180 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 3. 



East Florida, extends from the Atlantic, west- 

 ward, to the Suwanee River, and as far south as 

 the parellel of 27° latitude. The middle district, 

 known as Middle Florida, is comprised between 

 the Suwanee and Apalachicola Rivers. The 

 western district, or West Florida, from Apalachi- 

 cola to the Perdido River — and the southern dis- 

 trict includes the extremity of the peninsula below 

 twenty-seven degrees, and the fortification:-! en Key 

 "West. The distinctions of arable soil to be found 

 in the eastern section, are between the high ham- 

 mocks or uplands, and the swamps or low bottoms. 

 The former are chiefly composed of a gray Vege- 

 table mould, mixed with white sand, and based 

 on beds of indurated or stone marl, in such abun- 

 dance, that it rises in layers or shelves on the sur- 

 face. This excess of lime I hold to be the des- 

 tructive quality of these lands; for I conceive, that 

 though marl in all its varieties is, under proper 

 proportions, an auxiliary to soil, it is, when in ex- 

 cess, and solely uniting with silicious land, detri- 

 mental to production, and extremely injurious. 

 Clay, or other absorbent, is essential for decom- 

 posing and imbibing the generic heat of calcareous 

 matter; without it, lime, in excess, "consumes the 

 meat it feeds on;" and by its continued thirst, 

 creates the destructive effects of drought. The 

 growth on these lands in the east, is indicative of 

 this fact — being a stinted production of dwarf or 

 scrub oak, and the steril palmetto. They are 

 notwithstanding generally cultivated, and yield 

 cotton productively lor three or four years, or as 

 Jong as the vegetable moisture exists; but at the 

 expiration of that time, they become dry, glazed, 

 volatile, and unprofitable. Corn cannot be grown 

 profitably at any time; and sugar being of the 

 same genus, is difficult of culture. The richness, 

 however, of the bottoms or swamp lands in this 

 section, more than compensates for any deficiency 

 in the uplands. They extend variously from a 

 half to three miles from the margin of the creeks 

 and rivers, lying perfectly level, and covered with 

 a dense growth of forest trees, interlaced with in- 

 numerable grape and other vines, and in some 

 instances, breast high with luxuriant and never 

 dying grass. They are purely alluvial, and formed 

 solely on viscous soluble marl, by the gradual 

 deposite of vegetable matter held in the overflow- 

 ing waters. They would, of course, require ditch- 

 ing and drainage to be fit for cultivation, and this 

 is most feasible: and once accomplished, would 

 forever secure an inexhaustible and inestimable 

 soil. The owners of these bottoms are fully aware 

 of their value, but the want of labor, and the 

 "thousand and one" difficulties to be executed on 

 a new settlement, have compelled them to culti- 

 vate, as yet, almost entirely the more easily clear- 

 ed uplands. Some have, however, succeeded in 

 bringing the swamps into culture already, and the 

 luxuriance of the sugar cane crop upon them, has 

 more than justified their expectations — 2000 lbs. 

 and upwards, per acre, of muscovado sugar has 

 been averaged from a thirty acre field. " I may 

 respectfully mention General Hernandez, (one of 

 the few remaining Spanish grantees now amongst 

 us,) who has with great perseverance and success, 

 overcome the laborious difficulties of clearing and 

 draining new land; and has now under culture, 

 upwards of 200 acres of these swamp lands, con- 

 stituting by far the most valuable plantation, as 

 respects soil, in Florida, and equally as healthy as 



any other to his slaves. I may convey some idea 

 of the comparative value of" these redeemed 

 marshes, in stating that a late appraisement made 

 over Gen. Hernandez's estate for banking pur- 

 poses, estimated his cleared swamp at $80 per 

 acre, while similar appraisements elsewhere of the 

 finest upland, has only reached $ 15 per acre. I 

 express myself strongly respecting these swamp 

 lands, on the conviction that they must ultimately 

 become the chief sugar growing lands of these 

 states. They lie immediately on the sea board, 

 between latitude 29 degrees, and as far south as 

 the surveys of the peninsula have gone. They 

 have many advantages over the Mississippi bot- 

 tom lands, as regards climate, health, and proxim- 

 ity to the northern markets, and nothing is want- 

 ing to exhibit their greater value, save capital and 

 labor. Now that there is a probability almost 



j reaching a certainty, that the supply of sugar will 

 continue for some years less than the demand, it 



! would be well for the capitalists of your state to 

 turn their attention to its manufacture — and I 

 speak from personal examination in saying that 

 the swamp lands of East Florida, and especially 

 those lying on the branches of the Matanza and 

 Halifax Rivers, are superior in strength and cha- 

 racter for the production of sugar, to the most va- 

 lued lands of the West India Islands — only ex- 

 cepting the ashy loam of St. Kitts. The little 

 success which has as yet attended the planters of 

 the east on these swamps, is entirely owing to a 

 misapplication both of money and labor: and must 

 not be taken as an evidence at all of the land, ex- 

 cept to show that had the lands been bad, under 

 the same want of practical husbandry, the cultiva- 

 tors would ere this have become beggars. 



Extensive tracts of land are yet in the market, 

 comprising large proportions of these "bottoms;" 

 though the late organization of an "Union Bank," 

 with its issue upon landed security, has enhanced 

 their value. The health of such low grounds be- 

 neath a tropical sun, cannot be justly eulogised, 

 although with the exception of the "dog days," 

 they may be denominated safe and agreeable resi- 

 dences; and during those tr) ing days, St. Augus- 

 tine, so justly famed as the Montpelier of America, 

 affords a most fascinating retreat, with 



Its sweet orange groves — and evergreen bowers— 



And the atmosphere loaded with the breath of their (lowers! 



It has been, sir, a source of much regret, that 

 limited means have compelled me to forego a set- 

 tlement on these inexhaustible mines: but alas! 

 like Shakspeare's apothecary, "My poverty but 

 not my will consents." It has been a serious ob- 

 stacle to the advancement of our sugar plantations 

 that most of our planters have commenced them 

 without adequate resources. It may be advan- 

 tageous and desirable that a cotton farmer should 

 not have too much wealth: the operations of his 

 estate can be successfully executed without any 

 expensive machinery, or large outlay of dead cap- 

 ital. Not so, however, with a sugar plantation — 

 the salvation of its crop, and its profitable manu- 

 facture, are dependant, in this climate of variable 

 and liynitcd autumn, upon effective and sufficient 

 machines — all of which cost much in material, in 

 construction, and most in erection and application. 

 Yet how few calculate this necessary and prepar- 

 atory outlay! But of this, more anon. I must con- 

 clude this essay upon your time and space, lest 

 besides its many faults, its length should add to 



