections of Florida, which is a pleasant surprise to the\\nvisitor. Though essentially a pine country, the abundance of vigorous\\noaks that greet the eye in every direction, on the uplands as well as in\\nthe valleys, give a character of solid, substantial permanence that con-\\nfirms the impression that this is the best and the most desirable portion\\nof Florida, and that it will speedily be thickly dotted with beautiful\\nhomes. It is the true Homeland, soil and climate, productiveness\\nand healthfulness, with comparative freedom from troublesome and\\nannoying insect pests and harmful reptiles, combining to make life\\nhere not only endurable, but delightful, profitable, and pleasant. A\\nlivelihood is easily secured here, while a competence or a fortune re-\\nquires but little effort, when combined with active and intelligent\\njudgment. As the, prospector goes over the country he finds a great\\nvariety of locations. To secure the most profitable requires not only\\nintelligent judgment, but assistance from those acquainted with the\\ncountry.\\nWhere to locate depends upon the designs, the contemplated\\nbusiness of the locator, his desires as regards society, and the amount\\nof capital at his disposal. If he designs engaging in mercantile busi-\\nness, or kindred pursuits, he should locate either in a town, or where a\\ntrade centre will soon be established. Bartow is the county seat, and\\nis likely to remain such as long as Polk County exists. Therefore,\\nthere is a fixed centre that is sure to increase rapidly in population,\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0while landed property will constantly augment in value. It has also\\na superior back country surrounding it, that will make this the grand\\ncentre, shipping and receiving their supplies from here, and here estab-\\nlishing new industries.\\nThere is no present prospect that Polk County will have any\\nlarge cities, as compared with cities at the North, but there is every\\nindication that it will soon be very thickly populated, with a residence\\non every acre or two of the more healthful and desirable lands, the\\nproduce from which, with the intensive system of culture, will be\\nsufficient to maintain each family in comfort, and even in luxury.\\nThis will compel trade centres every three or four miles at the far-\\nthest, with post-office, telegraph, telephone, and express offices, schools,\\nchurches, stores, and public libraries. In many of these social centres\\nvaried manufactories will be established, to supply the wants of the\\ncommunity and provide articles for shipment.\\nPeople will come here in multitudes, as soon as the superior at-\\ntractions of the climate, the agreeable healthfulness and the encour-\\naging ease of securing a livelihood here become known, as they are\\nsure to be in a brief period. There is great activity here now, but it\\nis not a drop in the bucket, compared with what will soon be seen.\\nPrices of lauds, now moderate, will double and double with so aston-\\nishing rapidity as to be beyond the reach of all, except those of con-\\nsiderable means. Thousands will secure fortunes in the advance in\\nthe price of lands. Hence, those who are on the ground first will have\\nthe best opportunity to secure fortunes, with no effort except that\\n.arising from intelligent and judicious investments.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0041.jp2"}, "42": {"fulltext": "36 HOMELAND.\\nPolk County already has two railroad lines, the South Florida\\nand the Florida Southern. They strike the county in its northern\\nportion, and will extend through the county from north to south.\\nThese, with their branches, and with other contemplated lines, will\\nbring every section within easy reach of railroad transportation to any\\npart of the Union.\\nMany will deem it most desirable to locate along the lines already\\nbuilt. That will give a present convenience and a certainty as to the\\nfuture, but the lands are held at higher prices. Along the route of\\ncontemplated railroad lines are many excellent bargains in land, the\\nprices of which will greatly increase when the roads are built, which\\nwill doubtless be done at a very early period. Away from the rail-\\nroad lines completed, and those prospective, that are certain to be\\nbuilt, the very best judgment of the locator is necessary, in order to\\nmake the best possible investment for, the qualities of the location\\nbeing otherwise equal, lands within a mile of a railroad depot are sure\\nto be of considerable more value than those farther away, though, at\\npresent prices, I know of no lands but will eventually prove profitable\\ninvestments, and before the close of the present century it is probable\\nthat every desirable locality here will be within two or three miles of\\na railroad, at farthest.\\nThough Polk County has not had the advantages of railroad\\ntransportation to its county seat, Bartow, until the present year, and\\nto no part of the county until the year previous; people who visit\\nit are surprised at the extent and the rapidity of its development.\\nThere is here a character of progress and substantiability that does\\nnot fail to fiivorably impress every one who investigates the condition\\nand the j)rospects of this section. The buildings of the earlier settlers\\nAvere mostly small and unpretentious, as well as widely scattered.\\nThey were all that the few and simple wants of stock-growers and\\ngeneral farmers requi;-ed in so mild and genial a climate. Most of\\nthem set out a few orange trees for home supply.\\nFew groves were set in Polk County until since the commence-\\nment of the present decade, but the few trees about the cabins showed\\nthat both soil and climate were peculiarly adapted to their vigorous\\ngrowth and prolific yield of the delicious golden fruit. With the\\nprogress of the South Florida Pailroad from Sanford, and the fast in-\\ncreasing certainty of speedy railroad transportation, numbers of groves\\nwere set, especially on that wonderful tract of beautiful and fertile\\ncountry that extends from north to south a few miles each side of\\nPeace River, Bartow being near the northern, and Fort ^leade near\\nthe southern portion. Numbers of these groves are now yielding\\nabundant returns, and well illustrate the great capabilities of the\\ncountry, especially the few that were set eight or ten years since.\\nTo see is to believe.\\nThe past two years have shown an immense and remarkable de-\\nvelopment in every respect. People are locating here from every\\nState in the Union, and the population is doubling rapidly. Hundreds\\nof new groves are being set, and many acresoflandbeing rapidly cleared.\\nNew substantial, commodious and elegant buildings are being erected^\\nthat will compare favorably with those of any section of the State. In", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0042.jp2"}, "43": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 37\\nfact, no part of the country shows more active, rapid and substantial\\ndevelopment. Its destiny is secure and glorious.\\nTo decide upon the location where you will make your home is\\nnot the easiest matter in the world, as there seem to be so many things\\nto be considered so many conflicting claim-;, advantages and disad-\\nvantages. There is the nearness to, or distance from, a present or\\nfuture centre, the comparative fertility of the soil, the relative health-\\nfulness, the natural beauty of one location as compared with another,\\nthe actual market value of the land positive and comparative, the\\nchances of the future importance of the several localities, the pros-\\npective main routes of travel, etc. All these things are to be considered,\\nif one would do the best possible.\\nSo many new and divergent ideas are likely to be crowded on the\\nprospector s consideration that he will be fortunate if he is not attacked\\nby mental dyspepsia or indigestion, and rendered unable to properly\\ndigest the heterogenous information received from all sources. There\\nis one consolation and encouragement, however, and that is, if he does\\nnot locate in a low and undrainable locality, or on barren scrub or\\nsand-hills, he is sure, at present prices, to make a good invest-\\nment and one that will pa} Some will do even better than this, and\\nsecure prizes, but though all can be thoroughly assured of doing well,\\nwho will secure the larger prizes none can tell. Luck and chance,\\nas well as judgment, here come into play. The unexpected location\\nof a road, of a manufactory, or of some unanticipated enterprise, are\\nthings that the wisest cannot foresee, and this kind of lightning is\\nliable to strike anywhere. Perhaps the new comer himself may be\\nthe conductor that will bring it to his location. To a certain extent,\\nas in Oriental countries, it is the unexpected that happens, mainly,\\nhowever, the conditions are determined by sound judgment and active\\nenergy. To a great extent the new comer must rely upon the opin-\\nions of his intelligent and conscientious acquaintances who have se-\\ncured a knowledge of the country by experience, yet it will not do to\\nplace too implicit confidence in any one. Not that they would in-\\ntentionally misrepresent or mislead, but from the fact that every one\\nsoon gets very positive opinions here, and I have yet to find the first\\nland-owner who did not veritably believe that, taking all things into\\nconsideiation, he had the very best location anywhere to be found in\\nthe State. Hence, all who have been here a few years are happy, con-\\ntented and hopeful. INIost men are ready to sell a part of their hold-\\ning that they may secure neighbors and the means for more extensive\\nimprovements or the whole, because they know where they can rein-\\nvest their money to greater advantage. None sell to leave the country.\\nThey appreciate the country and its solid, substantial future prospects too\\nhighly to return to their former homes. They are here to stay and\\ngrow up with the country.\\nHaving secufed a location, the first thing to do is to clear, fence\\nand build. Polk County is a land of substantial fences. Unless you\\nhave abundant means, better clear and fence only an acre at first. Do\\nnot go to work with the idea that you can do everything in a day, a\\nmonth, or even a year. Make ha.ste slowly. Build comfortably, but\\nnot extravagantly. Do not use up all your means in building, even\\nthough some of your neighbors may have a finer house than you can\\nnow comfortably afford. It will come by and by. Your money, if", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0043.jp2"}, "44": {"fulltext": "38 HOMELAND.\\nyour means are somewhat limited, can be used to better advantage in\\nmaking a grove, a pine-apple orchard, a strawberry field, or iu getting^\\nsome other fruit well on the way to bearing. A little spare cash al-\\nways comes handy. AVhile getting started, your outgo will probably\\nexceed your income. I am not now speaking of those extra smart peo-\\nple who, by sharp trades, can pay their way as they go, nor of those\\nexceptionally fortui^ate ones who secure big crops the first year, and\\nsell them at the very highest prices. Numbers do have such expe-\\nperiences here, but my remarks are intended for ordinary mortals,.\\nlike myself, who secure results by patient and continued industry.\\nAll steady, persistent workers are sure to thrive, if they do not yield\\ntoo much to their ambition, and overwork at first. I have had the\\nexperience, consequently I am entitled to give advice. You have\\nevery day in the year to labor, therefore don t rush to show how much\\nsmarter you are than your neighbors. People don t brag on big days\\nwork, but the contrary, in this country. They could if they chose, but\\nthere is no use in it. There is plenty of time. If you have a few\\nacres of land, the increase in value of that alone will make you rich.\\nSmaller tracts, with groves properly cared for, will accomplish the\\nsame result.\\nThe man who would succed here, and be happy and contented,,\\nshould be a land-owner. He should be his own master. A man may\\nsecure a livelihood by working for others for wages, but no man ever\\ngot rich that way. It is frequently necessary to get a start by work-\\ning for wages. Work and save and invest. Our most successful men\\nhave done that at first. You can do likewise if you are short of funds,.\\nbut, if you have sufficient means to live, it will pay you much better\\nto work upon your own place and improve it. If you are skillful and\\nintelligent you will accomplish more by steady work and careful super-\\nvision than any man you can hire.\\nI do not mean by this that you should individually do all the\\nnecessary preliminary or later work, but that it should be done under\\nyour own careful supervision, at least. You should be employer, in-\\nstead of employed, if possible. Some people, however, are only capa-\\nble of Avorking successfully by working for others. Others have a\\nspecial talent or capacity in certain fields of labor that enables them\\nto secure large wages. In such cases, I repeat, secure a tract of land\\nand have it improved, even if you have to hire others to do the work\\nwhile you are otherwise engaged. You have made a start in the right\\ndirection.\\nThe main future dependence will be in your grove. What, you\\nask, can I do for a living while the grove is coming into bearing?\\nThis is a pertinent and important question, for, with the best trees you\\ncan set for a grove three-year-old trees it will be five years before you\\ncan receive much income from them, and it will be several years more\\nbefore they are in full bearing. It would be poor policy to sit doAvn\\nand wait all these years, simply cultivating the trees. But there are\\nother matters that can profitably engage your attention, making the\\ntree cultivation a mere incident.\\nThose who have tried it, have met with great success raising veg-\\netables on the same land. In fact, the growth of the trees is promoted by\\nthe cultivation given to the vegetables. The only requisite is, that no-", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0044.jp2"}, "45": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 39\\nmore shall be taken from the soil than is returned in the way of added\\nfertilizers. The best lands will bring a grove to bearing without the\\naid of fertilizers, but there is no land tha,t is not benefitted by their ap-\\nplication. On the best lands, however, but little is required. You\\ncould probably get along without any for several years, but its appli-\\ncation would be judicious, and would pay well as an investment.\\nSmall fruits might be raised on a portion of your land. They\\nwould give quicker returns and would tide over the period of waiting\\nfor the grove to bear. Pine-apples will make returns the second year,\\nand will find a ready home market at excellent prices. Strawberries\\nset in September will give ample and profitable returns the following\\nspring. They are peculiarly adapted to the soil and the climate.\\nThey not only find a ready market at home, but can be shipped North\\nat a time to receive the very highest prices. But why enumerate A\\nvariety of articles can be raised that will give quick returns.\\nAnother important industry, the proceeds of which find a ready\\nmarket, and give quick and profitable returns, is the raising of eggs\\nand poultry. There is a lively and continuous demand for both, and\\nthey are never a drug in the market, but command ready sales at\\ngood prices. The climate is peculiarly adapted to this industry.\\nChickens can be hatched any and every month in the year, and thrive\\nwonderfully with very little care. You must, however, either fence\\nin your garden or your poultry. They are a great benefit to orange\\ntrees, as they scratch just about as deep as an orange tree ought to\\nbe cultivated. Their droppings are also quite valuable as a fertilizer.\\nBees do extremely well, and those who have a taste for apiculture\\ncould secure quite a revenue from this source. Florida honey is not\\nonly equal to, but superior to, that of any other section. In this regard,\\neven California has to take second place.\\nThe raising of roses and other flowers for shipment to Northern\\ncities is soon to be a very important industry. This pleasant occupa-\\ntion will give abundant and profitable returns.\\nVegetables of all kinds grow rapidly and abundantly, and there\\nis a rapidly increasing home as well as a Northern market. The\\nleading standard articles for shipment are cabbages, beans, cucum-\\nbers, tomatoes, beets, radishes, cauliflower, egg-plant, etc., etc.\\nSweet corn, of the very finest quality, matures early, and might be\\nplaced in the markets of New York and other cities weeks before they\\ncould get a supply from any other source. The same is true of melons,\\nsquashes, etc. In fact, the lands of Polk County are peculiarly adapted\\nto the speedy and early growth of all kinds of vegetables, and the en-\\nterprising can secure fortunes from that source alone, and another\\nfortune from their orange grove.\\nWhat, then, does the fertile land and de icious climate of Polk\\nCounty offer to its active citizens as a source of livelihood, while\\ngrowing an orange grove, that shall be a lasting fortune to them and\\nto their descendants for many generations offering advantages supe-\\nrior to any other part of Florida Let us see, commencing with those\\nindustries that yield the quickest returns\\nFirst. There is the whole range and variety of vegetables.\\nSecond. Poultry are easily reared and give excellent profits.\\nThird. Strawberries and other small fruits.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0045.jp2"}, "46": {"fulltext": "40 HOMELAND.\\nFourth. Bees and honey.\\nFifth. Roses and other flowering plants.\\nSixth. Pine-apples. Some winters these will need a slight pro-\\ntection a few nights against a light frost, as there is no such thing as\\na frost line in Florida. The low latitude of Polk County,, however,\\ngives almost complete immunity, and it can be readily seen that at the\\nsame elevation, the lower the latitude the greater the exemption. Its\\nlake protection is also tlie most complete of any locality in Florida,\\nbeing located chiefly in the northern and northeastern part of the\\ncounty. It must also be remend^ered that these lakes receive the\\nwinds after much of the frost has been extracted by passing over the\\nlakes in the counties still further north. Hence, if those sections\\nhave any exemption because of their bodies of water and that they\\nhave is unquestionable Polk County is, and must be, doubly pro-\\ntected. This is an important fact to be considered, and is one reason\\nwhy the people of Polk have green corn, melons, strawberries, etc., etc.,\\nfrom Christmas to the 4th of July, as well as other fruits and vegeta-\\nbles at all seasons of the year.\\nIndisputable facts like the foregoing, once presented and duly\\nconsidered, cannot justly fail to convince all, desiring to better their\\ncondition, that Polk County presents unequalled advantages as the\\ninducenient for them to locate within her borders.\\nUntil the near advent of railroad transportation, the residents of\\nPolk County, being chiefly stock raisers, had little or no desii-e for an\\nincrease of immigration, as all accessions of new settlers decreased the\\nrange for stock, and, having no facilities of transportation, no outlet\\nby railroad or steamboat, they could derive no income from either\\nfruit or vegetables, consequently they were disinclined to have the\\nsuperior resources and advantages of this, the very choicest portion of\\nthe State, know^n except to their immediate friends. The South Flor-\\nida Railroad has come, other roads are coming speedily, and the era\\nof progress has commenced with greater vigor than in any other sec-\\ntion of the State. The flow of the tide that leads on to fortune\\nis rapidly increasing, and those who desire to secure the best possible\\nadvantages should not delay in their coming. A glorious opportunity\\nis offered to all who desire to improve either health or fortune. This\\nis pre-eminently the Homeland, and it will be speedily occupied by\\nincreasing thousands and tens of thousands. Here will be made the\\nchoicest, the most delightful homes that the whole world aflbrds.\\nHere will be found every luxury, every appliance of comfort and de-\\nlight that the civilized world affords. Here is a climate without a\\npeer unequalled in winter and in summer. The winters are mild,\\ndelicious and delightful. The summers are cooler and more enjoyable\\nthan in more northern portions of the State. It is a peculiarity of this\\nportion of the peninsula that should be considered and remembered,\\nviz: That this section is warmer in winter and cooler in summer than\\nthe sections further north. No tornadoes nor cyclones have ever\\npassed through this section, and its location is such that those de-\\nva.stating storms are here impossible. Being in the interior of the\\npeninsula it is protected from the storms that rage on the Atlantic and\\nGulf Coasts. In fact, a more favorable location does not seem pos-\\nsible.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0046.jp2"}, "47": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 41\\nBut, says the reader, you have given the bright and the pleas-\\nant, what are the darker and more sombre colors. Those are necessary\\nto complete the picture.\\nLet us analyze the matter carefully and plainly state every draw-\\nback, every disagreeable fact that prevents Polk County from being\\na perfect Eden on earth. The unpleasant is not as agreeable to dwell\\nupon as the pleasant, but it is essential to the purpose of this work,\\nwhich is to represent things exactly as they are. Some of the days\\nfire stormy, disagreeable, unpleasant, though the number of such days\\nis much less than in the continental parts of America.\\nA light fii-e is needed, a few, a very few, days in winter, when the\\nmercury drops below G0\u00c2\u00b0 or 65\u00c2\u00b0, especially such mornings and even-\\nings, to dispel the chill.\\nThe rays of the sun during the mid-hours of the summer days\\nare very hot and piercing. The slightest shade interposed, however\\nan umbrella, a tree or a roof, or a passing cloud gives a refreshing\\nsense of coolness. In fact, however hot in the sun, the constant cool\\nbreeze always insures a comfortably-cool place. The air is neither\\nsultry nor suifocating. The most oppressive time is usually from seven\\nto nine o clock in the morning, before the refreshing effects of the sea\\nbreeze is felt.\\nThe frequent, almost daily, show^ers during the Avet season of the\\nsummer months are frequently inconvenient, but the occasional wet-\\ntings do no actual harm, not causing colds, as at the North, though it\\nis disagreeable to be wet. These showers cool the air and cause all\\nkinds of vegetation to grow very rapidly. They are actually one of\\nthe good, instead of the bad features of the climate. The necessary\\nout-door work is the lightest during the hot and rainy season, instead\\nof the heaviest, as in other portions of the Union. The showers usu-\\nally come in the afternoons of the hottest days, but there are no barns\\nto be filled with hay, and very little cultivation or harvesting is re-\\nquired during the summer months. Few crops mature during the\\nfervid heats of summer. No work is then pressing the one who is\\nfairly settled. It is a time of natural, not enforced, idleness, and is\\nmuch more agreeable than the necessary cessation of out-door\\nfarm labor at the North during the cold and severe winters. Extremes\\nare disagreeable anywhere. Here the cold of winter is omitted, while\\nthe summers are much more pleasant and enjoyable than at the North.\\nThe same fact is also true of every other season of the year. Hence,\\nas regards the seasons, separately or collectively, Polk County has\\ngreatly the advantage as regards Northern localities.\\nThe labor of clearing land, felling trees, grubbing out roots and\\nmaking fences is no more difficult or disagreeable than at the North.\\nIn fact, it is less so, as there are no stones in the way. The labor of\\ncultivation is also less, and much easier here. There is also no inter-\\nruption from frost, ice and snow, which makes a great saving of time\\nand expense in favor of Polk County.\\nHere one loses the pleasure of doing the hardest and most ex-\\nhaustive work during the hottest months, to fill barns, granaries and\\ncellars with hay. grain and roots to be fed to stock on the most frosty\\nmornings and the coldest and most disagreeable days.\\nThe residents of Polk County lose the pleasure and profit derived", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0047.jp2"}, "48": {"fulltext": "42 HOMELAND.\\nfrom frozen fingers, ears and toes. Another disagreeable matter is\\nthe fact that ice has to be made artificially here. As nature is not\\nin the ice-making business the boys and girls cannot go skating on the\\nponds, lakes and rivers, as at the North, but go boating instead at all\\nseasons of the year. Other luxuries that the youth here have to fore-\\ngo are those of sliding down hill, building snow-men and houses,\\nthrowing snow-balls and fishing through the ice. Nor do they have\\nthe pleasure of wallowing through snow-drifts, shoveling roads through\\nthe snow or going sleigh-riding. They manage to do their courting\\nall the same, however.\\nAnother disagreeable feature of Polk County, much missed by\\nNorthern and Western people, is the speedy drying of the ground and\\nvegetation within a few minutes after each shower, which prevents\\nthose disposed to take a walk, from enjoying the pleasure of wet feet\\nand attendant colds and rhuematism. Another thing much missed\\nis the lack of mud here, the porous soil absorbing the water instead of\\npermitting it to stand in puddles in the road. There is also such an\\nabsence of dust that the course of carriages cannot be traced by\\nclouds of dust, and the occupants are prevented from enjoying the\\nfamiliar luxury of dust-baths so familiar to Northern and Western\\npeople. There are other equally enjoyable luxuries common to other\\nsections that people here are compelled to forego, but those mentioned\\nwill suffice.\\nEach matchless morning marches from the East\\nIn tints inimitable and divine\\nEach perfect noon sustains the endless feast,\\nIn which the wedded cliarnis of life combine;\\nSweet evening waits till golden day, released.\\nShall lead her blushing down the world s decline.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0048.jp2"}, "49": {"fulltext": "WHERE AND WHAT IS FLORIDA?\\nIn deference to the wishes of the publishers, and for the conven-\\nience of those who have a thousand times read and re-read the history\\nof Florida, from the year of its discovery to the present time, I will\\nendeavor to give a brief outline of the more salient points, beginning\\nwith the earliest records.\\nGeologically speaking, Florida is of very recent formation, although\\nthat was doubtless millions of years ago. The learned savans say it\\nis like a book with only the title page and last chapter inclosed be-\\ntween the covers. That is to say, that its foundation, being the primi-\\ntive granite, the usual succeeding formations are omitted until reach-\\ning the limestone and like strata of a recent epoch. As there has\\nbeen no thorough geological survey of the State, though one is much\\nneeded and would unquestionably repay the cost a hundred-fold, the\\nstatement may be considered as theoretical instead of an actual cer-\\ntainty. The State is, however, unquestionably one- of recent develop-\\nment and still in process of formation. In process of time those\\nndustrious workers, the coral insects, which, like the trout, love swift\\nrunning water, will undoubtedly connect Florida with the island of\\nCuba; the Mississippi and other rivers, that year by year deposit\\nimmense quantities of soil and drift in the Gulf of Mexico, will\\neventually fill it, and Floi ida will not only cease to be a peninsula,\\nbut will lose a great charm of its delicious climate the cool night\\nbreeze from the Gulf. This fact should be a warning to those\\nthoughtful ones who contemplate a permanent residence in Polk\\nCounty.\\nAdvancing to pre-historic times we find that the Mound Builders\\nwere the first inhabitants who have left any recognizable trace of their\\noccupation. Whether they wei e the first settlers, or whether then, as\\nin these recent years, an irresistible wave of immigration poured from\\nthe North into this delectable land, must ever remain a matter of\\nconjecture. Let the wise men discuss the probabilities.\\nFor aught we know, Florida may have been the site of the veri-\\ntable Garden of Eden, some of the streams running in such a manner\\nas to make it easy for a skilful philologist and geographer to find\\ntheir counterpart in the description in Genesis of the streams from\\nwhence a mist went up to water the garden. In the land of\\nHavillah there was gold. That doubtless referred to Georgia. Noah s\\nark doubtless floated across the sea to Mount Ararat. The length of\\nhis voyage unquestionably gave sufiicient time. I leave the full\\nelucidation of the matter to those deeply versed in Biblical lore,\\nwithout charge for the suggestion. AVe know that Polk County is in", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0049.jp2"}, "50": {"fulltext": "44 HOMELAND.\\nabout the same latitude as the supposed site of the sacred garden, and\\nalso, that it is in the same zone as the greatest and most prosprous\\ncities of antiquity. This is another matter for profitable considera-\\ntion.\\nScientists tell us that the birth-place of the human race must\\nhave been near the sea-shore and in the southern edge of the North\\nTemperate Zone. Both these conditions are better fulfilled by\\nFlorida than by any other portion of the known world, its system of\\ninterior lakes and water courses of both salt and fresh water, its\\nnumerous bays and lagoons, and its very superior climatic conditions,\\ngiving it the precedence over all other localities in the matter of de-\\nsirability. These facts being duly considered, it becomes evident that\\nhere is a favorable locality for the genius of the nineteenth century\\nto create and develop one of the most prosperous, wealthy and power-\\nful of States.\\nThe early Greek M-riters tell us of the famous city of Atlantis,\\nwestward of the Gates of Hercules (now known as the Strait of\\nGibraltar), and interesting articles have been composed by modern\\nauthors on the subject. But I will leave to others the tracing of any\\nconnection between that wonderful locality and Florida. It was in\\nthis direction, and its site remains undetermined.\\nIn more modern times, the daring Scandinavian voyagers, from\\nNorway and Iceland, visited Greenland and planted colonies there.\\nThey also sailed southward along the east coast of North America.\\nThis was about the close of the tenth centur}: There is, however, no\\nevidence that they visted Florida.\\nColumbus, on his first voyage in search of a route to the Indies,\\ndiscovei-ed San Domingo, October 14th, 1492, and on a later voyage\\nthe coast of South America, but he had no idea of the existence of\\nFlorida, In 1497, Sebastian Cabot discovered North America, but\\ndid not proceed as fiir southward as Florida. In 1512 or 1513, Juan\\nPonce de Leon, having heard reports in the West Indies of a wonder-\\nful youth-restoring fountain, that would smooth the wrinkles of age\\nand restore the whiteness, smoothness, vigor and agility of youth to\\nthe one who drank its waters, made diligent inquiry and learned that\\nit lay to the westward. After an extended cruise he reached the un-\\nknown coast of Florida, March 27th, on Palm or Easter Sunday, land-\\ning near Fernandina, April 2d. May 1st, 15(i2, a colony of French\\nProtestants, under command of Jean Ribaut, entered the St. Johns^\\nRiver. Another colony of Huguenots left France, April, 1564, landed\\nat St. Augustine, but located at St, John s Bluff, on the St. Johns\\nRiver. The next year the French colonists were massacred by the\\nSpanish under Menendez. In 1507, Dominie de Gourges avenged this\\nact by the destruction of the Catholics. jNIay 30, 1539, Hernando De\\nSoto landed at Tampa with a large force, sent his ships back to the\\nWest Indies, and marched through the interior of the country as far\\nas Geoi gia, and thence to the westward in the search for gold and\\npopulous cities, Avhich were not to be found.\\njNIattcrs were then quiet in Florida for many years, the lithe,\\nhardy and freedom-loving native Indians, who had occupied the\\ncountry from time immemorial, being alienated by the cruelties of the\\nSpaniards, successfully resisted them, and attempts to subdue and", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0050.jp2"}, "51": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 45\\ncolonize the country were abandoned until it passed into the hands of\\nthe English, February 13, 1763. A few attempts at settlement were\\nmade, but abandoned in 1783, when it was re-ceded to Spain.\\nThe United States made a treaty with Spain in 1819, making-\\nFlorida a part of our domain, the transfer taking place July lOlh,,\\n1821. It then became a Territory, with General^ Andrew Jackson as\\nMilitary Governor. May 3d, 1822, Congress established a civil govern-\\nment and William P. Duval was appointed Governor.\\nThe Indians held the whole State, with the exception of a few\\nmilitary posts on the coast and along the northern border, and\\ntroubles with them continued frequent. While under Spanish rule it\\nhad become a resort for desperadoes, and those guilty of crime in the\\nStates to the North, which retarded development and tranquility.\\nDecember 28, 1835, a fearful Indian war was commenced by the\\nmassacre of Colonel Dade and his force of 115 men, and a general\\nuprising of the Indians to resist removal to the west of the Mississippi\\nRiver, which had been determined upon by the General Government.\\nIt lasted until 1842, the Indians being subdued. This year the\\nArmed Occupation Act was passed to hold the land by force.\\nMarch 3, 1845, the State was admitted to full membership in the\\nUnion. The State progressed slowly, Indian troubles from 1855 to\\n1859 keeping matters in an unsettled condition and retarding emigra-\\ntion and development. January 10, 18H1, the State seceded and\\njoined the Southern Confederacy. The war being over, the State re-\\nturned to the Union, October 28, 1865. Since then the development\\nhas been very rapid, surely and steadily augmenting from year to\\nyear.\\nAt first the immigrants were mostly from the Southern States,\\nnear the northern border, mostly from Georgia, though there have\\nbeen increasing numbers from South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi\\nand other States.\\nThe people of the North did not begin to take much interest in\\nFlorida until after 1875. The State had been a Spanish possession from\\nthe time of its discovery,in 1512 or 1513 (the exact year is unknown),\\nuntil it passed into the possession of the United States, in 1821, with\\nthe exception of the English occupancy from 1763 to 1783; and where\\nSpain rules, civilization languishes. Her power is the bane to progress.\\nAfter this the Indian troubles kept things in a turmoil until all\\nculminated in the civil war, which impoverished the whole South. Is\\nit any wonder that Florida had made so little progress up to the\\nopening of the present decade, although she has the most delicious\\nclimate in the world, a soil and productions that give the greatest and\\nthe most profitable returns to the acre of any State of the Union, a\\nland where seed-time and harvest go hand in hand, where crops grow\\nevery month in the year, successive productions being taken from the\\nsame piece of ground a land where the cultivator can work in hia\\nfield every day in the year, if he chooses a land where nearly every\\nproduction and industry can thrive where labor, energy and in-\\ntelligence secure a sure reward where one s needs, wants and ne-\\ncessities are less than in other portions of the country, and the neces-\\nsaries of life more easily obtained where provision does not have to\\nbe made for bitter and inclement winters where the summers are;", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0051.jp2"}, "52": {"fulltext": "46 HOMELAND.\\npleasant, comfortable and enjoyable where the poor man can secure\\na competence for himself and family, and the man of means increas-\\ning wealth and fortune where bitter storms can never come; where\\nthe general healthfulness is greater than that of any other State\\nwhere acclimatizing fevers are unknown where the most virulent\\ndiseases of other sections, pneumonia, diphtheria, typhoid fever\\nphthisis, yellow fever, hydrophobia, sun-stroke andseveral other destruc-\\ntive ailments, are either unknown or very rare; where malaria is not\\nprevalent where the occasional sickness is of a milder type than in\\nother States, and yields rapily to proper medical treatment a land\\nwhere there is abundant and profitable employment where beauteous\\nhomes can be easily made, and where flowers bloom all the year\\nThe enumeration might be continued for pages. Such are a few\\nof the inducements offered by that choicest and most delectable por-\\ntion of the State, Polk County. Great as may be the charms of other\\nportions of the State, and there are many, Polk County claims to sur-\\npass them all in desirability and attractiveness. It is the centre of\\nthe most delicious and delightful zone the State affords. Her people\\nare not given to boasting and self-praise they present the solid at-\\ntractions, that those who see may understand. Polk County makes\\nno depreciative or invidious comparison with other sections. Their\\nattractions are great and genuine. Where there is a good there may\\nbe a better, and Polk unhesitatingly claims the best. Come, see and\\nbelieve.\\nThe northern part of the State has many attractions, and was the\\nfirst settled. The growth there has not been rapid. The climate, soil\\nand productions are essentially the same as those of the adjacent\\nSouthern States. Being further south, the climate is somewhat milder,\\nbut being a part of the continental portion of the United States, the\\ncharacteristics of the peninsula are absent. It has, however, a variety\\nof charms and attractions that will eventually ensure its development.\\nIt was the fashion and the custom until quite recently to decry\\nSouth Florida. Parties interested in the northern, or continental part\\nof the State, represented it to be a vast swamp, interspersed with bar-\\nren sand hills. They claimed that it was virtually uninhabitable by\\nman, being the home of alligators, poisonous serpents and other disa-\\ngreeable vermin, and so malarious and insect-infested that civilized\\nman could not exist. Also, that the heat was too intense to be endured.\\nThese phantoms of their selfish imaginations have been dispelled by\\nthe light of knowledge derived from actual experience, and South\\nFlorida is found to be the most delightful and the most healthful part\\nof the State. Its products are also found to be the most valuable and\\nthe most reliable. As it becomes better and better known, immigra-\\ntion is pouring into this jDortion of the State much more rapidly than\\ninto any other, and active towns and busy, bustling cities are spring-\\ning up as if by magic, especially through the central portion from the\\nAtlantic to the Gulf. Railroads are also being built here very rapidly.\\nEverywhere energetic progress is manifest.\\nThe Indian troubles that continued until 1859, not only prevented\\nany considerable settlement in this southern peninsula, but it also kept\\nthe old-time planters from locating here with their slaves. Conse-\\nquently this favored portion of Florida is not encumbered with the", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0052.jp2"}, "53": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 47\\nflotsam and the jetsam left by the late war in the more northern por-\\ntions of the State. South Florida is ruled by white men without any\\nfear of negro suiDremacy. It does not need any peculiar provisions to\\nbe inserted in the State Constitution to prevent the intelligence and\\nwealth of the community from being helplessly outnumbered and\\noverridden by a large, ignorant, servile population with whom they\\nhave and can have no sympathy. This is the land of the free, not the\\nslave.\\nIt is only a decade since the tide of Northern emigration began to\\nbe attracted to Southern Florida. They reached it by the St. Johns\\nRiver, landing atSanford. Previous to this time the most of the little\\nemigration to the State, and more especially to South Florida, was\\nfrom the Southern States. About ten years ago there was a little\\nspurt of Northern immigration. The majority spread out from San-\\nford, on Lake Monroe, the head of large steamboat navigation on the\\nSt. Johns River, throughout Orange County. A few stopped oft in\\nVolusia County, notably at DeLand. A few small and feeble colonies\\nlocated on the Atlantic Coast, the colony from New Britain, Conn.,\\nlocating at Ormond, on the Halifax River, being the most notable.\\nOrange County made a beginning, but it was eighty-five\\nmiles through the primeval forest without roads or bridges to the\\ncapital of Polk County. Northern people did not wish to bury them-\\nselves in the woods away from all the privileges that civilization af-\\nfords, and they did not come. Besides being unknown, this whole\\nsouthern region was considered virtually uninhabitable.\\nThe wheels of Time continued to revolve and 1880 appeared on\\nits dials. The few newspapers, the occasional letters from the happy\\nand prosperous settlers, and the testimony of the increasing number of\\nprospectors, wielded a powerful influence in attracting the attention\\nof the people of the whole North. The tide of emigration to the West\\nhad reached and overleaped the Rocky Mountains, and there was a\\nrebound. They too began to turn their attention to Florida. What\\nWestern people do, they do on a grand scale, with vim and energetic\\npush. They have less timid conservatism than the people of the East.\\nThey are broader and more liberal in their views. They are more\\nready to adapt themselves to changed conditions, to pull off their\\ncoats and go in to win.\\nWestern as well as Eastern people are coming to South Florida.\\nWith their combined energy and means, they are making lovely\\nhomes, building thriving towns and busy, bustling cities in the tier of\\ncounties to the North of Polk in Volusia, Orange, Sumter and Hills-\\nboro Counties. They have done well their choice was a wise one, for\\nthere was neither railroad nor steamboat, nor other ready means of\\naccess to and from Polk County, and its more delicious climate and\\nmore fertile i^nd productive lands. A few energetic pioneers from\\nthose sections pushed on to Polk and were not only surprised, but de-\\nlighted with the intrinsic excellence and attractiveness of the country\\nthey saw.\\nThe figures on Tme s dial mark 1884, and a railroad from Lake\\nMonroe to Tampa runs through the northern portion of Polk County,\\nthrough a wonderful Lake Region. Thrifty towns sprang up along\\nthe line with a celerity only equalled by the wonders attendant on", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0053.jp2"}, "54": {"fulltext": "48 HOMELAND.\\nAlladin s lump. The Soutli Floridii Railroad was the lamp, and the\\nPlant Investment Company the Alladin that caused this wonderful\\ntransformation in the primeval wilderness.\\nNow 1885 appears and the railroad is opened into the heart of the\\ncounty, to Bartow, with probabilities of speedy extension. The\\nFlorida Southern, running throujih the interior of the State, from\\nnorth to south, forms a junction with the South Florida at Lakeland,\\nand is soon to be extended to Bartow and beyond to the south. Ru-\\nmors of contemplated railroads fill the air. People from all sections\\nare coming to see the country and are delighted. Their friends,\\nneighbors and acquantances follow them as soon as they can arrange\\ntheir affairs at their present homes. Everywhere is surprising activ-\\nity, land cleared and buildings erected. The climate is the most de-\\nlightful throughout the year yet know^n, the lands are fertile and pro-\\nductive, the views are charming and general good health prevails.\\nAs regards general beauty and attractiveness, Polk County is vir-\\ntually a continuation of Orange County into a more southern latitude,\\nwhere the winters are milder and the summers cooler. Like Orange\\nit has immense numbers of beautiful lakes, and they are well stocked\\nwith fish. There are, however, many more running streams and\\nbeautiful valleys the ground has a firmer and more substantial tread,\\nthe soil is more fertile, and oak growths are more abundant and vigor-\\nous, which, with its varied surfs ce, gives pleasing additional attractions\\nto the landscape. I would draw no invidious comparisons with\\nOrange, the banner county of the State and my adopted home, for\\nOrange County deserves every line of praise that has been given her.\\nI know no county in the State that is, at present, the peer of Orange, and\\nbelieve there will be none excepting Polk, which I judge to have the\\nmost varied, desirable and magnificent natural charms and attractions\\nof any section of fair Florida, the future home and resort of millions\\nof the world s energetic and enthusiastic, as well as tired, weary\\nworkers. To these Polk County will be a veritable Homeland.\\nPolk County, like Orange, is an interior county, a watershed, and the\\nbalmy and refreshing breezes from Ocean and Gulf, changing semi-\\ndaily, are filtrated through miles of balsamic pine on either hand be-\\nfore sweeping over her healthful and inviting territory. Polk h:is all\\nthelatter s natural excellence as well as a number of additional charms\\nand advantages.\\nPolk County has had to await the apparently slow, yet really-\\nrapid, processes of settlement and development, without either natural\\nor artificial highways of ingress or egress. The counties to the North,\\nfrom Polk to the city of Jacksonville, in Duval, have had the mag-\\nnificent St. Johns River and fleets of steamers to aid in their develop-\\nment, while, until the present year, Polk County has not only had no\\nsteamers, though there is a river running through it from North to\\nSouth, but Congress would appropriate nothing for its improvement\\nbecause it was called Peace Creek. The Legislature has changed its\\nname to Peace River, and an appropriation will doubtless be forth-\\ncoming, that Polk may have a navigable outlet to the Gulf. Kissim-\\nmee River forms its Ea.\u00c2\u00ab:tern l)oundary and the Drainage Company has\\nrecently rendered that navigable. Hence, as Polk County is becom-\\ning known, her water ways are being made ready for use. Canals could", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0054.jp2"}, "55": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 49\\nalso be easily cut, and thus her magnificent lakes could be utilized for\\ntransportation.\\nI take great pride in the glorious development of Orange\\nCounty during the past five years, since the commencement of her\\nrailroads in 1880, feeling that I have contributed my mite thereto,\\nand would add to rather than diminish one word I have said in her\\npraise. Her population and wealth have quadrupled, her citizens are\\nthe creme de la creme of the whole country the number of buildings\\nerected and the business industries developing there are astonishing\\nand her wild lands have increased in value from $1.25 to $25, to $50,\\nto $100 per acre, while near the numerous thrifty, fast growing towns\\n$200 to $500, and even $1,000 per acre, is no uncommon price. Even\\nthis progress is surpassed in the most wonderful city of Orlando, the\\ncounty seat, where (I quote ,an editorial in the Reporter of that\\ncity) business lots sell at the rate of thirty-six thousand dollars\\n($36,000) per acre. Yet three to four years ago the pine woods were\\ngrowing over nearly all the present site of the city. I know this to\\nbe a fact for I was there.\\nThere seems to be no possible reason why the development of\\nPolk County should not be equally great and even more rapid. I\\nhave referred on previous pages to her advantages and attractions.\\nPolk County was much more developed when the first railroad\\nreached her county seat, last January, than was Orange when a like\\nevent occurred, and five years will make even greater changes here\\nthan the same period has there, wonderful and surprising as the de-\\nvelopments have been.\\nBartow has abundant room for expansion in all directions, and\\nespecially to the South, along one of the very finest and most desira-\\nble plateaus to be found in any State, Already dwellings and beau-\\ntiful groves are quite numerous and rapidly increasing. Soon the\\nwhole twelve miles from Bartow to Fort Meade will be one continuous\\nvillage. The prices of lands are very moderate yet, but the rush of\\nemigration is assuming such immense proportions that prices are sure\\nto advance very rapidly. There is no mistaking the determination of\\nthe people of the other States throughout the Union to immigrate\\nfrom the regions of terrific storms and destructively cold and severe\\nwinters. This is evidenced not only by the numbers already settling\\nand prospecting, but also by the interest manifested everywhere, even\\nacross the Atlantic, in Florida, and more especially in South Florida.\\nThe increase of values has been, and is, so great that many who\\nhad purchased larger tracts than they really needed, so much less land\\nbeing required here than in other sections, were able in a short time\\nto pay for the whole by selling a part, so greatly had the value\\nadvanced. The same will be the experience of thousands of others\\nwho invest here before prices get beyond their means.\\nPOPULATION.\\nIn 1850, the whole county was virtually untrodden by the foot of\\nthe white man, save at intervals by an adventurous hunter, though\\nthere were a few, and but a very few, log cabins to be found among\\nthe head waters of the Alafia and Hillsboro Rivers. Even the few", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0055.jp2"}, "56": {"fulltext": "60 homeland/\\nadventurous pioneers who located there sought safer quarters upon\\nthe outbreak of the Indian troubles in 1854, consequently 1860 found\\na very limited number of settlers in the county, and they had not\\neven a court-house, nor was the site determined until 1866, when the\\ncounty building was erected at Bartow. Nor was there a church\\nbuilding or a store, and none but the most primitive of school houses.\\nBy the census of 1870 the population is given as 3,113, but the number\\nis believed to be largely exaggerated, as the reliable census of 1880\\ngave but 3,156 population. These figures are largely increased by\\nimmigration, during the past five years, from all parts of the Union,\\nthe estimated present population being about 7,000, having doubled\\nin five years. A census will be taken during the summer, which will\\ngive the exact figures, and be published in the Trade Edition of the\\nTivies- Union in Octoher. From this time the population is sure to\\ndouble very rapidly.\\nREAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY.\\nBy reference to the tax books of 1866, I find 132 white males\\nover 21 and under 55 years old, and 80 colored. The 13,752 acres of\\nand owned by individuals was valued at $50,104 the capital in trade,\\n$4,000. There were 352 horses and mules, valued at $33,975. The\\ncattle, hogs, etc., numbered 87,696, with an assessed value of $178,174,\\nThere Avere 272 sheep and goats, valued at $716. The carriages,\\ncarts and wagons numbered 135, and Avere valued at $4,270.\\nHousehold furniture was valued at $8,505; musical instruments,\\njcAvelry, etc., at $485. Total valuation, $325,604. Tax assessed,\\n$2,024.02; collected, $1,920.67. The poll-tax was $3 each.\\nIn 1870, the number of polls has increased to 259, and the tax is\\nreduced from $3 each poll to 50 cents. The land assessed is 15,117\\nacres, with a valuation of $19,133, Of this land 1,943 acres are im-\\nproved, or cultivated, the value of the improvements being $23,051.\\nThere are 423 horses, 1 ass, 47 mules, 28,401 neat and stock cattle,\\n189 sheep and goats, and 3,684 swine. The valuation of household\\nfurniture, etc., is $105,627,and the fiill cash value of personal property\\nis $303, 489. The State tax was $1,745.14; county tax, $872.57, and\\nthe school tax, $698.05.\\nIn 1880, the number of acres assessed have increased to 29,022\\nacres improved, 1,535; valuation, $70,090; valuation of town lots and\\nimprovements, $13,590; horses and mules, 655; cattle, 22,030; sheep\\nand goats, 554; swine, 6,330; full cash value of animals, $156,234\\nvalue of personal property, except animals, $69,343 aggregate value,\\n$225,577 while of real estate and personal property it is $309,257.\\nTotal state tax, $2,375.30 total county tax, 2,529.93, of which the\\ngeneral school tax was $309.26 county schools, $773.14. Males over\\n21 and under 55 are 421.\\nIn 1881, the assessed valuation was $368,870 in 1882, $684,702;\\nin 1883, $1,036,223; in 1884 it had increased to $1,689,053. During\\nthe past year the increase has been very much greater than in any\\nprevious year, as is shown by the assessment now in preparation. A\\nnumber of new and substantially built towns, with stores, post offices,\\nchurches, schools, telegraph and other offices, railroad depots, and the", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0056.jp2"}, "57": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 51\\nvaried appliances of energetic civilization having taken the place of\\nthe primeval forest.\\nIn 1884, we find the number over 21 and under 55 to have in-\\ncreased from the 212 of 1866 to 670; the 13,752 acres of assessed\\nland in 1866 have increased to 223,196 acres in 1884; the improved\\nto 7,288 acres. The value of the land is $1,122,758; of town lots,\\n$59,025. The number of horses, asses and mules is 950 cattle, 24,-\\n108 sheep and goats, 1,651 hogs, 7,134, with $225,421 as the cash\\nvalue, and $279,149 as the value of other personalty, making a total\\nof $504,570 for personal and $1,686,373 of both real and personal\\nproperty. The general revenue tax of three mills yields $5,405.91\\nthe school tax of one mill gives $1,420.73; making the total state tax\\n$7,092.94. The county tax proper is $4,560.98 school, $5,059.91\\nspecial, $1,688.73 for court-house, $6,748.94 making a total for\\ncounty proper of $18,056.86 it being two and a half mills; while the\\ntotal tax of the county for 1884 was $25,149.80. The present year\\nshoAvs a very large increase of improvements and of resources of all\\nkinds.\\nSCHOOLS.\\nVery greatly increased interest is being shown in educational\\nmatters. The number of pupils of lawful age is about 2,000. There\\nare fifty-three schools organized, of which two are colored. Bartow,\\nFort Meade and Lakeland employ assistant teachers. The last two\\nhave just erected fine new school buildings and Bartow will soon invest\\nabout $20,000 in supplying her needs in the matter of educational\\nfacilities.\\nORANGE GROVES.\\nThe number and acreage of orange groves has increased im-\\nmensely with the increase of transportation facilities, having proba-\\nbly doubled within the past two years. At Bartow, the most reliable\\nestimates give not less than 12,000 trees in grove form, with some\\nmillions, from one to five years old, in nursery. The most of the\\ntrees in the groves are set thirty feet apart, though many are set at a\\nless distance, thus increasing the number, as my estimate is for fifty\\ntrees per acre. At Fort Meade there are about four hundred acres in\\ngrove, or some 20,000 trees, while there are millions in nursery. Here,\\ntoo, the amount of land being set to orange trees is increasing with\\nwonderful rapidity. A trip over the twelve miles between Bartow\\nand Fort Meade shows a very large acreage of groves that are either\\niji bearing or are making astonishing progress. They are of all ages.\\nThere are also numerous groves, not only near other prominent cen-\\ntres, like Lakeland, Acton, Auburndale, Winter Haven, etc., but also\\nthroughout the whole extent of this climatically-favored county,\\nwhere much of the soil is so fertile that trees reach maturity without\\nfertilization and also yield good crops, year after year, to the cultiva-\\ntor. Many groves are in bearing and give immense returns of deli-\\ncious golden fruit to their happy and prosperous owners.\\nA WORD OF ADVICE.\\nTo the thousands whose thoughts are turned towards Florida, I\\nwould say, be very careful to consider South Florida by itself. Do", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0057.jp2"}, "58": {"fulltext": "52 HOMELAND.\\nnot fail to make the distinction necessary between South Florida, and\\nespecially between Polk County, and the State at large. Every por-\\ntion has its own especial attractions, advantages, comforts and discom-\\nforts. Each section should be judged by itself and stand or fall on\\nits own merits or demerits. Do not forget that Florida is a very large\\nState. Do not fail to remember that though the whole four hundred\\nmiles from north to south, bears the name of Florida, the climate and\\nproductions are very much diverse from those of any equal extent of\\nterritory in the North, the great West, or the South. Do not fail to\\ngive due weight to the fact that South Florida is a peninsula that\\nthe Gulf Stream flows along its western, southern and eastern coasts,\\nmodifying its climate, its temperatui-e and its productions. Do not\\nfail to remember that the delicious and invigorating benefits de-\\nrived from the trade winds are only to be secured in South Florida.\\nRemember that the life-giving, heat-dispelling breezes of the day and\\nthe soothing, sleep-inducing, strength-resting coolness of the nights are\\nonly to be secured in their full perfection in South Florida, of which\\nPolk Countv is the most desirable and advantageous centre.\\nDo you fear troublesome insects or reptiles, remember that Polk\\nCounty is centrally situated, and that its elevation above the sea and\\nthe absence of salt or other marshes gives it an exemption unkown on\\nthe coast. In many of the higher and more prominent localities mos-\\nquito bars are unknown. In fact, it is more exempt from insects and\\nother pests than the average localities of the Union.\\nEspecially do not group all the eight distinct belts or zones of Flor-\\nida as one homogenous whole, as their characteristics are very decidedly\\nvaried, and their productious essentially different. Polk Qbunty is\\ndecidedly semi-tropical, and its productions very, very different from\\nother parts of the country. Those who come here have to unlearn the\\nlessons they have learned in other parts of the Union and begin anew\\nif they would succeed.\\nIf you are so situated that you are perfectly and undeniably con-\\ntented where you are, do not come to Polk County.\\nIf you cannot tear yourself away from old associations and form\\nnew, do not come to Polk or any other county in Florida. This land\\nhas been reserved by Providence for those who desire to renew shat-\\ntered health or fortunes, as thousands are doing, and for a hapj^y and\\ndelightful abode.\\nThe people here are as good, as kind, as sociable, and as generous\\nto their acquaintances or to strangers as those of any country in the\\nworld. There is no difficulty in securing pleasant homes here. In\\nfact, there is less rancor in politics or in religion than in any other\\npart of the world. The people desire increased immigration, especially\\nof educated, refined and well-to-do people, as that insures more\\nand better schools, churches, stores, roads, cultivated fields and im-\\nprovements generally that appertain to the highest civilization.\\nEverything is progressive here. The capacities and capabilities of\\nthis section are wonderful, but their development has hardly com-\\nmenced.\\nIf you desire to practice farming, as at the North or West, stay\\nthere. Though corn can be raised here and sold at a price that makes\\nit more profitable than at the far West, this is not an agricultural, but", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0058.jp2"}, "59": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND.\\n53\\na fruit and vegetable country. The farms must here be made gardens\\nor orchards, and the intensive system of cultivation must prevail to se-\\ncure the best results. Larger returns are secured from five acres here\\nthan from fifty at the North. Consequently, though large holdings will\\ngive a great profit from the rapidly-increasing values of land, a few\\nacres give all that is needed for the purposes of cultivation. It is\\nsimply a question of large returns from a few acres here or small in-\\ncome from each of many acres in other sections.\\nYou can buy a through ticket to Bartow, Polk County, Florida,\\nat any of the leading railroad offices of the country. This will take\\nyou all the way by rail, or you can go by steamer from the principal\\nEastern cities to Fernandina, and thence by rail to Bartow, or you\\ncan make the trip from Jacksonville to Sanford by steamer up the\\nSt. Johns River, and the remainder of the trip by the South Florida\\nRailroad.\\nMen have come without moneyed resources and have prospered,\\nsecuring wealth by their own labor and enterprise, but the majority of\\npeople will find it more pleasant to be provided with a reasonable\\namount of cash ready for use, in case they are pleased with the oppor-\\ntunities for investment.\\nDo not expect to find things here altogether the same as in the\\nplace from which you came. If they were, you might as well stay at\\nhome. Climate, soil and vegetation, all, are different from the North-\\nern or Western country^ Difference in lattitude produces a differ-\\nence in the habits of the people.\\nHere you can comfortably pass the most of your time in the open\\nair, hence, if the hugging of a base-burner coal stove and the breathing\\nof a close and poisonous atmosphere be your chief delight, remain where\\nthey abound, for such have no place in South Florida. Here the sun\\ngives the requisite amount of heat, and the delicious breezes supply\\nan abundance of pure and wholesome air to breathe.\\nIf you should be so fortunate as to come to Polk County, do not\\nbe so egotistical as to think you know more about the country and the\\nway things should be done than those who have been here for years\\nand obtained their knowledge by experience. However smart and\\nwise you may esteem yourself, it will be well for you to remember\\nthat the people here are your peers at least. They not only have a\\npractical knowledge, but many of them are quite as highly educated\\nand cultured as yourself.\\nIn the villages you will find as good and as intelligent society as\\nin any part of the Union, and in the country, as kindly neighbors as\\nare to be found anywhere nor will you be farther from them than in\\nother parts of the country at large.\\nDo not be in too much of a hurry at first, but settle down quietly\\nin some pleasant locality, rest from your journey and make yourself\\nacquainted with the characteristics of things about you.\\nDo not locate on land that is flooded at times of high water. It\\nmay be cheaper at first, but it will prove more expensive, as well as\\ndisagreeable, after. There is plenty of good land, but there is much\\nmore that is undesirable.\\nAll who propose to make a stay of a few, or many years, in South\\nFlorida, should purchase land and improve at least a portion of it.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0059.jp2"}, "60": {"fulltext": "54 HOMELAND.\\nLand here is rapidly increasing in value, and will continue so to do\\nuntil the minimum price of the best lands will be not less than $1,000\\nper acre. Those with groves will be worth much more, while in towns\\nand cities the value will be rated by tens of thousands of dollars.\\nThe rapid advance in the prices of land in South Florida is not due\\nto a speculative boom, but to its substantial development. The advance\\nhas been steady from year to year with the increase of population,\\nand of the facilities for railroad transportation.\\nThe new comer requires more cash capital now than a few\\nyears since for several reasons; the lands are higher-priced, and conse-\\nquently more money is required to secure a place people also build\\nmuch better houses, as a rule, and also live and dress more expensively;\\nthere are more of the appliances of what is called modern civilization.\\nThose who choose can rough it, but it is difficult to get far away\\nfrom neighbors.\\nIf one comes here with the design to work for others and there\\nis much work being done he should also secure at least a few acres\\nof land and make it his savings bank and donate his spare time, his\\ndimes aiid dollars to its improvement. He will thus, in a few years,\\nbecome independent.\\nWomen feel the change from an old country to a new more than\\nmen, as it is more difficultfor them to form new associations, but as they\\nare credited with the possession of more tact, patience, self-denial and\\nself-sacrifice, they should be able to endure the breaking of old ties,\\nthat the fortunes of the family may be permanently bettered.\\nLadies who delight in flowers can have their yards filled with the\\nmost beautiful throughout the year, there being no destructive freezes\\nhere, and but few, if any, frosts. They can enjoy a wealth of bloom\\nthroughout the year.\\nHere one can live in cottage or mansion, as means or taste may\\ndictate. Social distinction] is not based upon wealth, but upon energy,\\nintelligence and true and desirable qualities of heart and mind.\\nTHE POLITICAL SITUATION.\\nYou need not fear being ostracised should you be a conscientious\\nRepublican. There does not seem to be half the bitterness of party\\nfeeling here that there is in other parts of the country. There are and\\nhave been, but very few negroes here, consequently the race bitterness\\nof some sections of the South is unknown. This is a white man s\\ncountry, and it is also becoming quite cosmopolitan, hence, the\\nquestion is, What kind of a man are you? not What is your poli-\\ntics Speech is as free here as at the North or West, but people\\ncome here to make orange groves, to retrieve wasted health, to make\\ndelightful homes, and to secure either competence or fortunes, not to\\ndabble in political cess-pools. The older residents are mostly Demo-\\ncrats, the later arrivals represent all parties, while the tendency is for\\nthe better elements to work together to secure the greatest possible\\ngood for this section of the country. There is no surveilance of or\\ndisturbance at the polls. Election days pass oft quietly, and as the\\nballot is cast so is it counted.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0060.jp2"}, "61": {"fulltext": "THE SOUTH FLORIDA RAILROAD.\\nLeaving the main line of the South Florida Railroad at Bartow\\nJunction, the tourist passes over the Bartow Branch, 17 miles, to Bar-\\ntow, the county site^of Polk County, one of the most beautiful towns\\nin South Florida.\\nThe situation of Bartow and the surrounding country is such as\\nto give promise of a large increase in population, in business and in\\nimportance in the near future. The connection made by the railroad\\nline with Tampa on the West coast and Sanford on the St. Johns\\nRiver, has added very materially to the prosperity of the town, and\\nwhere only a few years ago wild land was found are now to be seen\\ncharming dwellings, beautifully located and surrounded by flourishing\\n\u00e2\u0096\u00a0orange groves.\\nThe South Florida Railroad, in every way consistent with busi-\\nness principles, develops the country through which it passes and\\ngives to the new settler all advantages to add to his income by prompt\\ndelivery of produce at the Northern markets, and keeps producers\\nwell informed as to market values by constant telegraphic reports\\nfrom New York, which are posted three times weekly at prominent\\nplaces in towns along its line.\\nThe Bartow Branch passes through some of the most beautiful\\nand fertile land in South Florida through the centre of the noted\\nLake Region of Polk County. The road passes along on the summit\\nof a ridge, on both sides of which bright lakes are seen, on whose\\nshores are found a succession of orange groves and gardens.\\nThe soil around Bartow is particularly adapted to vegetable\\nculture, and the departure of trains from that point is such as to\\nenable the producers to put their vegetables into a Northern mai-ket\\nin the shortest possible time. Rail communication is soon to be open-\\ned over the main line of the South Florida Railroad by a branch to\\nthe North, connecting with the Florida Southern and then on to the\\npoint of connection of that road with the Savannah, Florida and\\nWestern. This will materially reduce the time from Bartow and\\nmake the place as easily accessible to the tourist, business man or\\ninvalid as has been Jacksonville in the past years.\\nThe lines of the South Florida Telegraph Company extend from\\nBartow to all points on the line of the South Florida Railroad and\\nits branches, and at several of these points connects with the wires of other\\ncompanies, making direct telegraphic communication between Bartow\\nand all points in the North, South and West, as well as to points in\\nCuba.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0061.jp2"}, "62": {"fulltext": "66 HOMELAND.\\nWinter Haven, one of the most beautiful spots in Polk County, is\\nsituated 5 miles from Bartow Junction, and 12 miles northeast of\\nBartow, surrounded by lakes. One can there feel almost safe from\\nfrosts, as the cold winds are tempered by the warmer water over\\nwhich they pass. This town, while started only a few months since,\\nis already a prosperous and growing community and gives promise of\\nincreased prosperity in the future.\\nTrains leave Tampa and Sanford both morning and evening for\\nBartow and points on the Bartow Branch. The tourist and hunter\\nwill find no more delightful country than that through which the\\nBartow Branch of the South Florida Railroad passes, being unequal-\\nled in scenery, and aflTording to the sportsman all kinds of game and\\nin the lakes a variety of fish unknown outside of Florida waters.\\nFirst-class passenger accommodations are furnished by the railroad,\\nparlor cars over the main line, air brakes, steel rails, smooth road-\\nbed and all the comforts that can be found on the large Northern\\nroads.\\nTickets for Bartow can be procured at all the principal points in\\nthe North, East or West, at the Savannah, Florida and Western\\nticket office in Jacksonville, or on boats of Peoples Line of steamers.\\nFor further information, apply to Frederic H. Rand, General\\nFreight and Passenger Agent.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0062.jp2"}, "63": {"fulltext": "OFFICIAL DIRECTORY\\nOF\\nPOLK COUNTY, FLORIDA.\\nCircuit Court Sixth Judicial Circuit H, L. Mitchell, Judge\\nS. M. Sparkman, State Attorney.\\nCounty Commissioners Col. J. N. Hooker, Chairman J. F.\\nKelley, J. H. Kirkland, N. B. Norton, B. F. Holland.\\nCounty Judge James A. Fortner, Bartow.\\nCounty Clerk William H. Johnson, Bartow.\\nBoard of Public Instruction M. D. L. Mayo, Chairman\\nJ. T. Wilson, J. W. Brandon.\\nSuperintendent of Schools John Snoddy, Bartow.\\nCounty Surveyor J. W. Boyd, Bartow.\\nCounty Assessor U. A. Lightsey, Fort Meade.\\nCounty Collector J. B. Tillis, Fort Meade.\\nCounty Treasurer F. F. Beville, Bartow.\\nSheriff R. T. Kilpatrick, Bartow.\\nNEWSPAPERS.\\nBartow Informant, Ba,rtoyv G. A. Hanson, Editor D. W. D.\\nBoully, Publisher.\\nLakeland News, Lakeland L. M. Ballard, Editor and Publisher.\\nFort Meade Pioneer, Fort Meade; F.Q.Crawford, Editor and\\nPublisher.\\nJUSTICES OF THE PEACE.\\nPrecinct No. 1 D. C. Lancaster, H. E. Padgette, Chicora P. O.\\nPrecinct No. 2\u00e2\u0080\u0094 V. L. Tillis, Fort Meade.\\nPrecinct No. 3 George S. Durrance, Bartow.\\nPrecinct No. 4 R. E. Windham, Medulla.\\nPrecinct No. 5 J. W. Tucker, Lakeland.\\nPrecinct No. 6 William L. Patterson, Sanitaria.\\nPrecinct No. 9 J. A. Fortner, Bartow.\\nPrecinct No. 10 Eppes Tucker, Lakeland.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0063.jp2"}, "64": {"fulltext": "DESCRIPTIONS OF LOCALITIES.\\nBARTOW.\\nProminent among the energetic, pushing, beautiful and rapidly-\\ngrowing towns of South Florida is Bartow, the central and capital\\ntown of far-famed Polk County. It is situated near the centre of the\\nelevated and fertile ridge of land, the backbone of the peninsula,\\nthat extends in a northerly and southerly direction until lost in the\\nflat lands of the counties in the extreme southern portion of the State;\\nHere, however, the road-bed of the South Florida Railroad has an\\n\u00e2\u0082\u00aclevation of 114 feet.\\nAt and surrounding Bartow, on every side, are large quantities\\nof the most fertile and the most desirable lands that are to be found\\nanywhere in the State of Florida. The vigorous growth of the beau-\\ntiful pine, intermingled with an abundance of oak of a number of\\nvarieties, is a surprise to the visitor who had become tired and wearied\\nof the ceaseless, unbroken pine presented by so many sections. There\\nis a charm in variety, and a fertile soil has an undeniable attractive-\\nness.\\nAnother surprise that arrests the attention of the visitor, is the\\nfirm and solid tread that greets the impress of the foot of man and\\nbeast. No wading through deep and difficult sands, but hard, smooth\\nand enduring pathways. There is also a variety of surface, which is\\ngently rolling, precluding the monotony caused by broad stretches of\\nflat lands. Here are hill and dale, with gentle swells, furnishing de-\\nlightful building sites and ample drainage the central portion of the\\ntown being higher than the surrounding and contiguous country.\\nThe broad streets and avenues cross each other at right-angles,\\nthe blocks being of one acre each. Along the streets and in- the yards\\nof the residents are numerous vigorous oaks and other trees that give\\nmost delightful and congenial shade, the like of which is to be\\nfound in but few places outside of the fertile ridge of Polk County.\\nHere, too, are vigorous orange trees, laden with an immense quantity\\nof the apples of the Hesperides\u00e2\u0080\u0094 fit food for the gods.\\nThe centre of attraction, and of business, is the capacious,\\nelegantly and substantially furnished court-house, the finest in South\\nFlorida, w^ich occupies not only a central, but also the highest, part\\nof the town. The fence around it encloses a square of one acre of\\nland one block which is surrounded by a line of posts connected\\nby chain cables. About a rod within is a substantial picket fence.\\nOn the four streets surrounding, and their extensions, are grouped\\nmany of the stores, offices, hotels and business houses.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0064.jp2"}, "65": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 59\\nThe depot of the South Florida Railroad is situated about half a\\nmile to the southeast of the court-house which is thus secure from the\\nannoyance caused by the noise of trains, the roar, jostle and push of\\nactive business. The court-house fixes the centre, and new buildings,\\nmostly of a very neat, elegant or substantial character, are being\\nerected in every direction around it. Evidently, judging from the\\npresent rate of progress, it will be but very few years before the whole\\nof the four miles comprising the area of the corporation of Bartow\\nwill be completely covered with buildings and groves, from sixty to\\nseventy new buildings having been erected and many acres set in\\norange groves since the advent of the South Florida Railroad, last\\nJanuary, while work on both is progressing very rapidly.\\nA careful computation shows that about one-sixth of the area of\\nthe corporation, some four hundred acres or more, are already occu-\\npied by buildings, groves, nurseries, etc. Lemons, limes, guavas,\\nbananas, grape fruit, Japan plums and persimmons, strawberries and\\na long list of other fruits are cultivated, as well as oranges, besides the\\nbeautiful shrubs, flowers, running vines, etc., etc., that adorn the\\nyards of so many of the residents. This is the true Homeland,\\nwhere meet the productions of both the temperate and the semi-tropic\\nzones, where harvests are continuous and where flowers bloom all the\\nyear, destructive freezes being almost, or virtually, unknown, and\\nfrosts rare and mild its comparatively low latitude giving it much\\ngreater exemption from these destructive influences than localities at\\nany distance to the north.\\nThe survey of the Florida Southern Railroad runs within less\\nthan a quarter of a mile to the west of the court-house, and work is\\nprogressing rapidly a line already building from Tavares to Char-\\nlotte Harbor is to run through Bartow a road is chartered from\\nBartow to Tampa, and other roads are expected to link Bartow with\\nother parts of the State in all desirable directions, making it a lively\\nrailroad and general business centre. In fact, its future seems to be\\nindisputably assured as one of the most important and desirable busi-\\nness centres of South Florida.\\nBartow is the natural business centre of a large extent of the\\nmost fertile country, as well as the most healthful and salubrious and\\ndesirable, that any part of Florida affords. The water, too, is excel-\\nlent, and is readily secured by boring or digging through alternate\\nstrata of sand and clay to a depth of 25 to 30 feet, at which depth\\nthe supply is constant and unlimited. There is also a surprising and\\nunexpected exemption from insect pests, mosquitoes being few in\\nnumber and so rarely seen that bars are unused and unnecessary.\\nFlies, gnats, etc., are also limited in quantity and fleas are disappear-\\ning as the laws banish the hogs.\\nThe prices of lands are very reasonable, considering Bartow s\\nimportance as a trade centre the rapidity with which the town is\\nbuilding in every direction; the prospects as regards railroad facilities;\\nthe favorable location for a variety of manufactories the fertility of\\nthe soil; the delicious healthfulness of the climate the large quantity\\nof choice outlying lands the great variety of fruits and vegetables\\nthat can be successfully and profitably raised and marketed the\\nmany beautiful and desirable locations for homes and for business", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0065.jp2"}, "66": {"fulltext": "60 HOMELAND.\\nplaces the social and enterprising character of the people~and many\\nother reasons that will suggest themselves to the visitor.\\nThe first settlement in the corporation s limits was made in 1851.\\nIn 1852 several families settled in the near vicinity. Being far dis-\\ntant from transportation and without good roads Tampa, on the Gulf\\nof Mexico, forty\u00c2\u00abfive miles distant, being the nearest trading post and\\npost-office the population increased very slowly, notwithstanding the\\nremarkable fertility of the soil and delicious salubrity of the climate.\\nIn 1866, Bartow was made the county seat and the International\\nOcean Telegraph line was built, and opened an office here. The first\\nstore was built and opened the same year. The court-house, a hotel, a\\nschool-house and Masonic lodge, and several other buildings, were also\\nerected in 1866. Then things resumed their usual quiet course, the\\nlack of transportation being an insurmountable obstacle.\\nThe population increased very slowly and no attempt was made\\nto build a town. The chief industry of the people was the raising of\\ncattle and agricultural products for home use. The people were self-\\nsupporting from the fertile soil. In 1868, Capt. David Hughes located\\nhere, built a store-house, and went into the cattle business on a large\\nscale. W. T. Carpenter had the first and only store for the sale of\\ngoods, from early in 1865 to 1870, when Capt. Hughes opened his\\nstore to the public and has since done an immense trade.\\nThus matters continued until 1881, in a quiet humdrum way, the\\npeople being virtually isolated from the outside world. They had\\nplenty on which to live, but little else, on account of the lack of mar-\\nkets and the difficulties and expense of transportation. They neces-\\nsarily became self-reliant they were happy and contented crime was\\nvery rare. Railroads were chartered occasionally, but until 1880 none\\nwere built in South Florida. That year the South Florida Railroad\\nw^as built from Sanford to Orlando, and extended in 1881 to Kissimmee.\\nIt was chartered to run through Bartow to Tampa. Then railroad\\ntalk became rife a few enterprising prospectors scoured Polk County\\nsearching for desirable lands, and brought back glowing reports of the\\nbeauty, fertility and delicious salubrity of the country. They dwelt\\nwith enthusiam upon the rich lands, the vigorous growths of oak and\\npine and other woods, the running streams, the rolling country, the\\npleasant vales, the lovely building sites, the inexpressible deliciousness\\nof the climate, and the wonderful opportunities to secure fortunes.\\nG. W. Smith, one of Bartow s most enterprising citizens and\\nprominent merchants, came in the spring of 1881 the trip from Or-\\nlando, with his family and household effects, being %nade in ox-carts\\nover rough trails and swollen unbridged streams. They were eight days\\non the way, camping at night. Is it any wonder that Bartow, or Polk\\nCounty, fertile and delicious section as it is, is not more thickly\\npeopled, or that now the South Florida Railroad has its present termi-\\nnus at Bartow, people should be rapidly pushing into the country\\nto secure homes Mr. Smith was pleased with the country, its advan-\\ntages and its opportunities, and having had extensive experience in\\nother sections, he knew a good thing when he saw it. He therefore\\npurchased about one-sixth of the then surveyed town, bought a saw-\\nmill, and later opened a store, to which he has made successive addi-\\ntions to accommodate his steadily increasing business. During the", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0066.jp2"}, "67": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 61\\nyear he proposes to build a still larger and elegant store, though his\\npresent place holds an immense stock of goods.\\nBut I have neither the time nor the space to trace the individual\\nhistory of Bartow. The impetus it received in 1881 has been earn-\\nestly progressive. July 1, 1882, the corporate government was organ-\\nized, J. H. Humphries, Esq., the present Polk County delegate to the\\nConstitutional Convention, being elected Mayor. Only twenty-eight\\nlegal voters were found in the corporation limits, and of these twenty-\\ntwo were present. They knew the time had come for Bartow to move.\\nThe population is now about 700.\\nNumbers of new buildings were erected during the season of 1882\\nand 1883. Prominent among them were a Baptist and Methodist\\nchurch, as well as stores and dwellings. Since that time building has\\nbeen steady, progressive and continuous. In 1884, the old court-house\\nwas removed and the present fine and attractive structure erected.\\nAlso a fine hotel, an opera-house, and numbers of stores, residences,\\netc. In January of the present year, the South Florida Railroad\\nreached Bartow, infusing new life into town and country. Its projec-\\ntion, its^survey, and building to Tampa, had given a great impetus\\nto the purchase of land and the setting out of groves, but an actual\\nrailroad here not only gave people the opportunity to come and see\\nfor themselves, but it also greatly facilitated and cheapened the trans-\\nportation of supplies of all kinds. The manner in which its approach,\\neven, gave an impetus to business and enterprise is evidenced by the\\nfact that of the 12,000 orange trees set in grove, in the corporation\\nlimits, about half has been the work of the past two years. This fact\\nalone indicates whether the many new comers have been pleased with\\nthe advantages offered by this section to clear-headed and enterprising\\nmen. Here many have builded their fortunes anew, many have made\\nfor themselves lovely homes.\\nThe Bartow of to-day comprises a beautiful tract of rolling coun-\\ntry, wide streets crossing: each other at right angles, beautiful oaks and\\nother delightful shade trees scattered throughout the corporation, sub-\\nstantial plank sidewalks and crossings in the chief business portion of\\nthe town, though the ground is so firm, and yet absorbs the falling\\nrain so quickly, that they are very much less needed than in other sec-\\ntions of the country. The untraveled parts of the streets, the uncul-\\ntivated parts of the yards and the fields are covered with a vigorous\\ngrowth of grass. Orange groves abound, and outside of the business\\npart of the rapidly-growing town the lessening tracts of pine, and of\\npine intermingled with oak, are patiently awaiting their destiny, for\\nthey will soon be removed to make place for buildings and groves,\\nand gardens of fruits, vegetables and flowers.\\nTo note the town itself, the large two-story court-house, with its\\ntower and four gables, is an appropriate starting point. On the corner\\nof Main Street and Broadway Avenue, to the south, is the general mer-\\nchandise store of Capt.David Hughes, well stocked with every variety\\nof general merchandise, which is sold by his gentlemanly and atten-\\ntive clerks at very satisfactory prices. The stock is not only large,\\nbut the yearly sales are immense, some years reaching as high figui-es\\nas $60,000. Two additions have been made to the store since it was\\nfirst built, to make room for the constantly increasing stock, attrac-", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0067.jp2"}, "68": {"fulltext": "62 HOMELAND.\\ntively displayed, and last spring the active and wide-awake Captain,\\na Colonel and Commandant of the Militia of Polk County by com-\\nmission, purchased the handsome and commodious opera-house and\\nremoved the clothing and gentlemen s furnishing goods to the ground\\nfloor, whereon is one of the most elegant and commodious stores in\\ntown. Yet his old store is full to overflowing. In front of Captain\\nHughes store is a row of vigorous sour orange trees, protected by heaps\\nof stone at their base.\\nWesterly from the court-house, on Broadway, is the general\\nmerchandise store of George W. Smith, the pioneer merchant of this\\ndecade. His stock of goods is varied and extensive, but though his\\nbuilding is large and commodious he is unable to give them any-\\nthing like an appropriate display. He will soon remedy this, how-\\never, by the erection of a new and creditable store, where he will con-\\ntinue his present immense business.\\nThe Lang Brothers; on Broadway, directly west of the court-\\nhouse, have a very fine and attractive stock of dry goods, clothing,\\ngentlemen s furnishing goods, and boots and shoes, as well as a choice\\nselected stock of staple and fancy groceries, canned goods, tobaccos,\\netc. The store is kept as neat as a parlor, and the goods are displayed\\nin excellent style, while their prices are very moderate and encourag-\\ningly satisfactory. Their customers receive the most polite and\\ngentlemanly attention, and those who once patronize them are sure to\\ngo again.\\nColonel J. N. Hooker Co s fine and well-stocked general\\nmerchandise store, on Main Street, to the southeast of the court-house,\\ndeserves a more than passing notice. It is not only an extensive,\\nneat and well-lighted establishment, but contains a very heavy stock\\nof general merchandise, embracing every variety, which are sold at\\nprices to suit the times, by his attentive and gentlemanly clerks.\\nThe Colonel is Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. He\\nalso has a large general merchandise store at Fort Meade.\\nNortheast of the court-house is the extensive hardware store of\\nthe Reed Brothers, solidly packed with the great variety of articles\\nin general demand, in the way of stoves, plows, pumps, piping, etc.,\\netc. In fact, a variety of general hardware goods and general field\\nand household articles too numerous to mention. They also do a\\ngeneral tinning business, drive and bore wells, etc., etc.\\nNorth of the court-house, w^e observe a floor laid beneath the\\nshade of some handsome water-oaks, and supplied with seats. This is\\na first introduction to the Bartow Furniture Store, which, located\\njust across the sidewalk, has an immense stock of the varied kinds of\\nfurniture most in demand. The goods are so numerous and so closely\\npacked and piled that you can hardly move around, but you can, no\\ndoubt, secure the articles you desire.\\nJ. P. Statham Co. are enterprising druggists and physicians,\\nlocated on Broadway. They have a varied assortment of druggist s\\ngoods, and are doing a popular and very lively business, when the ex-\\nceedingly healthful state of the country is taken into consideration.\\nBaeumel Oppenheimer, on Main Street, south of the court-\\nhouse, are the new druggists from the West, who have built and\\nopened a nice drug-store the present season. Everything is new and", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0068.jp2"}, "69": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 63\\nvery neat and attractive. They also have a handsome soda-water\\nfountain, and dispose of immense quantities of the cooling fluid. They\\nset the example of self-protection from fire by means of a bored well\\nin a rear corner of their store, to which a force-pump is attached.\\nWater is forced to a tank in the attic, from whence, by pipes and hose,\\nit is available in all parts of the building. They also have a Babcock\\nfire extinguisher.\\nL. Lytle has extensive livery, feed and sale stables, just to the\\neast, on Main Street. He also deals extensively in carriages, hay and\\ngrain. He keeps a good supply of iine animals and carriages, and\\ncan insure any one a pleasant drive. Mr. L. is the pioneer livery\\nman of Bartow, and does an immense business.\\nH. T. Dial hasa very extensive steam planing mill near the north\\nedge of the town plat, and a saw-mill at Peace River, thus insuring\\na constant supply of lumber at satisfactory prices. He also has wood-\\nworking attachments, whereby he fills orders for orange boxes, vege-\\ntable crates, brackets, mouldings, etc. He also has a grist mill, and is\\ncontemplating starting a furniture manufactory.\\nJ. M. Dill is the active and energetic contractor and builder,\\nwho is making his progress along the pathway of time, by the erection\\nof substantial and creditable buildings. The work that he has done\\nis his best and most convincing advertisement, and a bright future\\nspurs him to earnest endeavor.\\nMrs. Snoddy s millinery store speaks for itself, and shows that\\nthere are some advantages in this direction, but a lady at one short\\nvisit would have more actudl knowledge of the facts than a man could\\nevolve in a week.\\nThe three leading hotels of Bartow, taken in the order of the age\\nof the buildings, are the Webster House on Main Street, west of the\\ncourt-house, E. Webster, proprietor; the Central House to the\\neast, kept by J. F. Kelly, and the Bartow House on Davidson Street,\\nnorthwest of the court-house, by Dr. R. H. Huddleston. The rates at\\neach are two dollars ($2) a day, the houses present a creditable appear-\\nance, and the proprietors apparently use their best endeavor to pro-\\nmote the satisfaction of their guests. The Webster House is being-\\nenlarged by a handsome two-story front.\\nTigner Tatum, real estate agents, have their office on Main\\nStreet, directly south of the court-house. They are wide-awake and\\nreliable men, thoroughly informed by years of personal experience,\\nwith the varied qualities and values of lands past, present and pros-\\npective. They have large quantities of lands on their books, both im-\\nproved and umimproved, and can suit their customers with town lots,\\nbearing groves, pleasant and desirable residence lots, or wild lands in\\nquantity, as the taste of the purchaser, or the condition of his pocket-\\nbook may dictate. They have been residents of Bartow and in active\\nbusiness here for several years, but had previously become well ac-\\nquainted with other parts of the country, consequently they know land\\nwhen they see it. As they have every kind of land for sale, they\\nhave no occasion to misrepresent the desirability of any particular\\ntract, and their honorable reputation is good evidence that they have\\nno such disposition. They have full faith in the future of South\\nFlorida, and especially of Polk County, and they have good and sub-", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0069.jp2"}, "70": {"fulltext": "64 HOMELAND.\\nstantial reasons for the faith that is in them. They reply promptly\\nto all inquiries with regard to lands and opportunities for investment.\\nJohn C. Wright has an extensive general merchandise store on\\nthe corner of Main Street and Broadway, to the southwest of the court-\\nhouse. He also deals largely in paints, oils, etc., doing an extensive\\nbusiness in all lines. F. D. Beville, one of the early merchants of the\\ntown, as it was commencing its later growth, is his chief clerk.\\nJ. J. McKiNNEY has a pleasant and well-stocked livery and sale\\nstable, a block northeast of the court-house, that is kept in excel-\\nlent shape. He has fine horses and carriages, and the terms are mod-\\nerate. The buildings and outfit are all new, and those who desire a\\npleasant drive about this delightful country, with or without a driver,\\nwill here be promptly suited by the accommodating proprietor.\\nHaving noted the leading firms in active business, a brief sum-\\nmary may aid in giving an idea of the activities that are busy in at-\\ntending to the varied wants, and promoting the devolopment of this\\nsection. These comprise five general merchandise stores, one clothing,\\none hai dware and one furniture store, three hotels, three drugstores,\\ntwo livery stables, several real estate agencies, a news room, telegraph\\noffice, money-order postoffice, express office, and railroad depot, a skat-\\ning rink, a weakly newspaper, two billiard rooms, two barber shops,\\ntwo millinery and dress-making rooms, one photograph gallery, one\\nshoemaker s shop, one blacksmith shop, a bakery, a butcher s shop, a\\nfish market, several restaurants, soda and ice-cream rooms, several\\nboarding houses, a well-stocke\u00c2\u00bb;l harness shop, a watch repairer, a num-\\nber of reputable and skillful physicians, from various parts of the\\nUnion, several educated attorneys, several contx actors and builders,\\ntwo churches with regular preaching, a fire insurance agent, a brass\\nband, a Masonic lodge, and a variety of societies, agencies, etc., a\\ncourt-house and jail, a laundry building, well-stocked with the most ap-\\nproved machinery, that awaits a capable and energetic manager. A\\nplaning mill, with wood-working machinery, is located in town, and\\nthere are several saw mills in the country adjacent. In fact, quite a\\nnumber of industries are located here, but there is room and oppor-\\ntunity for the profitable establishment of many others. Those desir-\\ning to better their condition should note these facts.\\nRETAIL PRICES OF GOODS.\\nMany who come here are surprised to find the prices so much\\nmore reasonable than they expected, especially in dry goods, clothing,\\nboots and shoes, canned goods, etc. Crockery and glass ware are\\nhigher than in most of the Northern and Middle States, in consequence\\nof the high transportation charges on that class of goods, yet they are\\nnot higher than in most parts of the AVest and South. As regards\\nprovisions flour is from $6.50 to $8 per barrel, meal and grits $5\\nper barrel, or 3i cents per pound; bacon, 9 to 10 cents per pound\\nlard, 122 cents; hams, 14 to 15 cents; sugar, 6 to 10 cents; rice, 8\\nto 10 cents; oatmeal, 8 to 12i cents; crackers, 10 cents; butter, 35\\ncents; coffee (best Rio), 14 to 20 cents; tea, 50 cents to $1; nails,\\n4 to 5 cents beans, 8 cents syrup, 40 to 50 cents per gallon kero-\\nsene, 30 to 35 cents eggs, 20 to 25 cents per dozen sweet potatoes,\\n40 cents per bushel Irish 50 cents peck corn, $1 per bushel.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0070.jp2"}, "71": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 65\\nDeLeon mineral springs.\\nThis place of note, that is much visited by the people of Bartow\\nand vicinity, is located about four miles to the southeast of Bartow.\\nIts waters are in great repute as a curative for all diseases of the\\nblood, and of indigestion, dyspeptics finding the use of its waters\\nvery beneficial. An analysis proves them to contain the most bene-\\nficial ingredients of the most celebrated European medicinal springs.\\nThe waters pour forth in immense volumes from unknown depths.\\nThe taste is very pleasant. Dr. R. H. Huddleston, the owner, has\\nbuilt a bathing-house here, and many indulge in the luxury of a bath,\\nthe spring covering some two acres. A railroad from Bartow to the\\nSprings is in contemplation. Here is also one of the most delightful\\nnatural parks, covered with a vigorous growth of trees, to be found\\nin the State. The opportunities for a hotel here are excellent, and\\nsome enterprising company can here secure a fortune, as a little ex-\\npenditure will make it one of the most delightful resorts in America.\\nAny one having capital which they desire to profitably invest\\nwould do well to address Tigner Tatum, Bartow, Florida, who have\\nfull charge of all that pertains to the improvement aud disposition of\\nthis fine property.\\nFORT MEADE.\\nTwelve miles to the south of Bartow is an important centre of\\nbusiness, in a remarkably fertile aud delightful locality, that since\\n1852, at least, has borne the name of Fort Meade. A fort was built\\nhere during the Indian war, to keep the uneasy Seminoles in check,\\nand the population has slowly but steadily increased during the past\\nfew years. It is doubtless the most fertile and productive section of\\nFlorida, but it awaits the near advent of a railroad to give it the\\nnecessary transportation facilities and save the twelve miles freightage\\nby team to the terminus of the South Florida Railroad at Bartow.\\nSeveral roads are chartered that will, without doubt, soon be built\\nthrough this, one of the most attractive parts of Florida, and then its\\ndevelopment cannot fail to make astonishing strides, giving fortunes to\\nthose who have been sufficiently far-sighted to invest here.\\nThe busy village is located just west of Peace River, across which\\nthe corporation lines extend to the east. Sturdy and vigorous live,\\nwater and other oaks give a delightful shade, and thrifty groves of\\norange trees are very prominent. Lemons, limes, guavas, bananas,\\netc., flourish and yield very desirable returns. Within the corporation,\\nand within a mile of the post-office, some four hundred acres are set\\nin orange groves, while the trees in nursery can be counted by mil-\\nlions.\\nApproaching Fort Meade from Bartow, the regular route of travel,\\nby any one of the several roads, you are sure to be much pleased by\\nthe attractive beauty of land and landscape. The frequent homes\\nof settlers with luxuriant orange groves the numerous cultivated fields,\\nchiefly of corn, pease, sweet potatoes and sugar-cane; the running\\nstreams through the beautiful valleys, the hills and the broad swelling\\nplains, all clothed with a luxuriant vegetation, a dense carpet of grass,\\nmagnificent pines, sturdy live oaks, water oaks, with their wide", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0071.jp2"}, "72": {"fulltext": "66 HOMELAND.\\nbranching and dense shade, under which the children can pass many\\na pleasant hour shielded from the rays of a semi-tropical sun thrifty\\npost, willow or turkey oaks, haw bushes that have become trees, wild\\nplum, cherry and persimmon though the chief growth is pine, with\\nscattering oaks, except along the water courses all give rise to emo-\\ntions of pleasure.\\nThe streams all flow into Peace River to the east. Along their\\nbanks are dense growths of sweet and black-gum trees, maples, cy-\\npress, hickory, live oaks, linden, red bay, cabbage, blue, saw and\\nneedle palm, magnolia, whitewood, ash, iron wood, wild sour orange,\\nand other varieties too numerous to mention. Here, too, are wild\\ngrapes and running vines that climb the highest trees, too great in\\nnumber and variety to be enumerated. Surely here is the field for a\\nbotanist for a true lover of nature. Here such can devote their time\\nto study and delightful and refreshing observation.\\nWe must not pause by the way, however, but note as we pass\\nalong, that here, as in other parts of Florida, the land is formed in\\nstrips, or sections, of varying quality. That near Peace River, or on\\neither side of the creeks that flow into it, is usually of the best quali-\\nty. The quality of the soil is evidenced by the character of the\\nvaried growths.\\nHaving arrived at the edge of Fort Meade, the attention is ar-\\nrested by the number, the vigor and the beauty, of the orange groves\\ngrown without the aid of commercial fertilizers. The vigorous water\\noaks along the streets and in the yards, also demand and receive our\\nadmiration. The lovely carpet of Bermuda, or other grasses, with\\nwhich the streets and fields are covered, is suggestive of fine, fat cattle\\nand plenty of milk. Bees, too, would evidently do well here, hence\\nit should be a land of milk and honey.\\nA knoll to the northeast of the village, whereon is a house, be-\\nneath the shade of majestic oaks, and adjoining an orange grove, is\\npointed out as the site of the old fort The Methodist Church is to\\nthe north of the business centre, and the fine new two-story school\\nbuilding is south of west. Across Peace River, to the east, is a long\\nbridge. The town plat is surveyed into lots of four acres, separated\\nby wide streets that cross each other at right-angles. The business\\nhouses are located on Main Street, the post office and drug store on\\nthe corner of this street and Orange Avenue, being the centre. To\\nthe east is the Adams House and to the west is French s Hotel.\\nObservation shows that there are four general merchandise stores,\\ntwo drug stores, two hotels, two pool-rooms, a post office and a tele-\\ngraph office, a millinery store, a barber shop, a livery stable, a black-\\nsmith shop and tools awaiting an enterprising man to put it in opera-\\ntion, a public library, a number of real-estate offices, several physi-\\ncians, and last, but not least, a live newspaper, the Fort Meade Pioneer.\\nTo the north is the Methodist Church, to the west the large two-story\\nschool house. The residences are scattered about in country style,\\nthe most of the houses and the 20,000 orange trees (about 6,000 in\\nbearing) being within a radius of one mile of the post-office. The\\npopulation is about three hundred. The voting precinct, of which\\nthis is the centre, polled 214 votes at the last election.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0072.jp2"}, "73": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 67\\nFrom the earliest settlement, Fort Meade has been a trading\\ncentre of considerable importance, it being the supply point for a\\nlarge extent of country, especially to the east and south. Here the\\ntraders met the drovers from the outlying ranges here many a sale\\nand exchange has been made; here for many years has been the\\ncamping ground.\\nFort Meade was incorporated March 16th of the present year,\\n1885. It is located in the southeast corner of Township 31 south.\\nRange 27 east. Being four miles square, it covers an area of six-\\nteen square miles of the most fertile, productive and attractive lands\\nin the State. The business part of the corporation is in Sections 26\\nand 27, Main Street being just north of the dividing line. John\\nJackson, Deputy Government Surveyor, ran the exterior township\\nlines in 1854, and it was sectioned by W. G. Mosley in the following\\nyear. From the Field Notes I quote the following very unusual and\\nvery flattering\\nGENERAL OBSERVATIONS.\\nThis township is finely adapted for agricultural pursuits, ihe\\nland being mostly of first and second rate quality pine, with dark\\nbrown rocky soil and undulating surface. The Tallakhchopka River,\\nor Pease Creek, runs through it from north to south, with a narrow\\nstream and flat banks, and wide, thick swamps subject to overflow\\nfrom freshets.\\nThe same deadening extends through it north and south and\\nfrom two to three miles in width. The western tiers of sections are\\nflat pine and ponds, third rate land. Settlements thick and numerous\\nthroughout the whole township.\\nThe early settlers invariably selected the most fertile and pro-\\nductive lands, for they were compelled to secure their subsistence\\nfrom the soil hence, as large crops could be raised here without com-\\nmercial fertilizers, the scenery also being very pleasing and attrac-\\ntive, and the climate delightful, it is no wonder that the residents, and\\nalso the increasing numbers of visitors, should deem it the finest sec-\\ntion of Florida. Its low latitude gives it great advantages in the\\nraising of citrus and other semi-tropical fruits, frosts and freezes\\nbeing vei y rare. The thrifty orange groves show the excellent adapta-\\ntion of both soil and climate. Here vegetables grow with wonderful\\nluxuriance all the year, well rewarding the cultivator s attention.\\nThe town has two telegraph lines and a daily mail, and will doubtless\\nhave a railroad within a year, surveys having already been made.\\nA stopping place is necessary for the prospector while he is\\ndetermining where to locate. In this respect Fort Meade is fortunate,\\nhaving two pleasant hotels. The Adams House, just east of the\\npost-office in the centre of a four acre orange grove, and near the\\nbeautiful live oaks and delightful scenery that adorn the river s\\nbanks, is a very pleasant and convenient stopping place. Mr, A, H.\\nAdams, with his agreeable family, from Seymour, Ind,, is the obliging\\nand attentive landlord.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0073.jp2"}, "74": {"fulltext": "68 HOMELAND.\\nV. L. TiLLis finds himself equal to the task of running the post-\\noffice, a drug store and two telegraph lines, though he has to get\\naround lively at times. In fact, he is always busy.\\nMrs. Edna Haymax has a very neat and quite attractive milli-\\nnery store, and is emphatically a woman of business, as well as polite,\\nagreeable and entertaining. She naturally has hosts of friends and,\\nwe understand, gives excellent satisfaction.\\nHendry Carter, dealers in general merchandise, are located\\non the corner opposite the post-office and are doing an immense busi-\\nness. They are active young men, and their store and warehouse is\\nliterally packed with goods of every variety and description in gen-\\neral use, as well as a great variety of miscellaneous articles, their\\nendeavor being to supply every demand.\\nJ. N. Hooker Co. are located to the west, and appear to be\\ndoing their full share of the trade. They have a large and well-\\nassorted stock of general merchandise, suited to the needs of the\\ncountry. This store w^as opened previous to the one at Bartow, and\\nColonel Hooker makes it frequent visits, though it is under the man-\\nagement of able and trusty clerks.\\nThe Livery Stable of Wilson McKinney next attracts our\\nattention, being a great convenience, as well as necessity. The build-\\ning is commodious and well-arranged for the large number of horses\\nand carriages that are kept on hand, for sale, or for the benefit of the\\ntravelling public.\\nThe French House, just beyond the livery stable, is situated\\nabout half way between the post-office and the fine, new school-house.\\nJ. L. Bettis, the genial landlord, was recently from Jacksonville, and\\nhas a wide acquaintance and an extended knowledge of the .country.\\nThe rooms are pleasant and the table attractive, while the quality of\\nthe cooking, etc., is of exceptional excellence.\\nC. C. Wilson, the practicing attorney, has a very pleasant resi-\\ndence half a mile west of the post-office, where a new centre is being\\nestablished. Though comparatively young, he is a representative\\nman, being the Delegate-at-large for Polk and Manatee Counties to\\nthe Constitutional Convention. He has several promising groves, a\\ngreat variety of choice and rare fruits, is a practical experimenter,\\nand is largely interested in the lands of this section.\\nThe SuNNYSiDE Nurseries of Mitchell Hester, to the extreme\\nwest, with their choice varieties of oranges, lemons, limes, plums, per-\\nsimmons, figs, grapes, peaches, mulberries, roses, cedars, arbor vitses,\\netc., besides a few each of plants too numerous to mention, must be\\nseen to be fully appreciated.\\nCapt. F. A. Whitehead, one of Fort Meade s leading and most\\nactive and influential citizens, has a delightful residence amid tower-\\ning oaks and a fruitful orange grove, in the heart of the village. He\\nalso has a variety of pleasing growths, such as Japanese plums and\\npersimmons, Peen-To peaches, lemons, limes, pine-apples, strawberries,\\ntjananas, mangos, sapadillos, grapes of numerous kinds, flowers in\\ngreat variety, and other things too numerous to mention. He also\\nhas a large number of acres of the choicest citrus fruits in grove. A\\nnative of New York City, he has made good use of his thirteen years\\nin Florida. Resigning his position in the navy at the close of the", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0074.jp2"}, "75": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 69\\nwar, he made a thorough acquaintance of California, and has been in\\nthe fruit and stock business ever since, yet having a farm in Dela-\\nware. He prefers Florida to any State, has large tracts of land\\nhere and is doing a very extensive real-estate business.\\nE. E. Skipper is an extensive dealer in lands, knows the country\\nthoroughly, and can suit every taste or condition, as he has every\\nvariety and price, both unimproved and improved. His faith in the\\ncountry is shown by the fact that he has some 3,000 trees in grove, of\\nwhich about 400 are bearing, some being from twelve to fifteen years\\nold.\\nR. C. Langford has a very pleasant and productive place in a\\npine and oak clearing about a mile southwest of the postofiice, with\\nwhich he is connected by a private telegraph wire. Here he has a\\nsuperabundance of fruits, vegetables and other farm and garden pro-\\nducts that would astonish those Avho think nothing can be produced in\\nFlorida. He raises them in his grove year after year. He has choice\\ntracts of land all over the country, and makes a business of buying\\nand selling lands.\\nJ. E. Robeson, a practical surveyor and dealer in lands, has been\\nthoroughly identified with the interests of Fort Meade since 1872, the\\npast eight years being chiefly devoted to surveying and selecting lands.\\nHe graded large quantities of the Disston and also of the Sir Edward\\nReed lands, and is now devoting his time and knowledge to the benefit\\nof the public who are so fortunate as to secure his services.\\nDr. M. O. Arnold, recently from southeastern Iowa, charmed\\nby the attractive beauty of the country, located at Fort Meade. Find-\\ning the country very healthful and desiring a broader field, having\\nhad five years practice in his profession, he has become interested in\\naiding others to secure homes in this delicious land, and many are\\nbeing benefitted by his efforts. He was formerly treasurer of the\\nSouth Florida Land Company, of which Dr. C. C. Mitchell, the pres-\\nent State Commissioner of Lands and Immigration, was president. He\\nis now agent for the Florida Land and Improvement Company The\\nKissimmee Land Company; The Atlantic and Gulf Coast Canal and\\nOkeechobee Land Company, and The Florida Land and Mortgage\\nCompany (limited). He gives special attention to tracts for coloniza-\\ntion, and to town plats for settlement, both large and small. He has\\na tract of 12,000 acres, suitable for towns or colonies, for a nominal\\nfigure; also, several miles of gulf frontage, in a tropical climate, with\\nsome very fertile lands, as well as large tracts with fine natural grasses,\\nespecially suitable for stock ranges. Besides these heavy and desirable\\noutlying lands, he has extensive interests at Fort Meade and\\nvicinity.\\nDr. C. F. Marsh, recently from Mount Pleasant, Iowa, has a\\nhigh reputation as a skillful practitioner.\\nDr. J. Weems, formerly of Missouri, is also a pleasant and capa-\\nble physician, ranking high in the profession.\\nBlack Edwards, real estate agents and civil engineers J.\\nF. Black, of Illinois, and J. A. Edwards, of Alabama have a good\\nline of grove property, town lots and wild lands. They buy and sell\\non commission, give careful attention to surveys and titles, and give\\nall possible assistance to those who desire to better health or fortune", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0075.jp2"}, "76": {"fulltext": "70 HOMELAND.\\nby locating on the fertile lands in the delicious climate of Polk\\nCounty.\\nJames Wynn, a competent builder and contractor, is about to es-\\ntablish the saw-mill, which he has purchased, convenient to the town,\\nand will furnish lumber and erect buildings at favorable prices.\\nPhilip Dzialynski has, for a number of years, been promi-\\nnently identified with such interests as tended to the development of\\nthe town, and largely interested in its affairs, during the several stages\\nof its growth.\\nG. W. Hendry, who became a resident of Fort Meade in 1852,\\nbeing then a stout boy, has written and published an interesting\\ndescriptive pamphlet of Polk County. When he came, this section\\nwas occupied by a company of troops at the fort, but there were no\\nsettlers, unless his elder brother, F. A. Hendry and family, with his\\nfather-in-law, Louis Lanier and family, who had the first herds of cat-\\ntle driven east of Peace River, and were engaged in supplying the\\nsoldiers with beef, be so considered. Mr. Hendry is and has been\\nactively engaged in locating land, having a thorough acquaintance\\nwith all South Florida, and unquestionable authority.\\nTHE DEADENING.\\nA great natural curiosity, called the The Deadening exists at\\nand about Fort Meade, covering a tract of country some ten miles or\\nmore from north to south, and some five or sis miles from east to\\nwest, being divided by Peace River. When the first settlers came, in\\nthe fifties, they found the whole tract entirely divested of living\\ntrees, except along the water courses and on the higher knolls. Lying\\nprone on the ground or standing erect, like neglected and forsaken\\nsentinels, were the solid remains of what had years before been a\\nvigorous growth of pine.\\nThe cause of this destruction of the trees is utterly unknown. Vari-\\nous theories have been adduced, but none are fully satisfactory. G. W.\\nHendry claims hail to have been the agent of destruction, but this theory\\nis untenable from the fact that no hail-storm was ever known to cover\\nsuch an extent of territory, and besides hail-storms are unknown here.\\nIt will also be noted that the trees on the highest knolls along the\\nwater courses, and in the lower lands were untouched. Others claim\\nhigh water to have been the cause. The most probable explanation is that\\nseveral wet seasons prevented the usual forest fires, permitting the\\ndead grass and leaves of the trees] to accumulate in great abundance.\\nThen came a very dry season, fire raged throughout the forest, and its\\nintense heat killed the trees. Whatever the cause, the country as-\\nsumed the appearance of the Western prairies. Since the first settle-\\nment, vigorous growths of oak and pine are springing up over the\\nwhole area of these, the choicest of lands, and were it not for the\\nra])idly increasing settlements and groves it would soon be forest\\nagain.\\nLAKELAND.\\nOne of the radiant gems of South Florida s many new yet rap-\\nidly developing towns is Lakeland, the growth of a little more than a", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0076.jp2"}, "77": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 71\\nyear. It has a fresh, thrifty, prospei ous and substantial appearance,\\nwhile in every direction are made manifest the evidences of resolute\\nvigor and determination. The face of the country is beautifully\\nrolling, carpeted with thrifty grasses and covered with vigorous growths\\nof oak, pine, etc. At frequent intervals the surface is indented with\\nbright jewels in the shape of lovely clear-water lakes of varied form\\nand size, wherein are mirrored the beauties of nature the form and\\nfoliage of a thrifty and delightful vegetation, the fleeting clouds, the\\ntwinkling stars, the soft radiance of Luna, night s resplendent queen,\\nor the bright effulgence of Old Sol, the glorious king of day.\\nLakeland is situated near the central part of Peninsular Florida,\\nand of the lovely and attractive County of Polk, as well as in the\\nhigliest, most healthful and delightful portion. The railroad survey\\ngives it an elevation of 210 to 217 feet above the sea level. Here is\\nfound a great and pleasing variety of scenery, some of the deep, clear-\\nwater lakes with their clean, hard, grass-covered banks, being from\\nforty to sixty feet below the higher points of the plateau. They are\\nnot grassy ponds, but pure, deep-water lakes, Avhose banks afford the\\nmost delightful and healthful of sites for residences, for lovely homes,\\nand they are being appropriated quite rapidly. There are nine of\\nthese attractive sheets of water within a radius of a mile of the town,\\nalmost entirely free from mud and marsh, and abounding in fish,\\ngiving delightful opportunities for recreation, as they are situated in\\nevery direction from the centre. They also give delightful views,\\nand the air passing over them is imbued with an inspiriting freshness.\\nThe surface soil is varied, none being below the average, while a\\npeculiar feature of the soil on some of the elevations is that it is\\nalmost as rich as hammock, and preferable for many reasons. Fruits\\nand vegetables thrive and yield magnificent returns. At a depth of\\ntwo to eight feet, and outcropping at some places, is a sub-soil of yel-\\nlow clay. The water is excellent.\\nThe beautiful forests, are fast disappearing and in their place are\\nscores of handsome and substantial buildings, thrifty groves and\\ncultivated fields. Everywhere is heard the ceaseless hum of busy\\nindustry, transforming the face of nature. The South Florida Rail-\\nroad passes through the incipient city from east to Avest and the\\nFlorida Southern coming from the north here forms a junction with\\nit. The expectation is that it will soon be extended to Charlotte\\nHarbor on the south.\\nSection 18, Township 28 south. Range 24 east, is the centre of\\nthe corporation, which also embraces portions of Sections 7 and\\n19 in the same Township and Range, all of Section 13 and parts\\nof 12 and 24 in Township 28, Range 23, thus embracing two whole\\nsections and parts of four others, and that, too, in one of the most\\ndelightful, agreeable and satisfactory parts of Florida, as regards\\ndeliciousness of climate, healthfulness of location, excellence of water,\\nfreedom from insect and other pests, general fertility and productive-\\nness of soil, exemption from destructive frosts and freezes, genial\\nbreezes and salubrity of atmosphere, excellence of society, active,\\nenthusiastic and vigorous energy of the rapidly-increasing popula-\\ntion, handsome and substantial character of business edifices and\\nprivate residences, ease and facility of communication with other parts.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0077.jp2"}, "78": {"fulltext": "72 HOMELAND.\\nby railroads, telegraph, etc., and numerous other attractions that will\\nsuggest themselves to the visitor.\\nLakeland is regularly laid out, with broad streets crossing each\\nother at right-angles. In the centre is a park of three acres, that is\\nto be adorned with trees, shrubbery, etc. To the north of this is the\\nelegant depot of the South Florida Railroad. Around this double\\nsquare, the town, which was incorporated January 1st, 1885, is rapidly\\nassuming an undeniable substantiability, about two hundred buildings\\nhaving already been constructed, while more are under contract, yet\\nin February, 1884, there was only one rough frame building and two\\nlog shanties for the railroad hands. Now there are several fine hotels,\\nnumerous general merchandise stores, hardware, feed and drug stores,\\nrestaurants, boarding houses, pool-rooms, express, telegraph and post-\\noffices, saw and planing mills, shoemaker s shop, livery stable, milli-\\nnery, gent s and ladies furnishing goods, real estate and other offices,\\nin fact the usual variety of avocations of some six hundred inhabi-\\ntants. Also, well conducted schools, churches, etc., and a wide-awake\\nnewspaper, the Lakeland News, L. M. Ballard, Editor and Proprietor.\\nHe is also the proprietor of the North-Side Hotel.\\nProminent among the real estate agents, with handsome and\\nconvenient offices centrally located, are Green Munn, Torrence\\nBristow, Scott Roquemore, who will furnish all desired information\\nregarding lands in this vicinity and other parts, of South Florida.\\nNewman Co. have a pleasant store and a fine stock of gent s\\nand ladies furnishing goods, boots and shoes, notions, etc.\\nO. J. Frier has an extensive and well selected stock of general\\nmerchandise, at satisfactory prices.\\nW. B. BoNAKER, dealer in general merchandise, endeavors to\\nmeet every demand in that direction, at prices to suit.\\nS. L. H. J. Drane, druggists and apothecaries, are well pre-\\npared to fill any demands in their line.\\nSociety is decidely intellectual and progressive here, as is shown by\\nthe excellent schools, the several religious and other societies, the\\nMethodists, Baptists and Presbyterians all having organized and ener-\\ngetic societies, while the schools are well sustained, and very prosper-\\nous under the management of capable teachers.\\nTown lots sell for from $50 to $1,000, according to size and loca-\\ntion, Avhile outlying lands are from $2.50 to $100 per acre, according\\nto distance from the centre, quality, and desirability of location.\\nThe vigorous growth and advantages of Lakeland and Polk\\nCounty have been well shown by the enterprising real-estate agents,\\nTorrence Bristow, who last year j^ublished an excellent pamphlet\\nthat had a wide circulation, and gave much desired information.\\nACTON.\\nThis progressive and thriving headquarters of enterprising En-\\nglishmen owes its existence to the energy of Piers Elliot Warburton,\\nEsq., who formerly held the honorable rank of Lieutenant in the En-\\nglish navy. Mr. R. W. Hanbury, an Englishman of large estates\\nand income, is the largest property owner. This is to be an English", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0078.jp2"}, "79": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 73\\nheadquarters. Here is located the Florida Mortgage and Investment\\nCompany, limited, Mr. Warburton, being the manager, that has\\nunlimited amounts to loan on security, at reasonable rates of interest.\\nActon is located on the South Florida Railroad, half way between\\nKissimmee and Tampa, and one mile east of Lakeland. The town\\nsite is quite level, extending between Lakes Bonnie and Parker, two\\nvery attractive sheets of water. The streets run from east to west and\\nare crossed by avenues from north to south. Here are very complete\\nsaw and planing mills, a hotel and several boarding houses, general\\nmerchandise stores, a $2,500 school-house, a post-office and depot, a\\nreal estate agency, Mr. Warburton s loan office, and quite a number\\nof pleasant and attractive dwellings, and contracts made for a number\\nof other elegant and substantial structures, the terms offered being\\nvery favorable.\\nC. H. Alleyne Co. (limited) have a very fine new office op-\\nposite the depot, do a veuy extensive real estate business, and furnish\\nand desired information respecting Acton and other parts of South\\nFlorida.\\nHAINES CITY.\\nThe vigor of the growth of Polk County is well shown by the\\nnumbers of busy towns that are springing into existence, in the most\\nfavorable and delightful of locations and now that this section is well\\nprovided with railroads, which are being rapidly extended, its devel-\\nopment is onejto greatly exceed anything heretofore seen in Florida.\\nHaines City is no chance growth, but the result of the deliberate\\npremeditation of several of the most active and far-seeing men, whose\\ninfluence is felt throughout the State in its development. It is located\\non the South Florida Railroad, about half way between Sanford and\\nTamjsa, the town plat occupying the east half of Section 29, Town-\\nship 27, Range 27, it being in the beautiful Lake Region of Polk\\nCounty. The elevation of the railroad bed here is 210 feet, which is\\nclaimed to be the highest on the line from Sanford to Tampa. The\\ncountry is rolling and interspersed with beautiful lakes and airy, delight-\\nful elevations, from forty to sixty feet above their pure crystal waters,\\naffording very favorable sites for sanitariums, residences, etc.\\nThe prevalent growth is pine, interspersed with large quantities of\\nlive, water, willow, post and other oaks, while along the lake shores\\nare frequent hickories. India rubber and paw-paw trees are also found\\ngrowing wild, proving conclusively that severe frosts or freezes have\\nhad no place here. The ground is covered with a dense growth of\\ngrass, the timber is very thrifty, and the soil in many places is of a\\nhocolate color, underlaid with the yellow subsoil so necessary to the\\nbest development of the orange and other citrus fruits. It is under-\\nlaid with clay. In fact, all kinds of vegetation thrive here.\\nThe town was laid out last January, by Frank J. Hinson, a man\\nof thorough experience, who is now the resident agent and manager.\\nHarrison Jones, who has had eighteen years experience in four of the\\ncounties of Florida, also has extensive interests here, where he has\\nmade his home, greatly prefering it to all other localities.\\nHaines City is building up very rapidly, the advantages of the\\nlocation becoming readily apparent to any one who will take the", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0079.jp2"}, "80": {"fulltext": "74 HOMELAND.\\ntrouble to investigate. Lands can be secured at very reasonable\\nprices, and are being taken quite rapidly.\\nThough so short a time has elapsed since the survey, there is\\nalready a post-office, a hotel, a saw and planing mill, general mer-\\nchandise stores, boarding houses and elegant cottages. Building and\\nclearing is the order of the day, Quite a number of families have\\nalready located in this desirable and healthful location, and a public\\nfichool is to be opened in the autumn. The opportunities for boating,\\nfishing, hunting, gardening, or making a fortune, are most excellent,\\nwhile the lake views are delightful.\\nIn addition to the incorporated towns mentioned, there are many\\nlocalities throughout Polk County where a beginning has been made,\\nas well as numerous others yet unheard of, that will no doubt soon\\nassume importance. Each section has its own special advantages that\\ncan be best determined by personal observation. The people of Polk\\nO^unty are content, feeling assured that of all localities they possess\\nthe most superior advantages.", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0080.jp2"}, "81": {"fulltext": "POLK COUNTY S FERTILE RIDGE.\\nA RIDE THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY ALONG\\nPEACE CREEK.\\n[Special Correspondence Florida Times- Union.]\\nFort Meade, June 20, 18 ^5.\\nThinking that a few words regarding this section of rapidly-developing\\nSouth Florida might be acceptable to the thousands of your readers in\\nvarious parts of the Union, I contribute my mite for their benefit. Your\\nvaluable journal is not only a recognized authority in regard to matters in\\nall parts of the State, but it is also a very important factor in aid of the\\nremarkable progress that is being made. It is, in fact, a necessity to all\\nwho desire correct knowledge regarding the capabilities, advantages and\\nprogress of the varied sections of this great State, destined, ere long, to be\\none of the most wealthy and prosperous States in the galaxy of the Union.\\nThis is to be a land of lovely and attractive homes, as well as the chief\\nresort of the invalid and tourist.\\nLeaving the busy cars of the South Florida Railroad, and bidding adieu\\nto Captain Badeau, the genial and accommodating conductor of the branch,\\nroad, at Bartow, I take a look about the pleasant and fast-growing town.\\nIts streets are wide and cross each other at right-angles. Numerous new\\nbuildings, completed or in progress, are seen in every direction. The fine\\ncourt-house, the most attractive and commodious in South Florida, arrests\\nour attention. It is situated on a commanding rise of ground, the centre\\nof the business portion of the progressive town. The square acre that\\nsurrounds it is inclosed with a row of live-oak posts, painted red, through\\nwhich cable chains are run. Sixteen feet within is a neat picket fence,\\npainted white. The court-house roof, with its four gables, has just been\\ncovered w ith cypress shingles and painted a dark red.\\nBut the most attractive feature of the town, not excepting the indica-\\ntions of solid progress, evidenced by the numerous new buildings, is to be\\nfound in the beautiful oaks, that greet the view in every direction, and\\naftbrd such delicious shade. They even enhance the feeling of sure solidity\\nthat is derived from the firm tread of the ground, which is quite in contrast\\nwith many other sections.\\nBut it is dinner time, and at half past one, P. M., the demands of the\\ninner man override, if not suppress, the desire to indulge in contempla-\\ntions of the beautiful. An abundant and toothsome meal, wherein home-\\ngrown vegetables play an important part, neatly-served and well-cooked,\\nis secured at the Bartow House, and I devote the balance of the day to\\nobservation and reflection on the many advantages that this section aflbrds\\nto enterprising men from all sections of the Union, and especially to men\\nof moderate means with families.\\nHere I find an extensive tract of fertile pine and oak lands, and learn\\nthat the settlers have been self-supporting from the very first. The South\\nFlorida Railroad now has its terminus here, to the southeast, and a survey\\nof the Florida Southern runs through the corporation, just to the west of\\nthe centre of this attractive capital of Polk County.\\nDuring the evening it was my good fortune to make the acquaintance\\nof Dr. C. C. Mitchell, a distinguished resident of Fort Meade, who has\\nbeen very appropriately appointed as Commissioner of Land and Immi-\\ngration, by our able and clear-headed Governor, General Perry. The", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0081.jp2"}, "82": {"fulltext": "76 HOMELAND.\\nresult of our interchange of ideas was an earnest and courteous Invitation\\nto visit that noted section of balmy Florida, of which I had heard mucli\\nbut had seen nothing. Cancelling some other engagements, I cheerfully-\\naccepted the proposition, and early the next morning we were whirling\\nrapidly to the southward.\\nThe genial doctor is a good judge of horse flesh, and drives an excellent\\nteam. The country through which we sped was a surprise, it was so differ-\\nent from many other sections that I had visited. The roads were hard and\\nfirm, and as easily traveled as those at the North. There was an absence\\nof deep sand and of annoying dust. New buildings, some of them of an ele-\\ngant character, were seen on either hand also, many a beautiful orange\\ngrove, whose thrifty growth and exceptionally dark green leaves, be-\\ntokened a fertile and productive soil. Promising fields of vigorous corn\\nare quite numerous, indicating that the people are inclined to raise their\\nown supplies, and not put all their trust in the orange crop, not at least\\nuntil a railroad should be extended from Bartow or Lakeland, to give them\\nbetter facilities for transportation and ready access to Northern markets.\\nThe general aspect of the country was very pleasing and attractive,\\nmaking a very satisfactory impression on the mind of the visitor. It may\\nbe described as a broad plateau of fertile and productive lands, extending\\nsome three miles west of Peace River, from Bartow to Fort Meade, and a\\nfew miles beyond to the north and to the south. The surface is generally\\nundulating in broad swells, with here and there a handsome knoll that\\nwould furnish an exceptionally pleasant and salubrious building site.\\nNumbers of them are so occupied, and pleasant homes with luxuriant\\ngroves of orange trees, laden with abundant promise of the golden fruit,\\nas well as varied farm crops, the most notable of which are thrifty corn,\\npease and sugar-cane, occupy occasional clearings.\\nThe forest growth, away from the river bank, is chiefly pin^, inter-\\nspersed here and there with wide-branching live oaks that, with the firm\\ntread of the ground, gives an impression of substantial and enduring sta-\\nbility. There are also many water oaks, whose thrifty and vigorous\\ngrowths give a delicious shade that is highly appreciated, especially by\\nvisitors from the North and West. Post or willow oaks are also Vjuite\\nnumerous, and attain a greater size than in many other parts of Florida.\\nHere, too, the haw becomes a handsome tree, instead of a bush by the\\nwayside. The wild persimmon is also abundant.\\nAs thegeniali and thoroughly-informed doctor and myself speed over\\nthe country, by the west road, known as Broadwaj% as we leave Bartow, we\\nmake occasional detours to the right or to the left, either bodily or mentally,\\nby the doctoi- s intelligent and far-reaching descriptions, intermingled with\\nscraps of history or personal adventure.\\nThe population is very much scattered, every settler evidently endeav-\\noring to secure all the elbow room possible, that there might be no danger\\nof conflicting interests and consequent animosity. Though since the first\\nsettlement of this section, in the fifties, some thirty or more years since, the\\npeople have raised considerable quantities of corn, pease, sweet potatoes,\\nrice and sugar-cane for domestic use, as well as some cotton for shipment\\ntheir chief wealth has been in their fine herds of cattle and countless swine,\\nwhich are here of much more pleasing form and quality than in the tier of\\ncounties to the north. Here, the shafts of wit leveled at the razor-backs,\\nthe pine-rooters, the destructive and remorseless vagrants of other sec-\\ntions that have all the worst characteristics of the creatures by courtesy\\ncalled hogs, have no place. They appear to be of good form. sleek and\\nfat, and evidently do not have to root very hard or persistently for a living.\\nThe hog here, undoubtedly, has found his paradise, the abundance of mast\\nfrom the numerous oaks and the esculent roots, found in the lower lands\\nand along the courses of the numerous running streams that wend their\\nway to Peace River, supplying them with an abundance of nutritious food.\\nThe water courses are quite numerous, flowing from the flat woods of\\nthe west, and serving as natviral drains to the section between them and\\nPeace River. These creeks break the plateau along the river into ridges\\nand give a great and pleasing variety to land and landscape, which give an\\nattractive homeland character to people from the North, making them feel\\nmuch more at home than is possible in unbroken tracts of strictl.y pine\\ncountry.\\nIn valleys along the banks of these creeks, and beyond, are magnificent\\nand enduring live oaks, choice sweet-gums, majestic cypress, cabbage\\npalm, beautiful water oaks, attractive maples, wild sour orange, black-", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0082.jp2"}, "83": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 77\\ngums, turkey oaks, tall and sturdy hickories, sweet bays, magnolias, white-\\nwood, haw, persimmon, abundance of beautiful pines, wild cherry, and quite\\na number of other forest growths. There are also numerous vigorous and\\nthrifty climbing vines and creepers, a great variety of shrubs, wild plants,\\nweeds, etc.; in fact the natural productions of all the zones, except the frigid,\\nseem to have centered here. The countrj^ is very pleasing, but quite unlike\\neither the pine or hammock sections of other parts of Florida, and people\\nfrom all portions of the country can here find particular attractions. The\\nslopes of the valleys gave me especial pleasure.\\nReaching Dr. Mitchell s pleasant residence, on the west of the village,\\nwe found his men busy in the branches of a wide-spreading oak that overhung\\nthe yard, brushing a swarm of bees off a large limb, and cooling down their ag-\\ngressiveness of disposition with a plentiful supply of fresh water. But an\\nexcellent dinner was ready for serving, and I will defer remarks upon his\\nfine groves of orange trees and his many acres of nursery, wherein are\\ngrowing not only orange and lemon trees, ready for transplanting, but also\\nthousands of roses and a great variety of small fruits, shrubs, grasses, etc.\\nIn fact, I understand that the intention is to grow every species that may\\nprove to be desirable or useful, and I shall watch the progress of the ex-\\nperiments with great interest, as it may be the means* of adding many\\nthousands of dollars to the value of the annual productions of this delight-\\nful land. Sherman.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0083.jp2"}, "84": {"fulltext": "HISTORY OF ORANGE CULTURE IN FLORIDA.\\nBY REV. T. W. MOORE, D. D.\\nSome time before the discovery of America, the sour orauge the brig-\\nerade was introduced into Italy, and a short time thereafter it was carried\\nto Spain. The Spaniards brought this variety to Florida. The sweet\\norange was then unknown in Europe. Doubtless the Spanish Catholic mis-\\nsionaries lirst distributed the seed of the brigerade frequently called the\\nSeville orange in the vicinities of the Spanish forts and missions. As the\\ntruit multiplied, the seeds were scattered by the Indians along the banks\\nof the rivers, near their camping grounds, usually points projecting into\\nthe rivers. Thence they were scattered throughout the State of Florida.\\nThe largest of those wild orange groves, twenty and tifty years ago,\\nwere found along the eastern and southern shores of rivers and lakes, and\\nin the hammock and swamp lands of Florida. In addition to the protection\\nfrom damage by the frosts to the young plants atiorded by\\nthe water, the hammock and swamp lands gave protection\\nagainst fires, which annually swept over the pine woods, destroying the\\nslow-growing trees. Some of these wild groves were, fifty years ago, cut\\ndown and the land cleared for planting corn, cotton and cane. This was\\nrepeated as late as twenty-five years ago, before the monetary value of the\\norang9 was appreciated in this country.\\nOne hundred years after America was discovered, the sweet orange was\\nintroduced into Europe. Later it was brought to Florida, and a few trees\\nwere planted in St. Augustine, and afterwards in the settlements along the\\nSt. Johns and Indian Rivers. The pollen of the sweet orange fertilizing\\nthe flowers of the sour, produced the hybrid bitter-sweet. At the\\nclose of the civil war small plantations of sweet oranges were found\\nthroughout the State consisting usually of a few trees growing around\\ndwellings. There were a few groves of larger size, ranging from four\\nhundred trees to nine hundred, in the vicinity of St. Augustine and along\\nthe St. Johns River. The largest in the State was planted by Dr. Speer, at\\nFort Reed, near Mellonville, and the Dummitt grove on Indian River.\\nAbout the time Dr. Speer planted his grove quite an interest in orange\\ngrowing sprang up in Florida and many groves were planted along the\\nbanks of the St. Johns. But in an evil hour fresh plants of the orange\\nfrom China were introduced and planted at Mandarin. They were infected\\nwith the scale insect. The trees in the vicinity of Mandarin were the first\\nto be destroyed by the insect. At that time the hundred and one natural\\nenemies of the Scale insect had not come to the rescue of the orange grower\\nas now besides, the orange grower of that time did not know of modern\\nappliances and remedies. The scale spread from grove to grove, and in a\\nshort time sweet and sour orange trees yielded to the invading host of the\\nforeign enemy. The frost of 1835 having cut down the trees, from the\\neffect of which the old trees were beginning to recover when the scale\\ncommenced its ravages, combined to produce the impression among the old\\nsettlers that the orange prospect was forever blasted.\\nAt the close of the war, many of the old trees, both sweet and wild, had\\nrecovered from the ett eets of both insects and frost, and were bearing lib-\\neral crops of such fruit as travelers from all parts of the world had never\\nbefore eaten. The fruit sold at good prices. Some of those who had lately\\ncome into the State thought there was a living in an orange grove. Land\\nwas bought and planted in wild sour stumps. Seed beds were planted for\\nnursery stock and acres were set with young plants. We were told that\\nby the time our trees were ready to bear we would be in another country\\nwhere there would be no need of planting. We answered, then we would", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0084.jp2"}, "85": {"fulltext": "HOMELAND. 79^\\nplant for our children. We were told that by the time the trees were in full\\nbearing oranges would not be worth picking in Florida. Though some of\\nus were threatened with the lunatic asylum, we still persisted in planting\\nand cultivating the orange. The evil prophecy failed. Other persona\\ncaught the orange fever, until finally the old prophets were converted and\\nare to-day our most enthusiastic orange growers. To-day hundreds of\\nthousands of trees are growing, and tens of thousands more of plants are\\nready to be set in groves.\\nWILL THE BUSINESS BE OVERDONE?\\nThe question now comes up, will not the business be overdone We\\nanswer no. With the small area within the United States capable of pro-\\nducing oranges this will be impossible. Canada and the United States are\\nrapidly increasing in population and these alone could consume the entire\\nproduct from the orange-growing sections of the United States. But the\\nFlorida orange is the finest grown and will ultimately command the mar-\\nkets, of Europe as well as America.\\nOccasionally already a glut in the market has occurred, but this has\\nbeen in each instance the result of (mainly) a double fault of the producers.\\nThey have attempted to narrow the marketing season to three or four\\nmonths, when it should be extended over from eight to twelve months.\\nOranges will remain on the trees in good condition six months after they\\nhave turned yellow. Properly handled and cured they will keep several\\nmonths after they have been clipped. The Florida season for marketing,\\nlike the European, should embrace the entire year. The second mistake to\\nwhich allusion is made was the result of the destructive hurry peculiar to\\nAmericans. The fruit was gathered green, carelessly handled, packed with-\\nout being properly cased, much of it infested with fungi and then gathered,\\npacked and shipped, through all sorts of weather. Such fruit rapidly\\nspoiled. Careless handling of transportation companies added to the dis-\\naster, and hence the merchants had to sell what sound fruit might reach them\\nat low prices or throw it away.\\nOrange culture will pay beyond any other agricultural pursuit, even\\nshould the price fall to 75 cents per box. When reduced to that price fifty\\nmillion boxes would not over-supply the present population of the United\\nStates and Canada. There are thirty States producing apples and peaches,\\nand yet both these crops, which have to be marketed within a few weeks or\\nmonths, are grown with profit. With such facts before us, we have no fear\\nas to the over-production of the orange.\\nA FASCINATING VOCATION.\\nTo those engaged in the business, orange growing is truly fascinating.\\nThe beauty of the tree, the beauty and fragrance of the flower, challenge all\\nrivalry among ornamental trees and beautiful flowers. The aesthetic culti-\\nvator becomes a true lover of his sweet and beautiful pet, which he looks\\nupon as a relic and reminder of paradise. But when this beauty is accom-\\npanied with useful, golden and gold-bearing fruit, aff ording a living, and\\npromising all other material luxuries, then the lover appreciates his orange\\ngrove only less than he appreciates his wife, who has brought to him not\\nonly the accomplishments of a sweet and cultivated woman, but with her-\\nself an ample fortune. And though he may have waited as long as Jacob\\ndid for his Rachel, he does not regret the toil and waiting since the reward\\nis ample. I do not know but that the toil and waiting demanded by the\\norange do3s not increase the ardor of the planter, and increase his pleasure\\nwhen once the tree has been brought to full beauty and bearing, for we\\nlove best those that need to be courted earnestly in order to be won. When\\nthus won Ave feel that the bride is the more fully our own.\\nHOW TO GROW THE ORANGE.\\nDoes the reader wish to know how to win this fair bride, clad in nature s\\nrichest green, adorned with golden globes, crowned with fragrant orange\\nblossoms her own fair crown, so often plucked for other bridal wreaths\\nDid space permit in this full sheet of the Times- Union, further writing\\nwould not be necessary, for are not all these things written in the books\\nof the chronicles of many writers on Orange Culture from Maine to\\nTexas? These have all written you about the seed-bed, the nursery, the;\\nplanting, suitable locations, the gathering and the shipping.", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0085.jp2"}, "86": {"fulltext": "80 HOMELAND.\\nTHE QUANTITY OF ORANGES SHIPPED\\nthe past season was about six hundred thousand boxes the present year\\nthe crop may reach a million boxes. The crop of 1868 only reached a few\\nthousand packages, and had so slow a sale that it had to be extended to as late\\nas May to find buyers. The price prevailing at that time was $7.50 per\\nthousand. The price has gone up with the production. During next May,\\nif they can be found outside of New York, the Florida orange will sell for\\nnot less than $4.50 to $5 per box.\\nTHE FLORIDA TRADE MARK.\\nThe excellence of the Florida oi-ange is now so generally known that\\nmany other oranges are sold under that name. The writer knows no way\\nto avoid this imposition except to stamp each orange gx own in Florida\\nwith the inimitable Florida trade mark. No other country has yet pro-\\nduced the russet. The brown tinge mars the beautiful golden color, but it\\nmakes the orange bearing this stamp all.the sweeter, and, like Csesar s wife,\\nabove suspicion. Nature has thus given us an impost protection against\\nforeign competition, which the Government cannot take off. What goddess\\nor nymph was it that covered herself with soil to save herself from vio-\\nlence? Sh\u00c2\u00ab was the sweeter and safer because of her soiled exterior. So\\nwith the orange. The dingy russet is best.\\nExposition Number Florida Times-Union.\\n\\\\t", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0086.jp2"}, "87": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0087.jp2"}, "88": {"fulltext": "e\\n9 7 V\\nniaiipuTiLniiiiijiiiTimiiTiijiiBiiiimijTiijiijTimirTimaTnmj\\nUMUIUilSa illUlinmlMinjiiiHi^^\\nBEST POLK COUNTY ORANGE TREE,\\nBearing from 10,000 to 15,000 Oranges per year\\nan income of from one to two hundred dollars.\\niammm\\n]\\\\i\\\\S!mMaM S^^M^\\\\^\\\\S\\\\B\\\\M\\\\\\\\\\\\i\\\\\\\\S\\\\\\\\^\\\\f\\\\\\\\\\\\^r\u00e2\u0082\u00ac^\\nMinjininnHiniiini\\nimtniniirimiitiifmii m umn mimin 1 j\\n/I", "height": "3350", "width": "1854", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0088.jp2"}, "89": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0089.jp2"}, "90": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0090.jp2"}, "91": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0091.jp2"}, "92": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0092.jp2"}, "93": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0093.jp2"}, "94": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0094.jp2"}, "95": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0095.jp2"}, "96": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0096.jp2"}, "97": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0097.jp2"}, "98": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0098.jp2"}, "99": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0099.jp2"}, "100": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0100.jp2"}, "101": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0101.jp2"}, "102": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0102.jp2"}, "103": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0103.jp2"}, "104": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3350", "width": "1833", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0104.jp2"}, "105": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3344", "width": "1810", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0105.jp2"}, "106": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3340", "width": "1917", "jp2-path": "homelanddescript00adam_0106.jp2"}}