1838] 



FARMICllS' REGISTER. 



7oa 



oiie of them, even if manaorecl in the most perfect 

 manner, accordinrr to lis location, ami the peculiar 

 circuniPlances of its proprietor, could serve a? a 

 general pi-.ttern litrm. But one, lor example, 

 miirht exhibit a pattern for clover fallow and wheat 

 culture, on the singular and valuable ^'red land" 

 of the Souilnve.-^t Mouniain slopef=— another for 

 the same, on the rich, Hat loamss of.lames River— 

 another woulii show the profilahle combination of 

 tillan;e and frrazinfr ^ve^:t of the Blue Ridn-e— ano- 

 ther, the liesl mode of lillin^ and enrichinij the 

 more sandy lands ol" lower Virrrinia — and all 

 miifht accord in some common points of resem- 

 blance, in addition to the merit of excellent gene- 

 ral management. The proprietors of such farms 

 miffht verv properly be considered as adjunct and 

 practical professors of agriculture ; and would 

 render important services as such, by each receiv- 

 ing in turn, as pupils, two or three of the young 

 men who had previously passed through the 

 course of theoretical instruction. On these farms, 

 and under such instructions, a young man could 

 learn more of practical and profiiable agriculture 

 in a few months, than from his own solitary and 

 unassisted etiorts on his own farm, continued 

 throufirhout a lonff life." 



From the Gardener's Magazine. 

 ORANGE GROVKS OF FLORIDA. 



By Jllexander Gordon. 



The following remarks are the result of obser- 

 vations made during an extensive and varied tour, 

 (just terminated,) over an extent of several thou- 

 sand miles, in prosecuting which I have seen 

 much which I consider both instructive and inte- 

 resting. For the present I purpose confining my- 

 self to a few brief observations on the state of the 

 orange groves, &c., at the city of St. Augustine, 

 E. F. 



You, of course, are aware, St. Augustine is 

 one of the oldest, if not the very oldest city Avithin 

 the jurisdiction of the United States, and has long 

 been a place of great resort lor invalids afflicted by 

 the pulmonary and bronchial complaints. I had 

 visited this city in 1831, and I confess I was in 

 perfect raptures with its diversified beauties, but 

 particularly with its orange groves. It then ap- 

 peared like a rustic village, the white houses peer- 

 ing from amonor groves of this delightful fi-uit 

 which grew in the greatest luxuriance. The clus- 

 tered boughs covered with their golden produce, 

 yielding a rich harvest to the owners, and afi'ord- 

 ing a delightful shade to the foreign invalid, when 

 he cooled his fevered limbs and imbibed health 

 from the perfumed atmosphere. While the ear 

 was gratified and the feelings soothed by the va- 

 rious notes of that delightful songstress the mock- 

 ing bird which fo(md a ready shelter amid their 

 verdant foliage. But, alas! on my visit the past 

 spring, in vain did I look lor those rural bowers, 

 eo gratifying to the eye and invigorating to the 

 system. Not a single tree of any magnitude to 

 indicate its former grandeur. The imagination 

 could scarcely conceive such a perfect metamor- 

 phosis. For a long period of years, the orange had 

 had flourished without interruption fi-om frosts or 

 other casualties. The city of St. Augustine was pe- 

 culiarly favorable for this semi-tropical fruit. The 



soil is naturally sandy, but rich in calcareous and 

 vegetable deposits, consequently well adapted to 

 the growth of the orange and other horticidiu- 

 ral [jursuits. When I was there in 1831 the 

 oranire had become the staple commodity of the 

 city's commerce, and subsequently to that time I 

 understood several millions had annually been 

 exported. Numerous groves ofyouiiir trees were 

 planted, and 810,000 had been refused for a 

 iirove consisting ol only 2 or 3 acres. J'^xtensive 

 nurseries could snarceiy supply the demand for 

 voung trees. A vast and lucrative field o|)encd to 

 the enterprising horticulturist. On the native^ 

 orange were enirrafied the choicest varieties of 

 other climates with the most perfect success. Pros- 

 pects of immense wealth seemed beyond a doubt, 

 but 



"There came a frost — a withering frost." 



During the month of February, 1835, East 

 Florida was visited by a severe frost, much more 

 severe than any before experienced. A cutting 

 N. W. wind which blew ten days in succession, 

 but more violent for about three days. During this 

 period the mercury sank 7 degrees below zero. 

 The St. John's river was frozen several rods from 

 the shore, and afforded the astonished inhabitants 

 a spectacle as new as it was distressintr. The 

 orange, the fig, and all kinds of fruit trees were 

 killed to the ground; many of them were com- 

 pletely annihilated; but a considerable number 

 have started again from the roots. The wild 

 groves in Florida suffered equally with those cul- 

 tivated, at all events as lar south as Lake George, 

 and the inhabitants were thus deprived at one fell 

 swoop of their only resource. But on my visit, 

 in the month of April last, 1 was happy to fiiid 

 the inhabitants were not totally discouraged, for 

 there are many thousands of young trees now 

 ready for planting out, and in a few more years, it 

 is to be hoped, St. Augustine will again exhibit its 

 wonted appearance. The oranges grown here 

 were considered decidedly superior to those im- 

 ported irom the West Indies, and as so long a pe- 

 riod has elapsed since they experienced so calami- 

 tous a visitation, (I believe not since 1775 — 6,) it 

 certainly is worth while to persevere. 



CLIMATE OF LOUISIANA. 



The Natchez Free Trader is publishing a lec- 

 ture delivered by Dr. S. A. Cartwright before 

 the Mississippi Lyceum. This lecture is much in 

 favor of the climate of Louisiana. Speaking of 

 the parishes south of the 30th degree of north la- 

 titude, it says : 



" In 1830, they contained 38 persons over 100 

 years of age, whereas the whole of the New Eng- 

 land States, with a population of 1,954,704, in- 

 cluding upwards of 20,000 negroes, only contained 

 35 persons over 100 years of age. France, with 

 36,000,000 inhabitants, only contained 537 persons 

 over 100 years of age. If France were as favor- 

 able to longevity as the land of the Jussieua 

 Grandiflora, it ought to contain upwards of 16,000 

 individuals over 100 years of age. 



" The persons who die in the northern states, 

 in the prime of life, by consumption, typhus and 

 inflammatory complaints, are about equal, or even 

 exceed the number which die in the south of ma- 



