beep ¥nrsi)anirrj). 
H. S. RANDALL, LL. D., EDITOR, 
Or CoitTI.AND VlLLAfiK, CuUTLANO COCNIV, N*W Yur.K. 
THE REPORT OF THE ALEXANDER 
SHEARING MATCH. 
Alexander, n. y., Augr. 21 . isgo. 
lion. IT. S. R vnd u.r—O k\ rt Sin: I think tbo 
report ot Mr. Haydin on Scouriin: Short’s and 
Grosman'S lieooos not only establishes t Ue repu¬ 
tation of Grosman's ram, but vindicates the re¬ 
port of theoffloCi'Aof the uieetiujrat Ckosm\,\' s 
Shearing In May. In that report, we an id that the 
woo) of tills fleece Av.is“in janod condition mid 
free from extraneous matter.” Tins part of the 
report has been severely criticised, not only by 
yourself,.but by some of the leading utid intelli¬ 
gent breeder-: and wool growers of the country. 
What whs obviously Intended by the language 
ol’ the report ? Clearly not. that, the wool was 
ab*iiutcJ!/ free from all dirt and grease—that it 
was cleansed woo). Wo wore reporting tho 
weight of an extraordinarily heat ,y 1111 washed 
ram s fleece, and it must have been so under¬ 
stood by every Intelligent reader. For that class 
of wool we slid if ss'os free from extraneous 
mailer and in y -id eoadifion. In commenting 1 
upon the report, you took the position that 
gre.t-o ssms extraneous matter, and therefore, 
that ttio officer* srho made it had committed a 
blunder, though acting in good faith. IVRUsrER 
says* till'd e.vM'am ■•'it means‘'foreign: not be- 
lonylng to; existing without.” Now, if crease 
or oil is foreign to wool in itsnntiiml condition, 
or if wool exists or grows upon tho sheep with¬ 
out this substance in a greater or loss degree, 
then it is extraneous, and the language of tho 
report is erraneoas, and it* author committed a 
“blunder.” But it all wool, In its natural con¬ 
dition, eoutains morn or loss grease, It U not ex¬ 
traneous, mid the language of tlie report is cor- 
reel .mid lilt i ugly chosen to convoy tlio meaning 
of tho committee; and we leave it to tho intel¬ 
ligent reader to determine who ha3 blundered. 
Tn regard to tin' condition of the wool, Mr. 
IlAYDRV’s report also fully sustains the judg¬ 
ment of tho oilic os lu saying that tho wool wa* 
“in good eorumion" lor that, class ot wool. 
Short’s Uccce. which weighed 11 bout the Mine its 
it cwno from the shoop.nnd two pounds less when 
cleansed, may bo considered in had condition— 
a ltoeoo of tho sanio weight cleansing eight 
pounds in fair condition, ami Grosman's weigh¬ 
ing over nlno pounds in 0uo</ condition,so that. 
I insist that the scouring test fully vindicate') 
our report upon this point. Let nto add 11 word 
of caution to intelligent eorresuoudents not 
again to utlfluallfledly Condemn seemingly in¬ 
credible statements till they know them to he 
erroneous, or that their authors arc unworthy 
of belief. In regard to tin; iliservimno.v in tho 
weight of tlio fleeco, its reported ut tlio shearing 
and when received by Mr. Hayden. I nm satis¬ 
fied that tho amount, of the diO'emion was taken 
from tho tloeco while In .Mr. CitoSMAN'.s posses¬ 
sion. He - 1 ,vs some samples wore taken l<y per¬ 
sons cxamiiiiuif it, but In; thinks not enough to 
malic so much diltoreneo. I 11 I his. I t hink die is 
mistaken, and that tho tleoeo not only weighed 
more than any other ever takau from 11 Merino 
sheep, but that if contained morceleJ used wool. 
In conclusion I will say that Mr. Lusk mid my¬ 
self u n engaged in breeding merinos, but neither 
of us have bvw used the slock from whichCttOS- 
MA.Vg ram descended, amt hu\ e no otlier interest 
in this matter limit to do Justice to a neighbor— 
to u superior sheep ami to uuraolves. 
Very rcspcccTuliy, .1 as. G. 8uiU'ajiD. 
Remarks.—W e give the officers of the 
Alexander shearing match a hearing, 
through ono of their number, though we 
were not before aware that tee had “ severely 
criticised ” their report. Wc gave them full 
credit for good faith, and vindicated tlio 
intent of tlieir report, though we thought 
the latter lacked that precision and accuracy 
•which we deem to be proper, especially in 
the statement of very unusual facts. Our 
correspondent now seeks to vindicate also 
the letter of that report. lie lias succeeded 
in this, provided lie has shown that a fleece 
done up entire— sweat balls, we suppose, and 
all —and containing much more than the 
average percentage of waste mutter in un¬ 
washed American Merino wool—containing 
a total amount of nearly twenty-six pounds 
of waste matter—is in “good condition,”* 
as that term is understood in the trade; and 
provided he has further succeeded in prov¬ 
ing that such twenty-six pounds of “ dirt 
and grease” are not “ extraneous matter” to 
■wool! 
If exactly such conditioned wool was sold 
to a buyer who had not seen it, on exactly 
such representations as those contained in 
the report, and with tho stipulation that the 
condition of the wool should equal the 
representations, does any ono believe that 
the seller would be entitled to recover the 
stipulated price ? Let us put a parallel case. 
Suppose A sells B a quantity of Merino 
wool, unseen by the latter, stipulating that 
it 6hall be of good quality in respect to fine¬ 
ness—and the wool delivered proves to be 
considerably below the average fineness of 
Merino wool. ‘ Is there any doubt that 
A would be held not to have performed his 
stipulation ? 
Every definition of the word “ extrane¬ 
ous,” quoted by our correspondent from 
Webster, goes, when properly interpreted, 
to prove that it was a “ blunder ” in the of¬ 
ficer’s report, to assume that “dirt and 
grease” are not “extraneous matter” to 
wool. He appears to suppose that these 
definitions apply to a coincidence of locality , 
instead of a coincidence of structure or of 
stance. We have given the term “ extrane¬ 
ous" the signification generally attached to 
it by writers and speakers, and which it 
would be easy to show is sustained by the 
dictionary definitions quoted, by an analysis 
of their language. But wo have no taste for 
this kind of disquisition, and see no further 
nccil for it in the present case. Our respect 
for our aggrieved correspondent has already 
caused ns to extend it too fur. 
In one particular we fully concur with Mr. 
Shepard, viz.: that the report of Mr. Hay¬ 
den on scouring “ establishes the reputation 
of Mr. Ckosman’s ram.” But it is tho 
amount of his clean wool, and not of his 
wool in tho “dirt and grease,” which estab¬ 
lishes that reputation, lie would bo worth 
at least as much, in our judgment, with ten 
pounds less of these substances in his fleece. 
If, as we hope, lie possesses good form and 
constitution, and perpetuates his individual 
excellence well in his progeny, (fuels in re¬ 
gard to which we have as yet received no 
information,) ho is an cacceedingly valuable 
animal. 
-- 
WOOL SCOURING 
Of Ontario nml Liv|ntr»ton Wool Growers’ 
Association. 
Hemlock Lake, X. Y., Sept. 2, 18 * 10 . 
IIon. II. S. Randall — Dear Sir: Tho follow¬ 
ing is tlio scouring record of tho Ontario ami 
Livingston Wool Growers' Association for 1809: 
The seourtng was done by Hunt Bros, of 
North Bloomfield. N. Y., under instructions front 
: pencer D. Suort, of Honcoye, who was ap¬ 
pointed to superintend tho scouring for the As¬ 
sociation. 
Shout's directions to Hunt Bros, wore to 
scour each fleeco thoroughly, and ho called par¬ 
ticular attention to tho fact that, tho thorough¬ 
ness of tho scouring performed for the Associa¬ 
tion last your had boon questioned. 1 scud you 
a sample weighing an ounce from each tlocco, 
excepting Stevens &> Gtr.nr.uT's rams, whose 
fleeces hud Leon disposed of when the samples 
were taken out. The nuns' fleeces were entered 
for tho Pitts scouring prize, 
Ac-o nt A00 of IVt. of Wt. of 
Slioiqi. l'K.'.t) Cor. 1-lcotu. N'.I 
Owner Sex in. *1. lb». lba. c*i. lbe. ox. 
.T. P. Read.Ewe 3 U 81 10.3 4.i:> 
L. Noble.Kara 4 1'J 117 2i.it 8.0 
Slovens & Gilbert..Ham l 12 l l'l 21.8 7.2 
Jj. Piersons. . .Rum 3 11 18 118 23.4 (*.13 
W. Pitts.Ram 5 1132 113 13.15 0.8 
Marrilicr JjSBronson Ewo ,3 1120 H'J 11.8 5.13 
Marrinor & Bronson Ewe i 12 «0 13.5 5.0 
Yours Respectfully, 
John P. Ray, Secretary. 
North Bloomfield, n. y., Aug. 10, i860. 
S. D. Short, Esq. : — Wo have cleansed tho 
wool loft with us by you on tho 18th of May 
last, and And tho following result: 
Net. 
S. P. Reed's Fleece.— 
.lOlhs. 
2 or.. 
4 lbs. 
18 oz. 
L. Nohle’s " .... 
....31 
Ii " 
8 ” 
5 ” 
,1. Gil hurt's “ . 
.31 
4* 
8 '• 
7 “ 
5 •* 
Jj . Plevflon#' “ — 
.23 
It 
0 '* 
(i “ 
13 “ 
AV. Pitts 
. W 
15 “ 
(i “ 
8 “ 
Marrlner & Bronson's Fleece 
No. 1. 
.11 
41 
8 ** 
5 “ 
12 “ 
Mil rrinor A Bronson’s Fleeco 
No. 2. 
.13 
it 
4 “ 
5 “ 
6 ” 
I do hereby certify that the above statemont 
Is correct. Elston Hunt, 
(For Hunt Brothers.) 
In a note Mr. E. Hunt says: — “Our 
method of scouring wool is quite simple. 
Wo prepare a liquid about one-fourth part 
stale urine, a small quantity common soft 
soap, and a little salt, quantities seldom 
measured. We heat to 130° Fahrenheit, 
enter the wool In sufficient quantity to work 
easily in the kettle, It remains from ten to 
forty-five minutes, or until the yolk or gum 
is all dissolved. It is then rinsed clean and 
thrown out, and, after draining, spread out 
and dried. The samples sent are a fair aver¬ 
age of tho wool.” 
-*_»_*- 
MR. MARTIN’S SCOURED SAMPLE. 
ltusn, N. Y., Sept. 4, 1809. 
IIon. Henry S. Randall— flair Sir: In the 
last issue of tho Rural, Sept. 4. you state that 
neither Mr. Hunt nor myself liuadslies any ex¬ 
planation why scoured samples from other 
fleeces, instead of my own, were sent. In my 
letter sent you at the Limo of sending tho report 
of the scouring, I stated, If my memory servos 
mo right, us follows:—The object of having so 
many fleeces scoured was to have a piece of cloth 
made from this wool exclusively ; that when I 
went to tho factory for a suraplo to send you 
they had all tho fleeces put together for the pur¬ 
pose of manufacturing, and could not tell from 
Avlmt fleece the sample was taken. At tbo time of 
sending the documents in reference to tlio mat¬ 
ter tho wool was then all in cloth, a very good 
reason why wo Aid not send samples from my 
wool. Yours respectfully, 
Petf.r Martin. 
Remarks. —Tho above furnishes a satis¬ 
factory explanation why Mr. Martin scut us 
samples from other fleeces besides his own, 
but he is mistaken in supposing that lie has 
previously offered the foregoing explanation. 
If lie or Mr. Hunt had done so, it would of 
course have rendered our remarks on the 
subject, Sept. 4th, unnecessary. 
-*-*-*- 
THE WOOL TARIFF. 
organized subsluuce. So, too, wool does not 
exist or grow upon the sheep without the 
skin, and wool in its natural condition is al¬ 
ways found in contact with it. Will it be 
claimed, therefore, that they are not extra¬ 
neous to each other ? “ Dirt ” has no natural 
or absolutely necessary connection or con- 
3 tact with wool. It is taken up from the 
\ earth, blown in by the wind, &c. It is no 
y more homogeneous with wool than dung, 
'y ivater, hay seeds or any other foreign sub- 
‘This fact w:ifl stated in the original report, with- 
out any bucIi qualification ns that now employed by 
, -Mr. Khepauu, ** for that class of wool.” or nny other 
[ Qu:U'floation whatever. It wits not even stilted tlmt 
» the wool was unwashed, though perhaps that fact 
Wlla suBiciently inferable. 
We cut the following from the New York 
Economist: 
Tin: following preamble and resolutions, unani¬ 
mously adopted at a special meeting of the North¬ 
wester!] Wool Growers’ and Manufacturers’ As¬ 
sociation, held in the rooms of the Association,on 
Thursday, August 5, disclose the motives of tho 
movement; 
Whereas. Frequent changes in legislation in ro- 
gard to tariff and taxes create fluctuations and un¬ 
certain tics which arc injurious to business men ; and 
whereas the tariff on wool and woolens was agreed 
on by the representatives of Wool Growers and 
Manufacturers, and adjusted for mutual Justice: 
therefore 
We approve of tho present Wool tariff, 
amt consider nny agitation or radical change injuri¬ 
ous and ill-timed. 
/i u&nivtd. We aru opposed to renewal of what Is 
known as the Canadian Reciprocity treaty. 
This Is by far the most sensible protective pro¬ 
gramme wq have met with yet. It la the first one 
that, hasn't asked for " more, ' Ac. 
We regret that the Economist has not read 
its agricultural exchanges better for tbe last 
two or three years. The National Wool 
Growers’Association, and all the Stale Wool 
Growers’ Associations connected with it, 
have—several of them more than once—ex¬ 
pressed their approbation of the present wool 
and woolen tariff; and not one of them has 
receded from that ground. 
Harm wcduowje 
APPLYING MANURE TO SEED. 
Ten years ago, a writer in the London 
(Eng.) Farmer says lie was induced by the 
late Mr. Ronald, of Glasgow, to try the 
coating of seeds and roots before sowing and 
planting, with several fertilizing ingredients. 
-Mr. Ronald himself, after a series of accu¬ 
rate experiments on a small scale, extending 
over ten years, found that his crops were 
greatly better than those to which no appli¬ 
cation had been made. The chief alimentary 
substances employed by him were a solution 
ot‘ Irish lime and water, a solution of byre 
manure, a solution of henpen, city sewage, 
and soot and water. Hu also used sugar 
with great advantage, not only as a useful 
manure, but also, on account of its glutinous 
nature in adhering to the seed better than 
anything else. His method of coating tho 
seed was as follows:—Take a tub, say thirty 
inches in diameter, and two feet deep; empty 
into it a boll, or four bushels of wheat; lake 
eight pounds of sugar, bruise any lumps that, 
may be in it, and Rprinklc it on the top of the 
wheat. Take another tub, two feet in diame¬ 
ter, and one nml a half feet deep, put Into it 
six gallons of water, and mix soot with it, 
until it is as thick as good cream, then, with 
a Jug, distribute tho solution slowly on the 
top of the sugar and wheat- The liquid will 
then he about two inches above tho level of 
the wheat, and the whole mass is to be stir¬ 
red several times during the first four hours. 
After remaining fourteen hours the liquid is 
entirely absorbed, and the grain is sowed 
without loss of lime. Such are the outlines 
of Mr. Ronald’s method of preparing his 
steep, and tho writer scrupulously followed 
his directions. The experiment was wrought 
out with, success in a field of oats in the sea¬ 
son of 1850. The one-ltalf of the field, which 
consisted of a light, gen erg* sori, plowed 
out of lea, was sown with sandy oats, dressed 
in the way stated, and the other with tho 
same variety of oats without any coating. 
The two divisions were harvested and stored 
separately, and when thrashed and win¬ 
nowed the former showed an extra produce 
of six aud a half bushels per acre. The suc¬ 
ceeding year was not attended with (lie same 
success, so far as the experiment was con¬ 
cerned, for, untoward weather having set in, 
tho different portions of the field were carried 
hurriedly during dry Intervals, aud mixed up 
together in the stacking. 
Dr. Voelck.Br, who is no mean authority, 
affirmed that seed manuring was not based 
on rational principles. He published some 
seod-steeping experiments in the Journal of 
the Royal Agricultural Society of England 
in 1837, in which ho engaged solely with the 
view of determining the various stages of 
germination resulting from the different ap¬ 
plications, discarding altogether the idea of 
augmenting the crop by those appliances. 
No doubt this celebrated chemist, in looking 
at the many failures in seed manuring in 
previous attempts, had been led to express 
himself unfavorably of the whole matter, 
without considering that there might remain 
untried alimentary substances whoso appli¬ 
cation might meet, and to some extent sat isfy, 
I ho requirements of the plant. Professor 
Johnston, oil the Other hand, asserts his be¬ 
lief that considerable benefit may accrue 
from tho use of sundry steeps. Indeed, tlio 
fact is undoubted, and has been evinced by 
careful experiments. 
It may be further asserted that the plan of 
causing every seed to carry with it to its bed 
in the earth some good manure stands to 
reason; and the fact that saccharine matter 
is developed in tho germinating process, 
leads naturally to the conclusion that an in¬ 
creased supply of this substance would be 
beneficial. But even although the scheme 
were not based on specious principles, or 
although its action were incapable of a 
scientific explanation, that would be no good 
ground for abandoning experiments or re¬ 
linquishing all research in that direction. 
The Glasgow gentleman already referred to 
experimented for ten years, and delayed 
giving tlio outside world any knowledge of 
his proceedings till positively reliable infor¬ 
mation could be advanced as to tho materials 
best adapted for securing success and the 
best mode of their application. 
In the progress of the growth of the crop 
the -superiority of the dressed grain is in 
most cases very marked. In early sown 
fields, on weak soils, with barren weather 
corn yellows in the swoon —that is, when the 
nourishment of the pickle is exhausted. At 
this stage in the growth of the plant, the 
benefit of the coating is at once apparent, 
especially if sugar has been one of the in¬ 
gredients used in the dressing. The embryo 
plant other a vise languishes in its first searches 
after food external to the pickle. Tlio sight 
of the sickly plants at this period, under the 
conditions we have assumed, as compared 
with manured seed, would convince the most 
incredulous that good was to be derived from 
the scheme. To assert, as some sanguine 
advocates have done, that, by adopting this 
process, the farmer may dispense with the 
ordinary manurial applications, and yet have 
a large crop, is quite absurd. A grain of 
alimentary matter in contact with the seed 
cannot extend its influence through the 
whole period of the growth of the crop. It. 
can only be rationally viewed as an auxiliary, 
and not as a substitute, for ordinary farm¬ 
yard manure, or such artificials as are in 
other circumstauces applied to the crop. 
The main obstacle to the constant success 
of tho experiments of the writer was an ex¬ 
cess of rain before and down to Hie stage of 
tho growth of the plant to which wc refer. 
This, it is thought, is due to the solubility of 
the ingredients used passing away by solu¬ 
tion and filtration, especially in porous soils, 
before t ho period of silting in cereal crops. 
Most farmers may recollect, of the want, of 
tho expected success of the patent manures 
of tlmt celebrated chemist, Lei bio ; and it. 
has been assorted that it arose from the dif¬ 
ficulty of adjusting tho soluble and insoluble 
ingredients from cheap materials. It must 
be obvious to all, that if an alimentary ma¬ 
terial is too soluble, the plant is soon de¬ 
prived of its food by the washing down of 
the rains; and, on tho other hand, if it is not 
readily soluble in water, it cannot be avail¬ 
able as plant food; and unless, as In nature, 
a medium is attainable, tlio manurial in¬ 
gredients are of less value. It should be 
observed that in the selection of the materials 
for the steep, nitrogen should always be in¬ 
cluded. It, however, must be used with 
caution, else, like a farmer of our acquaint¬ 
ance, who, in experimenting with guano 
after tlio method proposed, destroyed tho vi¬ 
tality of his seeds. 
The writer has watched and examined 
with great interest tho primary and seconda¬ 
ry rooting of cereal crops; aud the bulk and 
yield •»{' the future crop are ever largely de¬ 
pendent on tlio concurrence of fostering 
weather at the stage when the seminal roots 
and seed cease to be food to the plant, and 
when the coronal rooting, winch draws 
nourishment from a different stratum of soil, 
begins to provide food for its development. 
The stage when the seed supply of nourish¬ 
ment ceases is always critical, and often 
there is a great loss of plant in sterile soils, 
and those holding noxious ingredients. But. 
though there may be no loss of plant, if tho 
process is protracted by unpropitious weather 
the crop Is rarely prolific. 
---- 
DEEP PLOWING. 
The Cincinnati Gazette says: — “Mr. 
Fuller, who is well known as being prom¬ 
inently connected with the Little Miami 
Railroad, is also a fanner, and farms on 
rather an extensive scale. Early in spring 
ho visited one of his farms where several 
plows were at work, preparing the soil for 
corn. Air. F. was horrified when he saw that 
tlio ground was being turned up only three or 
four inches deep / Considerably irritated, he 
ordered every plow to be stopped. 
‘“Now put two teams to a plow, and go 
inio the soil not less than ten inches deep! 
Of course it was necessary to obey. But 
when Mr. Fuller’s back was turned his 
plowmen chuckled among themselves, ridi¬ 
culing him as a fancy farmer, who imagined 
that lie knew more than those born and 
brought up on a farm. They also set. up a 
stake between the common and deep plow¬ 
ing, so that hereafter they could show him 
that all his extra expense in plowing deep 
was money thrown away. 
Of course that corn crop is not yet ripe ; 
out the plowmen are greatly chagrined in 
looking’ at the difference between the two 
parts of the field. All good judges say that 
there will be twice the yield on the deeply 
plowed ground over that plowed in the com¬ 
mon way. 
- ♦♦-»- 
HAY LOADING MACHINE. 
Such a machine has been invented by N. 
B. Douglas, Cornwall, Vt., the work of 
which is thus described by the editor of the 
New England Farmer:—“ It is for loading 
tlio hay by horse power, after it is sufficient¬ 
ly dry and thrown into wiurow. 1 have 
seen it in use at three different times, and on 
uneven as well as even ground, and every¬ 
where it dkl the work quickly and well. At 
one of my visits to see it, the first load was 
put on in eight minutes, the second in seven 
and a half minutes, and the third in seven 
minutes. This was done by the steady, usual 
working of the machine, and without any ef¬ 
fort to do the work in a short time. The by¬ 
standers estimated tho loads at 1,500 pounds 
each; the wagon, being a short one, would 
not conveniently take any more. The men 
using it stated that on a urevious occasion 
they loaded and uhloaded eighteen loads in 
six and a haif hours, all tho loads but the 
last one being placed upon stacks in I lie field. 
The loader is attached to the hind end of 
tho wagon; stands perpendicularly; is eight 
feet long and four feet wide. It has eight 
sole leather belts, each two indies wide, 
which pass over rollers at the top and a cyl¬ 
inder at the bottom. There are fifteen small 
iron spurn in each of these belts, which pick 
up the hay as the team, straddling the win- 
row, passes ulong, carrying it lip and rat¬ 
tling it over upon the wagon. The whole of 
this weighs but. one hundred and seventy- 
five pounds. It can lie attached or removed 
in less than five minutes, andean be applied 
to any wagon. It makes no noise while be¬ 
ing operated, adapts itself to uneven surfaces, 
and is exceedingly simple in every part of 
its construction. When I saw this small and 
light contrivance, noiselessly picking up tho 
hay and conveying it to the wagon, I came 
to the conclusion that a device had been 
reached which would complete the circle of 
machines to bo used lu securing the most 
important of all our crops—the hay harvest. 
Wliereycr a large amount, of hay is to be sc¬ 
oured, tin's machine must take rank with 
the mower, horse rake, tedder and liovso 
ptichlbik. 
• -- — 
Improved Wnaon *ent.— I send you herewith 
inclosed a drawing of a wagon seat of my inven¬ 
tion, and which 1 think superior to anything 1 I 
have yet seen in use for the purpose, in several 
respects. It Is a spring seal throughout, alike 
on both ends and in tho middle, easily* made, 
cheap, light and durable. Its workings will lie 
readily understood at a glance at the drawing 
without a descript ion. Tt is made of (wo boards 
fastened to either side (base or b>p.) of a trunca¬ 
ted block, and secured at the ends fiy narrow 
strips of leather.—If.8 . Tompkins, La Satie, K. Y. 
Sank Grpartmtaf. 
o Ty 
NOTES FROM FLORIDA. 
Climate, History, Progress, Advantages,»&o. 
I HAVE got into this part of Ilia world 
rather early in the season, but. to secure ac¬ 
commodations for the coining winter it was 
necessary to make provision in advance — 
and really, the climate is delightful and tho 
heat not so oppressive as I found it in New 
York. 
Tlio point from which I address this let¬ 
ter is tho southwestern part of St. Johns 
County, and is ono of tho most delightful 
places on tho Atlantic coast for a residence, 
being almost entirely out of tho reach of 
frost., and not very warm In the summer. 
The nights are always cool, lands high, dry, 
rich, rolling, easily tilled, aud most beauti¬ 
fully interspersed with small lakes of pure 
soft water, all which readily accounts for 
the fabulous stories of a spring of “ perpet¬ 
ual youth” for which Ponce de Leon so 
long sought. 
What a strange, romantic history is that 
of Florida, much of which, no doubt, is lost 
to tho world. Here the bold buccaneer re¬ 
tired to enjoy in luxurious indolence his 
ill-gotten gains. Tho perils of tlio ocean 
and tho light forgotten, the land of delight 
was open to him, with Us fruits, flowers and 
gentle winds, — all except a “ conscience 
clear” to make a paradise. Then follow 
the several settlements with their improve¬ 
ments, and tho Avars and devastations of tho 
Spanish, French and English. Can avo 
wonder that this “ Eden" should remain a 
wilderness? Even after its occupation by 
tbe United States, slavery, Avith its dark 
pall, together with the Indian Avars, Avero 
not calculated to make tlio Avildcrncss to 
bloom. But, slavery beiug at an end, be¬ 
hold the change ! Noay the “ Everlasting 
Yankee,” the Georgian, tho Alabamian, and 
native Floridian, are contestants In the race 
of thrift and enterprise. Man no longer 
vegetates, but Jives. Fortunes are being 
made here, and fortunate arc they avIio ob¬ 
tain the first footing. Those lands are des¬ 
tined soon to be the most valuable of any in 
the United States. Florida Avitl supply all 
the Northern markets Avith early fruits and 
vegetables. 
The point from which this is written, 
“ Dunn’s Lake,” is one hundred and twenty- 
five miles up the St. John’s River, and as 
the steamers Avhieh ply between Charleston, 
Savannah, Jacksonville and Pilalka, will 
find ample depth of water to run into this 
Lake, it cannot bo long before the people 
begin to think of g ship canal from tho 
Lake to the Ocfean, not more than fifteen 
miles distant, where deeper water can be 
obtained than over tho St. John’s Bar, and 
which will give direct communication Avith 
Ncav York and Europe. Real estate is rap¬ 
idly advancing in this as in other Southern 
States. Emigration is increasing, and the 
Avonders which have been wrought in tho 
far West Avill be speedily eclipsed in this 
land of flowers. De Leon. 
Dunn’s Lake, Fla., Sept., 1869. 
A 
