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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, OCTOBER 1, 1882. WritMn •p*cltllr (or the Southern World. HOME LIFE IN FLORIDA, BY HXLKK HAECOUBT. Fourth Paper. •• whet Will It Cost?" We were talking about hammock lands in our last paper, and about the relative desir ability of these, and pine lands. Undoubtedly, the former are the richer lands at the start, but their fertility is of a deceptive sort; that is, as we have already intimated, it is not lasting. Trees and vegetables grow finely for sev eral years, but after that, every year in creases the need of fertilizing hammock land, while with pine lands it is just the re verse; they are poorer at the outset, but improve steadily with each year's cultiva tion. Then, too, as we have also said before, hammock land is much more expensive than the pine; where the latter can be bad of best quality, for from ten to twenty dollars an acre, the former is held at fifty to seventy- five or even one hundred dollars. The expense of clearing the land prepara tory to cultivation must also be taken into account. The hammock is full of underbrush, young trees, vines, roots and palmetto; all these must not only be cutdown, and either burned or piled up to decay and furnish by and by nourishing food for the future grove, but the numberless roots must be grubbed up at no slight expenditure of time, or money; time, if the settler is a strong man, able and willing to work ; money, if he has to hire the clearing done for him. It does not cost less than thirty dollars, oftener fifty, to clear an acre of hammock land, ns it should be cleared ; and for a year or two afterward the fight against the up- springing roots must be waged unceasingly or else the clearing will go back to its origi nal state, and all the toil and money already expended be thrown away. In clearing a piece of hammock for a grove, it is only the underbusli that should be got rid of entirely; some of the grand old oaks should be left standing to flourish as of old, betore civilization bad dreamed of intruding upon their time-honored domains; the growing orange trees will need the pro tecting shelter of their wide spreading arms as a shield from high winds; the too great mid-day heat and from possible frosts; very few realize the importance of this subject; we shall have more to say about it here after, in its proper place. Two or three years ago pine land could be* bought in settled localities at from five to ten dollars an acre, now, they are held at ten to twenty-five, in the same places and for the same lands. There is an important point that should be borne in mind by every settler coming to this State, and that is, how he is to get his fruits and other crops to market, and where he is to buy the provisions necessary for his family. These are questions that cannot be too carefully considered, for of what use would the best lands and heaviest crops be to their owner, if he were compelled to let fruit and vegetables rot on the ground, because there was no way of transporting them to a profi table market? Or where would be the comfort of a home if every pound of coflee, tea, sugar and the host of other things indispensable to the well being of a civilized family, were only to be had by hauling them by horse powei, over rough sandy lands for many weary miles? And so if good lands, inaccessible to trans portation lines, either in the present or in the near future, should be offered to an in coming stranger at five dollars an acre, we would say to him, “Refuse the offer, rather buy less land at quadruple the price; where the markets for your produce may be easily reached, where the necessities of life are at hand, and where you can obtain farming tools, and fertilizers without ruinous freight age. It is a fatal mistake to settle on land mere ly, because it is nominally cheap; really de sirable pine lands cannot be bought now-a- days, as a rule, at least from private owners, for less than fifteen to twenty dollars per acre. There are still some good tracts of land scattered about to be bought from the State, or United States Government, for, from one dollar and a quarter to two dollars and a half per acre, but these and homestead lands —for which a five years’ residence entitles the settler to a warrantee deed—are becom ing scarcer every day. In this matter of selecting lands upon which to make a horns and a grove, too much care cannot be given. The class of land which is the most availa ble and also the most desirable in all respects is that called “high pine lands" and these are to be found in every county in the State except Dade and Monroe. The growth of ti mber on tbis land is es pecially, as its name denotes, pine; with here and there small oaks, shrabs, wild per simmons, hickory and a few other treeB, sometimes solitary, but more frequently in groups, and when the latter occurs it is called “scrub hammock." The rule is that when tall, straight pine trees are found large in size, and about sev enty to the acre, and no undergrowth but the famed wire grass, the land is first qual ity ; where the small oak trees are scattered thinly about^it is second rate, and where the oaks surpass the pines in number, the land is less desirable bplng third rate. There is something to be said however, even for the latter class. It is very poor at first it is true, but it responds very quickly to fertilizers, and even the poorest of it can in time, be brought into the highest state of cultivation and improved year by year. One does not require as much land for a farm in Florida, as at the north, for several crops may be taken from the same acre in one year; if a moderate sized grove, say of five acres, is the desideratum of the settler,, and just enough land besides to raise fodder for the horse, and vegetables for his family, ten acres, exclusive of the grove, will be ample. There is only one way of clearing ham mock land, and that we have already men tioned. There arc, however, several ways of pre paring pine land for cultivation. Oue way is to girdle the trees, which dead en them, and puts an immediate stop to the great drain their wide spreading roots make upon the plant food contained in the soil. The trees are left standing and then the land is ready for fencing and ploughing; in a few months the decaying bark and limbs begin to fall upon the ground, and continue so for several years, and the branches must either be carried away from time to time, or else become an eyesore, and a constant annoyance in cultivation. The first cost of this method of "clearing” is very little, only about two dollars an acre, or even less, but it is very likely to cost more in the end than it saved in the begin ning. After a few years time, when the orange grove is fairly under way, the deadened trees will begin to fall after heavy wind, or a soaking rain, down they crash, now here, now there, and as they are not noted for judgment they are just as likely as not to comedown on an orange tree, and put it beyond the pale of recognition. And then, it must be chopped up, and either hauled away or burned ; the expense and trouble of doing which are just as great as they would have been at first, plus the loss of some of your best orange trees. The claim made that the dropping sap, bark and branches of the pine trees left to decay on the ground, furnished a valuable fertilizer, is a specious one, and even if one is willing to have his grove strewn over with branches that trips up his horse, and inter fere with the plough, the amount of nutri ment thus given to the soil is so small that a few cart loads of rotten sap and grass hauled from outside and spread around the orange trees would far surpass it altogether. We don’t consider the gain even considering the small first cost, at all compensates for the after-clap of falling pine trees, and crushed orange trees. Another and a better way is to cut down the trees, chop them up in convenient lengths, pile and burn them. Tbis method costa from twelve to eighteen dollars per acre, according to the number of trees to be disposed of, and of the amount of “small deer" in the shape of bushes and young oaks to be grubbed up by the roots. But then, the stumps of the pine trees are left in the ground, and it is a sad mistake to leave them there as so many do. They are not only a constant eyesore—that is the least of it—but no matter how often and how completely the field is cultivated, these stumps scattered all over the grove will har bor ants and weeds, especially that curse of cultivated fields iu the South, called maiden cane grass. It is almost impossible to erad icate that grass where it becomes establish ed. Its roots penetrate the ground to the depth of several feet and every joint makes a new plant. For this enemy, the pine stumps afford a strong rallying point, and it is simply impossible to destroy it while the stumps remain. Even if the maiden cane can be kept at bay, as the orange trees grow, the stumps interfere with their proper cultivation. When the orange trees become large the stumps cannot well be burned out on ac count of damage to the trees. They must be removed by cutting out, which is very laborious and expensive. Better by far to burn them out before the trees are planted, and have your land clear and smooth and no broken lines in your av enues of orange trees. Stumps often stand just where you want to plant a tree, there fore, it is always best to have a clear course. It will cost from fifteen to twenty cents each, to get out the stumps, but it is cheaper in the end. Another plan of removing tiees which costs less, and is quite effectual as the other, is to attack the tree at once at the root A hole is dug on one side of the tree embrac ing about one half its circumference. The roots on that side are all cut off, fire is then applied and when the tap root is burned off the tree topples over dragging out the roots on the opposite side. So here are tree, stump and roots got rid of all at one opera tion. It remains then to burn up the tree, fill up the hole and the land is ready for the plough for all time to come, no more falling branches, no trees, no stumps. This process costs from twenty to thirty dollars per acre, not more, not so much in deed, as first cutting and burning the trees, and then digging out and burning the stumps. The land cleared, plowing comes next in order. This can be done for three dollars per acre, not a high charge for breaking up new land, as it is no easy or quick work even in our light Florida soil. Rails for fencing are split from the pine trees, at a cost of one dollar per hundred. It is well to have the rails split before the trees are burned, as, among the trees cut down there will be found many fit for split ting. No matter how plentiful wood may be for the time being, it is not wise to waste wbat will be needed later on. Another thing we would note in this connection; among the fallen pines will be found many logs suitable for household fuel, and these should be stacked up for future use. Hauling the rails and building the fence will cost fifty cents per hundred. The total cost of fencing one acre is sixteen dollars and fifty cents. And now, having answered the question of “what, will It cost" to clear and fence one acre—let us look at the next query. What will it cost to build a house? This is a question difficult to answer for the same reason that it is difficult to give the exact size of the proverbial "piece of chalk." A poor man, one who is actually pressed by poverty, can do as many of our now wealthy settlers did—live in a tent, which can be done in this genial climate, or build a log house. No matter where, or what land you may select, there is sure to be plenty of timber growing on it. With the aid of a negro laborer who can be hired for fiom seventy-five cents to one dollar a day, according as he is “found,” or “finds himself" in food, a strong man can cut down the logs, "akin," “notch them" and put up a single room house ready for the roof in one week. Boards for roofing can be rived out in two days more, from pine or cypress logs. The rafters can be made with young saplings stripped of bark, and the laths to support the shingling boards from still smaller saplings. There are a number of hquses so constructed in this vicinity. That was before the days of saw mills. The roofing boards can be held down on the lath ing by cross pieces fastened by withes, but nailing is far better. Good riven cypress shingles, four and a half inches wide and eighteen inches long, can be bad for four and a half dollars per thousand, delivered, within three miles. They make the best roof and will last a life ti me. Unplaned boards for flooring can be had at the mill for one dollai per hundred feet, hauling extra. The cost for a room sixteen feet square would be less than three dollars. A chimney can be put up against the house on the outside. The cheapest ones are built of sticks about two inches square and thirty inches long. They are simply laid across each other forming a square reaching above the roof, and are plastered inside and outside with clay or with mortar. Such a chimney can be built in one or two days at a cost not exceeding five collars. Chimneys built of brick cost about thirty dollars for a one story house. The preceding description applies to a rude and cheap house, but hundreds of families have lived comfortably in such for years and hundreds are living so now all over the State. And now for a better class house. Lum ber is to be had at the mills for eleven dol lars per thousand feet The hauling from three to six dollars per thousand, according to distance. Doors, sash and blinds can be got from Jacksonville, Fernandina, Gaines ville, whichever may be most convenient. Tbe necessary hardware can generally be had at tbe nearest cou ntry store. The prices are about twenty per cent, higberthan those of Philadelphia or New Yagc. Carpenters wages by the Way range from two dollars to two dollars and seventy-five cents, according to the workman’s skill—but building is usually done by contract. It is much the best plan to supply all your own material and pay your own car penters only for their work; if you leave them to fine the building requisites, you will probably have to pay them a considerable profit over the cost price of the article used. Cypress shingles, as we have already said, are held at four dollars per thousand, deliv ered on the spot where they are to be used. House building in such a mild climate as Florida, is a very different thing from what it is at the North. Here is no need for the thick walls and winter-proof dwelling so necessary there. A tight roof is needed of course, but weather proof walls are not indispensable, although desirable, as it is not always “sum mer time” in Florida. There are occasional days in every month from November to March, when fires morn ing and night are very comfortable things, and sometimes there are days when a good wood fire in the stove or open fire-place is extremely grateful all day long, and then one feels a transient wish for a weather proof house. But it is not often that this happens; and all the rest of the year, we want the pure fresh air to have access to every nook and corner of our semi-tropical homes. We have no cellars in Florida, the houses are set up from the ground, one, two or three feet, as we may choose, on stout pine blocks, segments of huge pine trees sawed off horizontally. There is not enough cold weather to chill the soil, so a cellar would not be as cool a place for provisions as is a closet built of slats, or a wire-net safe, where tbe breeze has free access at all times and doing without acellar, makes building much easier and much cheaper. We think the best plan for a Florida home is one that gives a wide hall through the^ center of the house, with rooms opening into it on either side. This same plan could be carried out in the second story, when such is desired, but as a general thing “Florida” houses are only one story, as there is always plenty of ground on which to “spread out” as much as one chooses and down-stain rooms are the cool est and pleasantest. Every house of tbe least pretension to comfort should have a wide porch on at least two sides, notably, the south and west and all the better If the porch be continued entirely around it. Our idea of what a true Florida house should be, is that of a broad brimmed hat, and for the selfsame reasons that make such a bat desirable in a warm sunshine day. It will probably convey to our readen a clearer idea of the actual cost of erecting a neat comfortable home in Florida, if we give here the dimensions of such a house and its cost. A "box house” of rough lumber outside, and planed within, and battened inside and out, a porch on the east and south sides, a covered piazza, back, leading to the dining room and kitchen, which are detached from the main building, but join each other. This is the grand sura total of the building we will describe. The house is thirty-two feet wide by twenty-four deep, ceiling twelve feet high, a ball eight feet wide and twenty-four in length, runs through the center from front to back piazza. Two rooms on eaeh side open in to tbe hall, the two front apartments are, twelve by fourteen feet; the two back rooms, ten by twelve; each apartment has two windows and two doors, one into the ball, one a com municating. From the hall a staircase leads to an un finished attic, to store away trunks and sur plus goods, or it may serve for a servants room, although, when one can afford it a small outside room is preferable for this purpose; one measuring ten by twelve, can be put up for thirty-five dollars. Connecting the main building with kitch en and dining-room, is a covered piazza twelve by fourteen feet, on which is built the provision closet, as aforesaid, and where also is the pump, close to the kitchen door. Housekeepers will appreciate the conven ience of this arrangement, which should be mnch mors common than it is. Usually the