THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



295 



ol" ajiricullural ken. The best method of avrriinjr 

 tlirni, il' possible, is a eubject. ol' jrieat intciesi tu 

 the |)iuiiter. Cokm Stalks. 



The National Inieliitrencer, ol" a recent date, 

 puhiishesj a corret^pondence bi-tween Judjre Brack- 

 enridire, of the laie House of Representaiiveia, 

 and Col. Wyatt, of Florida, in which the latter, 

 in answer to various inquiries, gives some inte- 

 restiiif:f particulars relative to tlie natural advan- 

 lajres of the Florida countrj'. 



That portion of the territory known as the 

 Everglades extends from the head of St. John's 

 river to within ten or fifteen miles ofCape Florida, 

 thus running almost the whole length ol the terri- 

 tory from north to south. This extensive tract is 

 believed to be twenty or thirty leet above the level 

 of tide-water, and is susceptible of being rendered 

 perfectly dry by means of dcepeninir and widen- 

 ing the various outlets or rivers that flow through 

 it from the lakes to the sea. The lakes near the 

 centre of ihe Everglades are deep and navigable, 

 and connect with one another thrnuirhoyl the 

 whole distance. Col. Wyatt slates that he ascend- 

 ed two of them and Ibund them about the same in 

 point of elevation. The current on approaching 

 the lakes was very rapid ; this was at a dry time 

 when the glades were not overflowed by waters 

 from the lakes. "These lacts," says he, "con- 

 vinced me that if the heads of these outlets or 

 rivers were opened, by deepening and widening 

 them, which could be done at comparatively small 

 expense, these Kd<es could be kept at all times 

 within their natural bounds; >vhich would render 

 the glades perfectly dry, opening to cultivation an 

 extensive plain of table lands of about e'azhi thou- 

 sand square miles,. (after dednding a fbur;h lor the 

 lakes) sufficiently elevated above both lakes and 

 tides to be certainly free I'rom inundations, and as 

 healthty as the Keys." 



The tropical region of the peninsula reaches 

 from Cape Florida about 200 miles north ; the 

 soil of the Everglades is said to he very ricli, with 

 a deep black, alluvial formation ; it is covered 

 with water only it? the wet season. 



Concerning the productions of this territory, in 

 addition to the ordinary tropical fruits which may 

 be cultivated in abundance. Col. Wyatt says : — 



The nopal, or prickly pear, on v/hich the co- 

 chineal insect is found, is a native ofCape Florida, 

 eo IS the cotton plant or tree ; both grow wild in 

 the forest, and the cotton tree is the same as cul- 

 tivated on our plantations, diflfering only in liie 

 emallness of the leaf and pod, and the length and 

 fineness of the fibres. The seeds are turled, like 

 our upland cotton, and need not be planted more 

 than once in some three or four years. The 

 Manilla hemp is also a native growth of this 

 region. In fact, it is to be Ibund in all parts of 

 the territory, and can, no doubt, be cuhivaied 

 with great advantage as far north as the 31st de- 

 gree of north latitude on the poorest sandy land. 

 The Indians have ropes, mats, &e. and, before the 

 war, supplied the first settlers with a variety of 

 articles formed out of it, such as halters, lines, 

 bedcordg, &c. at a very cheap rate. It was com- 

 monly known as the grass-rope. Sugar, of 



course, can be cnliivated wilJi the same success as 

 in the Island of Cuba. 



I doubt whether collee can be cultivated with 

 advaiiiage here, as it will not thrive well on soil 

 based upon rock a[)proachifig near the surlace, as 

 is the case in this reirion. Tlie coHee iree has a 

 long tap rout, which penetrates the earth to a 

 considerable depth, and cannot be sustained, as 

 almost all other trees and [ilants are, by laieral 

 roois. The vanilla plant, which is used to a very 

 Lrreat exient in imparling Ihe fine flavor vvhicli 

 iliey have to Spanish cigars, snulf, &c. is found in 

 a wild slate in all parts of Souiii 'Florida, in great 

 abundance. 



The arrow, or coonti root, also abounds on Cape 

 Florida ; on which the Indians, and even the white 

 settlers in that region, prior lo the war, subsisted 

 almost exclusively. It is an excellent substitute 

 lor bread, and the process of converting it into 

 the most beautiful and snow-white flour is very 

 simple, requiring nothing more than a common 

 im grater, and a bucket or tub to wash it in, lor 

 ihe' [)urpose ol separating ihe flour. 



As for the production of tobacco of a superior 

 quality in this region of Florida, as well as ia 

 portions further north, ihere can be no question. 

 Indeed, the experiment has been already fully 

 made, and has resulted in the raising of an article 

 not inferior to that in the West Indies. Its flavor 

 IS thought by many to be superior lo that of 

 the Cuba, 



The lacililies for internal communication in 

 Florida are very great, and it is believed that at 

 small expense an inland steam navigation can be 

 opened directly through the centre of the Penin- 

 sula. If the capabilities of this tropical region, 

 which are described as so great, can be brought 

 into use, the importance of the Florida country lo 

 the union can hardly be appreciated tuo highly. 

 We shall stand, as a nation, still more firmly on 

 ilie independent basis ol domestic resources when 

 it is Ibund that the |)roductioiis of the tropics, now 

 brought to us from abroad, may be adiled to the 

 list of native commodiiies in quaniilies sufScient 

 to supply our wants. — jlmerican. 



WIRE-GRASS DESTROYED BY HOGS. 



We have many native perennial grasses 

 amongst us which I am convinced are worthy of 

 cultivation, and shall experiment upon some of 

 ihem this year ; and should like to hear of many 

 oihers entering upon the research. And now, be- 

 Ibre I fill up my sheet, let me give some facta 

 wiih observations upon the despised Wire or 

 Joint Grass, (so called in my section.) Thai ihe 

 prejudices of the reader may not cause him lo 

 reject the merits of this grass, I will assure him 

 how it can be destroyed where not wanted to grow, 

 without any loss of labor. 



Like many other grasses, it is so multinanted, 

 it is not easily known by name. lis botanical 

 n'ame even seems doubiful. While a celebrated 

 botanist, Dr. Darlington of Pennsylvania, calls 

 it poa compressa, the Editor of the Farmers' 

 Register contends that its true name is triticum 

 repens. It is known in England by the name 

 of the cmich-grass, in Pennsylvania blue-grass, 

 \'irginia loire-grass, and some parts of South 



