316 Transactions of thb American Institute. 



and long continued rains prevail in the summer. There are many 

 native grapes that flourish. However this may be, a common 

 stock of cattle, sheep, hogs, goats, and even horses, do well on the 

 common range. The winters being mild, the stock subsist on the 

 common grass, without any other food. With food and attention 

 they would do well. 



Land can be had from nothing, under the Homestead bill, to 

 twelve dollars an acre for an improved farm. Eighty acres of 

 United States land can be had for two dollars and ninety cents, by 

 every male over twenty one years old. By an examination of the 

 patents, very good tracts can be sometimes found. The improved 

 lands in the hummock laud from five dollars to twelve dollars an acre. 



The hummock country, at present, cannot be a gardening or 

 fruit country for market, except near the towns, and they are very 

 far, on account of the delay of transportation. For this reason, the 

 chief articles for sale are rice, cotton and sugar. These crops can 

 be readily transported with such facilities as the country now 

 affords. The Florida railroad runs through the heart of the hum- 

 mocks of Alachua county; and the Oklawaha river, navigable at all 

 seasons for small boats, runs from the center of Marion. The 

 counties further west have the Gulf ports. With a short line of 

 railroad, the whole country could be put within three days of New 

 York. 



Among the rich lauds malaria prevails, producing some years all 

 the forms of chill and intermittent fevers. These fevers are light, 

 and yield to medicine. The winters are pleasant and dry, and 

 favorable for lung diseases. The society is rude and uncultivated. 

 The comforts and luxuries of life are few. School and church 

 advantages are greatly inferior to what they are in older settlements. 

 The general hardsliips and trials of a new country, known only to 

 those who have tried them, may be expected. But this country is 

 now sufficiently settled to have — and does have — the conveniences 

 of grist and saw mills, blacksmith shops and stores, with all manner 

 of supplies. 



As to whether Northern men would be safe in going thither, and 

 as to the esteem in which they would be held. Col. Goss said, 

 that he thought they would find every thing agreeable, 



FEUir-GROWING IN LOUISIANA. 



Dr. James O. Noyes, New Orleans, La. — ^A great many oranges 

 are now raised in Plaquemines parish, Louisiana. The region best 



