FEB. 24 
FROM FLORIDA. 
We have lately received requests “to 
publish whatever information we may ob¬ 
tain concerning Florida.” It will be remem¬ 
bered that during last year we published 
several articles from Myron Strong. We 
find we have another (which has been over¬ 
looked), that may prove of interest and 
profit to our readers seeking information 
concerning that “ Land of Flowers.” Here 
it is: 
AEOUT FLORIDA: 
Its Soil, Climate, Productions, dec., dtc. 
TUIRD ARTICLE. 
In my last letter concerning cattle, I 
omitted some things which I wish to men¬ 
tion. The cattle of this country are usually 
smaller than the common breed of cattle 
North, and are remarkable for their variety 
of color—striped, spotted, rtngstrcaked 
and speckled, as were the herds of Jacob 
of old. Tho cows furnish only about, two 
quarts of milk per day, even if the calves 
get none of it. More might be obtained 
with extra feeding. An enterprising Yan¬ 
kee would, no doubt, succeed well in the 
milk business, if he would briug with him a 
few best breed of cows, and establish him¬ 
self near Jacksonville, or Augustine, or 
some of the larger towns. Tie should also 
ship a full supply of good Northern hay, 
mill feed, bran, etc., and feed them in the 
same maimer as at the North, until they be¬ 
come acclimated. This, to bo sure, would 
require money, but it would be well invest¬ 
ed, as every quart of milk sold would put 
twenty cents into his pocket, that being the 
city price. Tho market is best during the 
winter mont hs, us then the hotels and steam¬ 
ers are crowded with Northern visitors. 
During tho summer, when the demand 
for milk Is less, it could be made into butter 
and cheese, the former selling at forty to 
fifty cents, the latter twenty-live to thirty 
cents. As vet I have hoard ol' no extensive 
dairies in Florida. 
After the Southern farmers have driven 
their cattle into the distant range to feed 
for another year, the next thing they at¬ 
tend to is to list up the cow pen for 
A Crop of Sweet Potatoes. — Light 
furrows are made with a small scooter plow, 
usually four and a-half feet apart, as a puido, 
then, with a long-handled hoe, portions of 
manure, all the grass, litter, etc., are hauled 
to the furrow from either side; then the 
soil hauled upon that, thus forming high, 
straight ridges. Then from the seed beds, 
prepared in February in the same way in 
which the “ mamma ” potatoes were plant¬ 
ed, strings of long vinos are pulled, iu sizable 
bunches, laid straight upou the ground, and 
cut iu lengths of about eighteen Inches j one 
person takes as many of these as he can 
handle, and places rapidly across the top of 
the ridges pieces of the vine, about fifteen 
inches apart, Another follows with a stick 
having a notch in one end, and presses the 
center of the vine into the ground, three or 
four inches, and the job is done. 
The best t ime for this iB immediately after 
a heavy rain. If there is little or no rain, 
the plants should be watered. If timely 
rains occur, the vines soon throw out their 
shoots and cover tho ground. Very little 
labor is afterwards required, except to go 
over the beds once or twice, and cut out tho 
pestiferous crab grass while young. If that 
is allowed to grow, the crop will be very 
much diminished. 
With good cultivation and a favorable 
season, the crop is usually about 200 bushels 
per acre—sometimes 300; even more when 
highly manured. Without manure, from 
1G0 to 200 may lie expected, on good ground. 
This is considered a very important crop, 
as all domestic animals eat the sweet potato 
greedily, and every family depends upon it, 
in a great degree, for their daily food, In 
gathering the crop, after the first white 
frost of December, a small turn plow is run 
alongside of each ridge, turning out the 
valuable tubers, which are gathered and 
banked, covered with pine tree bark and a 
little soil, with a little hole at the top for 
ventilation. Dryness is essential to keep 
them from rotting. 
The hogs are then allowed to go into the 
field and root out the remainder, and thus 
get partially fattened. A few cow peas and 
a very little corn added, makes these long- 
nosed, slab-sided swine sufficiently fat to 
suit the crackers; from which, however, 
most Northern pork-eaters would turn with 
disgust. The sweet potato crop prepares 
the ground admirably for the 
Sugar Cano, which is the first crop of 
the new year, and demands first attention. 
As soon as the cane of the old year is ground 
and made into sugar, tho plow is put in mo¬ 
tion, preparatory for the new planting early 
in January, to be completed in February. 
The soil is turned over with a small, one- 
horse plow, in December. Then in January 
the ground is laid off in furrows five feet 
apart—some prefer six feet. The seed cane 
iscut into short pieces, having three eyes in 
each, and placed iu the furrow end to end. 
Some stretch the pieces apart a little, and 
place another parallel, so as to have a piece 
opposite each space. The object is to have 
a thick, good stand. The seed is then cov¬ 
ered with soil, lightly, just filling the fur¬ 
row. Level culture is the best—better for 
the rattoou enne for the second and third 
years. Where the ground has not been 
“cow-penued,” the furrows should be made 
deeper, so aa to receive the manure from 
t he compost heap, or other commercial fer¬ 
tilizers. 
It is customary with many to omit the 
first plowing with the turn plow, and pro¬ 
ceed with the furrows and the planting, 
leaving the middles to be plowed subse¬ 
quently. 
The cane is rather tardy in springing up, 
unless the weather is warm and favorable 
rains fall, so that to keep down the young 
grass it becomes necessary to give the rows 
a very light, careful scratching with the 
hoe, even before the cane appears. The 
middles are then plowed, throwing the dirt 
from the cane. At the second plowing it is 
turned towards the cuuo. Alter two more 
plowing* and hoeings the crop Is “laid by,” 
the cane having become so denso and 
thick by the first of July as to shade the 
ground thoroughly, so that no further work¬ 
ing is necessary. 
From this time onward the growth is 
very rapid. Next to the sight of a large 
orange grove, loaded with golden fruit, is 
t he sight of a large cane field with its dense 
mass of long leaves rustling in the wind. 
There is money In both —dcUeiousncfts in 
one, great sweetness in the other. 
The next operation is tho stripping of the 
cane leaves from the lower part of the stalk 
during the latter ond of October. This lets 
iu tho sun, hastens maturity, and prepares 
th«' way for cutting with greater facility. 
The cutting of the cane begins about the 
middle of November, or in good time to get 
the wliole crop secured from frost. The 
cutting is commonly performed with a 
sharp hoe, level with the ground. About 
two feet of tho top end ia cut off for *eod, 
carefully banked and Covered with cane 
leaves and soil to secure it from the frost, 
should any occur. The stubble or roots of 
thf cane should also be covered. If pro¬ 
tected it will spring up and produce the 
rattoon cane for three years, and on rich 
hammock land six or seven years. 
As tlm onue Is out it is immediately hauled 
to the mill, ground, and the rich juice made 
into sugar. If it cannot be made up as fast 
as rut, it is placed in banks and covered, 
then ground at greater leisure. 
The time of sugar making is looked for¬ 
ward to with great interest as a very' busy 
time, and a very sweet time for the opera¬ 
tives, who often Hip tho precious saccharine 
without stint, and indulge iu fun and frolic. 
The cane is ground or crushed in an 'you 
mill, between three rollers, one or two stalks 
at a time placed by the feeder. From thence 
the juice is passed to the kett le, or evapora¬ 
tor, set in an arch, then cleansed with a lit¬ 
tle lime water, and boiled down to the 
proper stage for granulating, as indicated 
by the saccharometer. Experts here, how¬ 
ever, seldom use the instrument. When 
boiled to the right state it ia dipped into 
the cooler, and from thence into barrels, 
placed upon an inclined platform, from 
which the sirup is drained into a trough, or 
into tubs, leaving the sugar light and well 
granulated. 
Now, a few words as to the product:—It 
lias been supposed, by many, that it cannot 
be profitable to make sugar, unless upon a 
large scale; but we have, here in Florida, 
proved this to be an error. Every farmer 
can, in a small way, make his family sup¬ 
plies and enough extra to bring him many 
good dollars to fill his pocket—far more per 
acre than Northern farmers can gain from 
their very best crops. 
One of my neighbors, Derrance, made 
last year, on pine land, “cow-penned,” from 
two acres cane, 20 barrels sugar and 10 bar¬ 
rels of sirup; or 4,000 lbs. sugar, 12Kc-> 
$500,; 400 gals, sirup, 50c., $200. Total, $70 \ 
Another neighbor, Ebington, from five 
acres similar land, 40 bbls. sugar and about 
20 bbls. sirup. Mr. Arnot near Lake Monro, 
from pine land, made 1,500 lbs. sugar and 
300 gals, sirup pur acre. Mr. Holden, from 
two and one-quarter acres, made 20 bbls. 
sugar and 11 bbls. sirup. Rev. J. C. Lee 
told me that from a half aore he made 010 
gals. 9irup. These are fair specimens of 
what may be done in a small way, on ordi¬ 
nary pine land, when well fertilized. Upon 
a larger scale, with more perfect machinery 
to press out the whole of the saccharine cle¬ 
ment, still larger results would be obtained. 
The Southerners here say that we North¬ 
erners cannot raise cane without adopting 
the “cow-pen ” system. We are confident 
that we can by using muck, composted with 
other fertilizers. Many are making the trial, 
with every appearance of success. 
I have been thus particular about sugar 
cane because it is the most important crop 
we make, and sugar will, ere long, bocome 
the leading staple of Florida. The crop this 
year (1871) will be more than DO per cent, 
greater than last your. In the older settle¬ 
ment s of West Florida and middle Florida, 
the more wealthy planters will have a large 
increase. Capt. J. M. Taylor of Marion 
Co. has 55 acres planted this year. Many 
others have similar fields, and others more 
or less. 
Cotton has heretofore been cult ivated to 
a considerable extent, in Florida, as tho 
grand staple. More sugar and less cotton is 
now the rule. Cotton requires far more 
labor and is far leas profitable than cane. 
Under tho present system of labor cotton 
cannot be successfully cultivated as in slave 
times. A Southerner, with a large family of 
children to work in the fields, can accom¬ 
plish something by planting a few acres, but 
it i folly for a Northern man to undertake 
it. One year's experience has satisfied me. 
I want nothing more to do with cotton. 
In my next T propose to tell you what 
a Northern man can do in Florida, and 
hope to regale you with some of our de¬ 
licious fruits. It is curious to see how 
little some people at the North know about 
Florida. “ Where i* It! ” says one in a let¬ 
ter just received, “ Where in it? I have 
never studied gram mar (!) enough to know. 
Tell me all about Florida.” 
I hope 1 shall be able in future numbers 
of the Rural New-Yorker to answer such 
earnest inquiries in my best grammar. 
Palutka, Fla. Myron Strong. 
INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES. 
The Quaker City, O., Ag. Soo. held its annual 
mooting In Quaker City, Guernsey Co., O., Jon. 
15, 1872. The election resulted hi the choice of 
tho following officers: lOxs.—W. N. Cowden, 
Quaker City. Vice- Pres.— r~ ' " ” 
worth, Quaker City. .Sec.—J. C. Si 
City. 'Jr ms. — J. G Webster. Quid. 
rectors H. Milica-, Batcsville Co.: W . 11U i-uev, 
E. Hall, S. Carter, J. Hail, W. rf. Hartley. T. Iff. 
Johnson, I. Hartley. K. Hall. T. Webster. M.Gii- 
dow, 11. Keenan, Quaker City; \v. p. Broom- 
hull, S. Fordyco, Spencer's Station -J, A. Stor.c- 
lnirner, Snlosvlllc, Guernsey Co. The next an¬ 
nual Fair will be held Sept. 10-12, atQuakci City. 
Cnzcnovln, Fenner and Nelson, IV. V., Farm, 
ers' anil >leeh'» Ahsoc'ii.— Officers elect : lTes. 
- K. B. Tu.i.otson. Vtce-Prcsts.— Amasu Swift, 
John Woodcock, Former; u. w. Irish, Nelson. 
See— D. ElgabroaUt. Tiros.—C- H. Perkins. Di¬ 
rectors.- (i. I|. Stanley, J. F. Kingsbury, C- L. 
Chappel, S. J. Anderson, \V. W. Lyon, I.. M. Case, 
Nelson. L. V. C. Hess, S. IC. Hyatt, Fenner. 
Luomi, III., Farmers’ Club.—EorroH Moore's 
Rural New-Yorker I write to let you know 
Unit you have be i voted an honorary member 
of the Laoml Farmers'Club. Officers: ires.— 
A. M. Browning. FfcoPmi. — James Short. 
Uec.Sec.—A. Meachum. Cor. Sec. - Isaac Col¬ 
burn. Trras, Henry King.-bu AO Colburn, 
Corresponding Secretary. 
Thanks, gentlemen, for tin: honor. 
Elm Spring, X. V., Farmer*’ Club.—Officers 
for 1872 : iVfVi.—\V. W . M.uvnky, Dundee. Vicc- 
Print’s G. 1). linker, Goo. Eldrcd. See. —W. W. 
Buxton, Milo Center. Trcm.-*D. II. Chirk, Him- 
rodfl. lAbrtirian—V. Motc-idl'. Ex. Coni J. F. 
Reynolds, G. Goundry, C. D. Davis, Mrs. W. 
Sutherland, Mi’s. A. G. Bartholomew. 
Went more la ml. X. V ,, Ag. Hoc. Officers elect : 
Pres’t -Arthur Barnes. Vlcc-Prext’s—J. Park, 
J. S. Knapp. Trcas. Geo. II. Smith, srr.’u— V. 
C. Smith, ie r. Com. — A. S. Ilniley, F. S. Morrill, 
Luke Coan, Jolm L. Dean, C, H. Draper, Win. 
Hamilton, E. W. Brigham, R. H. Williams, John 
Bell, B. Stephenson, J. W. Osgood, H. If. Tyler. 
Cnlrn Ag. Hoc., Clyde, X. V. At the annual 
meeting held Jan. filth, 1872, llio following officers 
were (fleeted: Fim— Mathew Mackie. Vice- 
Crts— Ethan B. Kellogg. See— Wm. II. Pock- 
haui, Trrsut .—Seth Smith. Ex. Com.— Ilem-y 
Southard, Prosper Sloan, H. C. ICotohum, Levi 
Lundy, J, M. Horn. BCnJ. Weed. 
Cant dr n, X. V., Industrial Sue. —Officers 
elect: Pres. Spencer J. Upson. Vtuc-Pres'ls.— 
Ebon Abbott, Richard Empty. See.— Ezra B. 
Cobb. 'Preas. —Robert Robotuatn. Cor. s,ec.— 
Curtis J. Wright. Ex. Com.— Aslibol Upson, 
Joseph Stark, Riley ScoviUC, Wm. Baldwin, John 
Owen. 
Trenton, X, Y., Union Ag. Hoc.— Officers for 
1872: Pres.- Henry Hhoues. Vice- Pres'Is—A. 
Blue, A. 8. Blue. Treas.—D. W. Rhodes. Sec.— 
Stores Burrows. Directors— S. N. Andrew, F. A. 
Hamlin, J. W. Brooks, D. D. Crumby, O- A. 
Hughes, A. D. Moore. 
Kennebec, Me., Ag. Soc. —Officers: Prei’t — D. 
II. Wing. Vtce-Presl’s F. Fuilex-, H. O. Nicker¬ 
son, Sewd Eaton. See'h - G. A. Russell. Trcas. 
— If. T. Richards. Aui lit— G. Howes. Trustees. 
—S. Kilbrotb, S. G. Fogg, J. E. Bnunard, J. R. 
Dr, J. 11. Ilqllings- 
T ~ tele, Quaker 
>r City. Dl¬ 
l’. Hartley, 
DEAD FALL TRAP 
As many of your renders are Inquiring 
after a good rat trap, I will send you a 
sketch of one which is easily made and will 
be understood from the sketch with but lit¬ 
tle explanation. It is an old device, not 
patented, and perhaps not generally' known. 
Rats, when well fed, will not bo meddling 
with traps. Cut off their supplies and then 
you may get them into almost any trap. 
This trap, when set, may be covered with 
corn husks or shavings so that Mr. Rat will 
not be afraid of it. A, is the drop, which 
slides freely up and down on the. two verti¬ 
cal guides, or rods of wood, one-half to 
three-quarters of an inch in diameter, made 
fast iu the floor of tho trap, and also in the 
cross-piece above. When the drop is down, 
it fits into the casing which surrounds the 
floor of the trap. B, Is a thin strip of wood 
(usually made of a shingle), and let into tho 
floor of the trap its thickness, tho upper 
side level with the floor and fastened at the 
back part of the trap with a string. The 
floor, C, is surrounded with a covering 
which projects above the floor about one 
Inch, with an opening In front for the piece 
B, to project through, having notches cut in 
to receive the dog, 1), which is also placed 
in a notch in the front of the drop, A, and 
attached by ft string, as shown. When a 
rat steps on H, (which is raised a very little 
in setting the trap) his weight presses it 
down and lets D, out of tho notch, and 
down goes A, and Mr. Rat finds himself in 
a tight place, which is very flattening and 
not very flattering. H. M. s. 
Fremont, Ohio. 
