of Rural Art and Taste. 



117 



Florida and her Resources. 



BY " AL FRESCO." 



THE readers of The Horticulturist 

 will conclude that Al Fresco has " Florida 

 on the brain ; " and whilst admitting the soft 

 impeachment, I shall offer as an excuse for 

 my last effort at scribbling, an article I no- 

 ticed in the Philadelphia Piihhc Ledger, 

 referring to the resources of the south, in 

 which the writer remarks, "that some day, 

 when the feverish desire to go west shall have 

 somewhat abated, people ma}'' stop to develop 

 treasures nearer home." I am convinced 

 that this prophecy will be verified, for the day 

 is not far distant when enterprising horticul- 

 turists and pomologists will investigate the 

 inducements for settlement in ancient and 

 much neglected Florida. 



We are convinced that the grape, banana, 

 pine apple, orange, lemon, lime and citron 

 will be the main and most profitable crops of 

 the state ; but they can be advantageously 

 supplemented by others that will prove profit- 

 able, and to which we shall briefly refer : 



Coffee. 



Between Cards Point and Cape Sable, at 

 the southern portion of the peninsula, there 

 exists a section containing about 400,000 

 acres of land, on which we are satisfied coffee 

 could be produced to advantage. In 1821, 

 according to Vignoles, a company was formed 

 in Philadelphia for the purpose of cultivating 

 coffee in the southern portion of the peninsula. 

 After a careful examination a very favorable 

 report was submitted. Congress was applied 

 to, and refused to grant to the company the 

 privilege of purchasing a sufiicient quantity of 

 land considered eligible for the purpose, and 

 the project was abandoned. In this instance, 

 the government acted unwisely, for the com- 

 pany would have tested the productive capa- 

 bilities of the region, and have furnished a 

 nucleus around which a settlement would have 

 been established. A desirable locality for 

 coffee culture can be found in the neighborhood 



of Cape Sable, about twenty-five degrees thirty 

 minutes north latitude, and northerly of Key 

 West sixty or seventy miles. A large por- 

 tion of the section is open prairie, and known 

 as the " Yamasee old field." According to 

 Vignoles, who carefully examined the region, 

 the land at Cape Sable, and for some miles 

 easterly, is very good, consisting of a rich 

 grey soil, thickly mixed with broken shells, 

 presenting an even surface without a bush. 

 Beyond this natural prairie rise hummocks of 

 the usual width, and beyond these a boundless 

 savannah, the soil of which is richly alluvial, 

 and perfectly dry for a long distance, ming- 

 ling, at length, with the everglades. At this 

 locality, from all we have been able to glean, 

 there is a large area of excellent land merely 

 waiting for settlement to make it a tropical 

 paradise. At this point, all the productions 

 of the tropics, including the bread fruit, and 

 cocoanut, can be produced in perfection. The 

 health of the region is excellent ; the range of 

 the thermometer all that can be desired, sel- 

 dom falling below fifty degrees in winter, and 

 only occasionally rising above ninety degrees 

 in summer. During the summer months, 

 rains are of frequent occurrence, producing a 

 luxuriant growth of vegetation. A daily sea 

 breeze occurs, which cools the atmosphere and 

 invigorates the residents. 



Many suppose that the coffee requires a 

 high range of the thermometer to insure its 

 successful culture ; but we are inclined to 

 question the correctness of this opinion, for on 

 the island of Bermuda, in north latitude 

 thirty-two degrees twenty-four minutes, we 

 found the coffee growing wild, and in great 

 perfection, near the Walsingham caves. As 

 an illustration of the importance of cultivat- 

 ing this product, I need but refer to the fact, 

 that in the year 1872 we imported 298,805,- 

 946 pounds, costing at points of purchase 

 $37,942,225. 



Gttnvn. 



This fruit can be successfully cultivated 

 over a large portion pf the state, but in the 

 greatest perfection, on Indian River, southern 

 Florida and the Gulf coast. The Guava jelly 

 is very expensive in our markets, and owing 



