1877.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



il9 



mills, Tiave become cliscounvfiPd, bccaufif' their 



mills wi'i'c so sliort livod, ami so cxiifusive to 

 kec]) in woikiiiR order; but an cxamiMatioii 

 of this iron ttii'liiiic will soon con vincc any one 

 of its (hiial)ility and eliiciency. Tlioni;!! coni- 

 paratively a late iiivenlion. it has lieen thor- 

 oughly tested, and we can conlidenlly assiTl 

 that no otlier \viii<l eni^inc has won for itself 

 such lii^li reiuital ion, ill the sain(> leiii,'th of 

 time. Of the lai>;e number jint in operation 

 in Oliio, Indiana an<l Illinois, during' the ])ast 

 year, not one has blown down, aUliongh sub- 

 jeeted to the severest storms, and notoni^ has 

 failetl to ijive sali.sfaction to the iiurehaser. 

 This (■ertainly eannot be said of many others. 

 Tliey have received the hiijhest commenda- 

 tions from persons usin^; them, and from the 

 best mechanics in this country and inKnrope. " 

 |Thi' foref^oinj.; from the Alii-liiijioi Juiniur, 

 located in a Slate where "The 'I'nrbine Wind 

 f'liijine" has been introduced and is in pra<"li- 

 cal use, illustrates more fully the (pialities 

 and popni.arity of this enfjine than anythint; 

 we could say, experimentally, on the siibject. 

 Independent of a merely utilitarian view of 

 the subject, the wind-mill is associated with 

 time-honored memaries, and we believe if wr 

 possessed a farm, we shouM have one of these 

 "rural, rustle and romantic"' slrnctureseroct- 

 ed on it, whether we had any s|iecial use for 

 it or not. 15ut this practical a'^e has iniprovid 

 and invested it with an interest it never had 

 l)efore, and \\f hope to see the I'lii-him intro- 

 duced into our county on an enlariL^'ed scale, 

 because we ludieve it will meet anil s.aisfy a 

 constantly increasing want. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Letter from Florida. 

 Dear Sir: Your letter of 3(lth ult., rr:;clied 

 me a week ago. 1 was jdeased to hear from 

 home, and that all arc enjoying health. Health 

 is only fully appreciated when one loses it. 

 To me it used to be secondary, but now be- 

 comes of primary importance. Over four 

 months ago when I arrived at Key West, I 

 was delighted with the mild climate and its 

 effects, but it is only about a month ago since 

 I have become fully ac(;limated and feel its 

 full elfect. At pre.sent I mostly enjoy my sleep 

 and meals, and gain, 1 think, .some strength 

 and weight. This country is one of |)rimitive 

 appearance, and more wild in its vegetation 

 than in a more northern latitude of the State. 

 Ofcour.se as elsewhere in this State, one sees 

 little but pine forests and hummocks, which 

 are almost impenetrable jimgles of vines and 

 shrubbery, although the vegetation is den.se 

 ami luxuriant, the soil is mostly shallow, an<l 

 the ragged and quartz coral rock crops out 

 everywhere on this coas-t. 1'liese rocks, usually 

 leve'i with the surface, are so numerous that ft 

 would be ditlicult to lind a plot of ground of 

 several acres in extent, in which a plow could 

 be u.sed. No open fields — there are no farmers 

 .here, in a sense, no pasture or giain lields. 

 Prior to the war, there were some planters 

 setted here who raised the shrubby Sea l.sland 

 cotton, but labor must have been effected by 

 means of slaves ami hor.ses. These i)lantation's 

 are now all grown over with trees and shrubs, 

 so that it is ditlicult to realize that they were 

 once under cultivation. 15ut history with the 

 monumental remnants of a few weather stain- 

 ed and mos.s-covered stone walls, broken down 

 chimney stacks, and a few ornamental shrubs, 

 with lemon and lime trees run wild, point to 

 this former occupancy. Although the mild 

 climate and luxuriant vegetation captivates 

 the immigrant, but in a short time hecominjj 

 better accquainted and more fully realizing 

 the drawbacks, soon emigrates again for a more 

 substantial home. Couniingall the .settlers on 

 this bay and its feeding rivers, I find most 

 have come in since the war, and show no indi- 

 cation of a permanent residence here. The in- 

 habitants along this bay are a mixed people, as 

 regards character and wealth. All have land 

 from a quarter section, eighty acres, or less, to 

 several thousand acres, but the land is not worth 

 mnch; although some have the face to ask ten 

 to twenty dollars per acre for unimproved land. 



The people, as a class, are poor, and many 

 mak(^ a bare living in the manufacture of 

 starch ontof the coonti root (."CiiiiVi inlei/rifolia,) 

 •some grow a lew vegetables for a living, others 

 in keeping a small country store, or post- 

 olli(M'. 'I'lie family with whom I am .staying 

 have come here from ( )liio five years ago. and 

 are in bctlei' circumstan(-es than most of them 

 through this county. Mo.st of these people 

 are of an irritable tem])erament. and are with 

 the least i)rovocation renderetl permanent ent^- 

 mies, yet to strang<>rs they are very kind and 

 hospitable on first iic(piainlan(H', and with 

 careful intercourse and approval of their views 

 on all subjects, may he retained in good friend- 

 ship, but woe to liini who ollends, because 

 Ihey will not forgive. 



The Seminole Indians constitute quite an 

 import:mt elememt of the po|)ulation, yet ab- 

 solutely they are not many; i)erha])s sincral 

 hundred would comiirise all the living of a 

 oni'C powerful tribe. They are a fine si)e{'i- 

 Lucn of iihysical develoimient. In their intel- 

 lectual and moral culturi^ they are much like 

 Indians elsewhere, but they are of a friendly 

 disposition, and show better taste and judg- 

 ment in their mode of living and intercourse, 

 with the whites, than tJie red men of tlu; 

 plains. 1 have met and conversed hrietly 

 with a number of them. At my first intro- 

 duction to them they apiieared very reserved, 

 but on longer ac(piaintancc, and especially 

 when they are under the inrtuenc.e of spiritu- 

 ous liipiors, they becomit ipLite free and talka- 

 tive. They live on limiting and fishing, and 

 gi-owing some vegetables and corn. They 

 come here every few days trading with this 

 family with whom I am staying. They siqi- 

 ply us with venison. They are exiiert hunt- 

 ers—carry wliistles to decoy the deer, or burn 

 jirairies to drive tliem out — or pass through 

 deii.se humocks apart and produce various 

 noises to attract the animals. They also, like 

 the "jioor whites" here, engage in the manu- 

 facture of starch. Of li(|uor they are very 

 fond, and will, by its abuse, probalily, in 

 course of time, destroy their tribe. The nicn 

 as a rule are barefooted and without breeches, 

 wearing mendy a long calico shirt, ornament- 

 ed cajie and belt, with a turban. The women 

 are better elajd, and usually ornamented with 

 many strings of beads around their necks, 

 and rows of hammered silver coins over their 

 breasts. They are very fond of silver coins 

 for ornaments, but will as readily accept cur- 

 rency in trade. 



The climate here is mild and very pleasant, 

 except when the wind is from the south, 

 which makes the atmosphere very humid, and 

 depressing to some extent. For three months 

 now that I have siient here (up to 1st of May), 

 I have observed the course and regularity <if 

 the local winds. Winds blow here almost 

 constantly — indeed a few hours is the excep- 

 tion. These winds move around in circles in 

 the direction of the hands on a dial jdate of a 

 clock — making one circuit in a week. Every 

 Sunday or jNIonday since I have been here, 

 they blew from thi^ north and then in a day 

 or so came from the east, then from thesoutli, 

 then west and north again — never have shifted 

 in the opposite direction. The hurricanes to 

 which this country is subject in the fall of the 

 year, pass in the same direction. It is prob- 

 able that both are influenced in their eour.se 

 by the belt of calms, so near this latitude, or 

 the hot winds meeting the l)elt of calms near 

 the eciuator. The early nmriiings are to he 

 enjoyed by the lover of nature, usually of 

 light, hazy winds or calms, with a novel .as- 

 pect of the beautiful. The densi; wild growths 

 come near the house, the red birds lio|)ping 

 around on the green shrubbery, and witli the 

 mocking bird sing their sweetest melodies or 

 morning songs. The hot rays of the sun are 

 not yet felt, and one thinks among the great 

 variety of flowers, gauily colored butterflies, 

 insects and birds, with the placid waters of 

 the b.ay in the foreground — of the finest .Tune 

 morning of a water scene in the north. The 

 temperature is eipiable here; tme who was 

 born and always lived here, could form no 

 correct idea of the sudden an(l extreme 



changes in the cold nortliland. I have read 

 in papers and letters of the great snow falls, 

 extreme C(dil and sudden changes north, the 

 past winter, and (o me it seemed like a dream 

 — roving about daily in the fuests in my shirt 

 .sleeves. Scarcely a day but the sun shines, 

 and occasionally thunder showers. Just siifli- 

 cient to keep the ground moist. Tlie highest 

 and lowest ranu'c of the thermometer for the 

 inonl lis of February, March and April, was 

 as follows : 



FEIUiUAUl-. 



Morn. Noon. V.v'g. 



J/if/hcKi nr, 74 e,H 



howext 4'.l fiO 5'.l 



MAIICU. 



J/iij/uKl 70 7fi 71 



/^oimt '. .V! GO 5.5 



Ai'iiir,. 



r/i<//icxt TZ SO 7.'; 



/.•"'■'•»■( .W 07 (i.5 



1 1 ii,'hest daily variations 7\.j in February. 



" '• " 8 in .Vlaicli 



—A. P. f/.,lMANiA, Florida, May 1st, 1S77. 



S.M.isiiUiiY, X. C, .July .'{0, 1877. 

 I'^DTToii Fak.mkk— X»«ti- .Sir : The wheat 

 crop turned out well here, in (piantily and 

 (piality. The early potatoes did not turn out 

 a full croi>. Apples and peaches are abund- 

 ant, as well as other fruits, such as gages, 

 prunes and plums. Damsons and C. O. ('. 

 grapes also bid fair for an abiimlant croi), if 

 notliing luu'eafter happens to cut them olf. 

 Vour paper, the Favmei; fre(|iiently treats of 

 various things, among the rest, grapes and 

 their culture and management. I have tried 

 ililt'erent ex))eriments with grape vines, and 

 without success for years past. Until the 

 last three years i)ast, I have pruned vines 

 down to within one and one and one-half 

 inclu's of the main runner, in .lanuary of each 

 year, and lliey have borne abundantly each 

 year since in quantity and quality. I made 

 it a point to prune just before the .sap runs 

 u]). Pruning in .lanuary may iKjt suit all cli- 

 mates, therefore persons growing grapes 

 should exercise judgment according to climate 

 wherein cultivated. I see in the Fanner for.l iily, 

 that some person from West Chester, C'licster 

 county, I'a., has sent you some root, which he 

 says is a sure cure for diarrluea and cludera 

 infantum, in two houns. Will you be so kind 

 as to give me the hutiniicul as well as roiumnn 

 )UC(/«' of said root y l>y .so doing, you will 

 much oblige me, as I desire to benefit the 

 human family, and with which di.seases this 

 community is more or less alllicted. The 

 corn crop so far this season, though a little 

 late, promises a good yield, and from what 1 

 have seen and heard, I would not besurprised 

 if this year's yield would be larger than it has 

 been in any one year in twenty-five years 

 past. So far as 1 have seen and learned from 

 planters of tobacco and cotton the crops look 

 W'ell but not so good a stand, and acreage not 

 so large, hence the yield will reasonably not 

 be so great in (]uantity. Though the tobacco 

 and corn crops may come short, in compari- 

 son to past years, yet we are blessed with a 

 bountiful <-rop of wheat and f)ats, now gar- 

 nered, and liresent prosjiccts of a good crop 

 of corn ari^ fair, as well as fruits of all kinds 

 grown in this section, and the health of our 

 city and county around pretty good, so that I 

 do not think we ought to complain but do the 

 best we can and (rust to a kind Providence, 

 who always helps and provides for (hose who 

 try to provide for and help themselves. Youi's 

 truly.— 3/. It. 



Adulteration of the Necessaries of Life. 

 The subject of the ailulteradon of artiides 

 of food, iJic., intended for human consump- 

 tion, has engaged the attention of the (ier- 

 maii press for some time, and has had as an 

 immediate result the introduction in the (ier- 

 man Parliament, of a bill aiming toputaslcpp 

 to the evil by inflicting heavy iienalties upon 

 those who engage in the nefarious Imsiness. 

 As may be sup|)o.sed, a question of .so much 

 moment to the welfare of the people, has had 

 the effect to bring out a great number of ex- 

 cellent articles by eminent writer.s, who have 



