PREFATORY. 9 



Among other modern improvements, a railroad is 

 projected, to connect Lake Harris with the St. Johns 

 river, at Hawkinsville on Lake George. The lands on 

 Lake Harris are among the best in East Florida. The 

 scenery is unusually beautiful and attractive. Frost 

 seldom, if ever, injures the sugar-cane ; it tassels, and 

 grows from fifteen to twenty feet in height. Lake Har 

 ris connects with Lakes Griffin and Huestis. The 

 timber around the lakes is tall and stately. Fine fish in 

 abundance abound in their waters. This section is 

 healthy, and is rapidly filling up with new settlers, and 

 will in a few years become one of the most interesting 

 settlements in this country. These settlers find much 

 profit in the culture and sale of fruits and vegetables for 

 the early northern markets. Even in the interior of the 

 State, notably at Lake City, many of the citizens are 

 speaking of giving up the cultivation of cotton, and turn 

 ing their attention to English peas and other vegetables 

 for shipment to northern markets. Several intend try 

 ing tobacco, and, if successful, it will soon become a 

 leading production. Eighteen years ago, with the 

 exception of Welaka, scarcely anything was to be seen 

 but the interminable forests along the St. Johns river. 

 There was scarcely a settlement or clearing to mark the 

 advance of civilization. What a change now appears ! 

 landings, clearings, houses, and orange groves map out 

 to the eye of the traveller the rapid improvement now 

 going on. 



With regard to orange culture, the &quot; Rural Caroli 

 nian &quot; says that trees can be had at some wild groves for 

 the getting. At others, ten to twenty-five cents each 

 is the price. An ordinary sail-boat will carry thirty to 

 seventy-live trees, averaging two inches in diameter, and 

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