f)6 FLORIDA: ITS CLIMATE, SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, 



farm productions are valued at about $47,000, including principally 

 Battle, swine, rice, and potatoes. The South Florida Railroad extends 

 40 miles from Sanford, on Lake Mouro, Orange County, to Lake Kis- 

 sirnee, Brevard County. Titus ville, the county seat, is reached by a 

 long steamboat ride from Lake Mouro to Rock Ledge, and thence by 

 carriage. Drainage may open large tracts of rich lauds to the settler; 

 but until then this region is more attractive to the sportsman than to 

 the agriculturist. 



VOLUSIA COUNTY. 



This county contains 1,800 square miles, and has but 4,000 acres 

 under cultivation. The eastern portion along the Halifax River com- 

 prises some rich hammock lands, which in years past have produced 

 great quantities of sugar, and with good cultivation may again yield 

 much cane. West of this belt is a vast prairie, interspersed with pine 

 and cabbage palmetto, affording excellent pasturage to large herds of 

 cattle during the entire year. On the extreme west, extending from the 

 northern end of the county south about 30 miles, is a rolling pine country, 

 on which are hundreds of young orange groves; from this southward 

 is a rolling pine scrub until the Saint John's is reached, with its vary- 

 ing banks of hammock and savanna. 



With much care to avoid miasmatic swamps, and the chills which 

 arise from newly-plowed rich hammock lands, desirable farms may be 

 found in this region, which, when cleared and dispossessed of their acidity 

 by cultivation, will produce semi-tropical fruits and vegetables in abun- 

 dance. At present the yearly farm productions are valued at $60,000, 

 including principally cattle, poultry, cotton, molasses, and potatoes. 

 The present yield of lumber is one and one-half millions of feet per an- 

 num, which can be increased almost indefinitely. 



Transportation is confined to steamers on the Saint John's River, but 

 several railroads are chartered. Enterprise, the county seat, has demon- 

 strated the important fact that oranges and vegetables can be raised at 

 a profit by skilled laborers, with the aid of fertilizers, the most popular 

 of which is that made by George B. Forrester, of New York. 



ORANGE COUNTY. 



Orange County, comprising 2,300 square miles, and having 14,000 

 acres under cultivation, is general! rolling pine land, interspersed with 

 large lakes, rich hammocks, and comparatively worthless flat pine lantTs, 

 all more or less heavily timbered. Stock-raising has been the predominant 

 industry until recently, with cotton, corn, and cane; but now fruit cult- 

 ure is absorbing general attention, and the orange, lemon, lime, guava ? 

 pine-apple, and banana are cultivated to considerable extent. The South 

 Florida Railroad runs from Sanford southerly through the county, which, 

 with a short road from Astor, on the Saint John's, to Lake Eustis, to- 

 gether with the numerous Saint John's steamers, furnish exceptionally 



