Domestic A^otices. 



117 



paney by the British, they had extensive accommodations provided for 

 the invalids, particularly the officers of both army and navy, who re- 

 sorted here from Eiiji^land, the West Indies, and the United States, be- 

 fore and during the revolutionary war. Several gentlemen who reside 

 here, have travelled for their iiealth over the south of Europe, South 

 America, and the West Indies, and give a decided preference to this 

 place over all others, for a summer and winter residence. Persons vis- 

 iting this place as a remedy for pulmonary complaints, ought by all 

 means to spend the summer, which they can do as safely as in Boston 

 or Nantucket. Physicians, and those invalids who have recovered their 

 health here, all concur in the opinion that a summer residence is more 

 favorable to health than even the winter. An impression has prevailed 

 that East Florida is a barren, sandy plain, interspersed with swamps, 

 or hammocks and lagoons, and can be but partially inhabited. This is 

 a great mistake. True, (and strange it is so,) but little of the country 

 has ever been until recently explored by white men, and very much of 

 that is sandy and poor. But even in the portion of the country well 

 known, much valuable hammock land is found, both on the coast and 

 between that and the St. Johns, and also west of it. But the recent 

 discoveries of the sources of the St. John, between two and three hun- 

 dred miles south of Lake George, (its supposed head until lately,) has 

 given a new and highly interesting character to this country. Large 

 tracts of the richest sugar land, heavily timbered with live oak, hickory, 

 ash and magnolia, are found. This |)art of Florida lies south of the 

 region of frost, and here the fig, citron, orange, date, olive, plantain 

 and banana will find their natural soil and climate, and in a few 3'ears 

 render the United States independent of foreign countries in the sui)ply 

 of these articles. Florida, and particularly the newly discovered por- 

 tions of it, will undoubtedly settle rapidly as soon as the Indians are 

 disposed of, and a most favorable opportunity will be presented for 

 those to settle in this country whose health requires a southern climate. 



" January, 1838 — Thermometer, noon, above zero — 



Jlncient Pear tree. — There is now growing, near the house of Mr, 

 Kenney, in Eastham, Mass., a pear tree, imported from England by 

 Governor Prince, and planted by him. Governor Prince removed from 

 Duxbury to Eastham, in 1640 or 1645, and, leaving Eastham, return- 

 ed to Plymouth in 1665, so that the tree is at least one hundred and 

 eight)', and probably two hundred years old. It appears to be in a 

 sound and perfectly healthy state, very loft}', and near the ground is of 

 the circumference of ten feet. The fruit is small, but very fine, and 

 the tree, according to the statement of a very aged man, had, ever 

 since his recollection, borne on an average fifteen bushels annually ; and 

 that tradition, going back more than one hundred years before his re- 

 membrance, represented the tree as equally productive; so that this 

 tree must have borne about three thousand bushels of this delicious 

 fruit since it was first transplanted. — ( Yarmouth Register.) 



Extraordinary rapidity in the <j;rowth of a Cucumber. — A little time 

 since a bet of £b was made with Mr. Ely, that he could not produce 

 by his system of culture a cucumber twenty inches in length, in the 

 space of eight days from the time of setting the blossom. The wager 

 was accepted; and, within five hours of the perioil named, as choice 

 and handsome a fruit as was ever seen, and in length twenty-one inch- 



