Batavia, Genesee County, New York State Progressive Batavian May 21-1875 -cont'd. Adgate in Georgia. Madison, Ga., May 12th, 1875 Mr. LEWIS, having sold my home in Bethany, with a dread of our long, cold winters, the 4th of April last, I started for Florida, the land of flowers. Arrived in N.Y. city bundled up in overcoat, took a Steamboat for Savannah, and had the unspeakable pleasure of being compelled by sea-sickness to lay most of the time on my back and be fed by a darkie[sic]--almost wishing many times, that there was a whale to swallow me like Jonah. At last we safely arrived at Savannah, Georgia, and found the weather warm and children playing in the streets. Went to Church and wandered around this beautiful city--with a public square at almost every street crossing, with the fountains and beautiful live oaks, filled with the music of the mocking-birds. Left for Jacksonville, Florida, by rail, through a miserably swampy country. The city is situated on a bed of sand, but is growing slowly. Took a steamer up St. John's river, which is more like an arm of the sea than a river, and reached palatka, a very pretty village, of about 1,500 inhabitants, which pleased me the best of any village in Florida. Some one of the ocean Steamers arrives almost daily, it being the head of navigation for such. I thought of buying me a home there, where I could have the orange, banana and pine-apple side by side; but by careful observation I found it no place for a northern man to bring his family to in the summer season. No water but cistern water, and in the latter part of August to shake with the ague. So leaving Palatka with a longing good-by, we sailed up the river with its banks covered with tropical verdure, beautiful by moonlight, and arrived at Sandford, a low, sickly place, at the end of the route. In fact, I found the land near the St. John the poorest in the State. I found the country more rolling and healthy as I traveled back into the country, and in Orange county, there is a great rush of emigration from the north, back a mile or two from the river, on fine white sand lands, said to be only fit for oranges to grow. But those small lakes there are most beautiful, clear as crystal, and full of fish; are fed by springs; and area fine resort for the many thousands of people who resort there in the winter season; but woe to the person who stays there through a Summer, unless, he wants to be eat up by musketoes[sic] and sand-flies. The permanent settlers there, I find, are those who are compelled by lung complaints, to stay there to save their lives. I found by traveling through the country that the central part of the State, in Marion, Sumpter, and Alachna counties much good land, more firm, darker soil resting on a bed of clay, fine sugar cane and corn lands, and just the place to settle on, if--(oh, that if)--it was not for anything except oranges, and they must be heavily fertilized, and on the rich lands a man about shakes his boots off, though the knowing ones say an orange grove of 10 acres, in time, makes a man independently rich, and therein lies the excitement which has run land up from 50 cents to 50 or 75 dollars per acre. To cap all, I was taken sick with a disease peculiar there to new comers, called the "gripes." The Dr. said it was caused partly by my not having become acclimated, and partly by drinking the bad water, (for, by the way, I offered the nurse one dollar for a bowl of bread and milk,) so I left the State in disgust, as my object in leaving New York State was to seek a milder climate--one that is healthy the year round, and near to schools. I left this place, therefore, and started for middle Georgia, thinking that perhaps by going as far South as possible, to avoid the cold winters and get sufficiently elevated to find the air cool and bracing in summer, and not beyond the region of clover and other grasses. I found the counties of Marion , Green and Newton, in Georgia, to fill the bill exactly, and have at last settled near the city of Madison, in a fertile district. Now, sir, I will tell you some of the reasons for liking this region; not that the country away from the villages has the advantages of Western New York, but its mild, short winters of four or five weeks, with no snow and but little frost even in January. And then, you are not hurried by a late spring to get in your crops. Corn is planted any time from February to May, oats from Sept. to January, and potatoes after grain is cut. I was surprised to see such large fields of wheat, which will be fit in two weeks for the reaper. The soil is a red clay mixed with loam. The timber, oak, chestnut, and pine, and the excellent well-water, and numerous springs never dry up in the summer as with us. No droughts like that in Tennessee last year; no Canada thistles, charlock or white and yellow daisies. Northern settlers tell me there has not been a drouth here for the last five years; while Tennessee and the Western States have suffered terribly. It seems that North Carolina east of the Blue Ridge, is the same in that respect as this State. It is a great fruit region. Being elevated 1000 feet above the level of the Sea, gives to the view large orchards of apples, peaches, pears, cherries and plums, as well as figs, pomegranates, and nectarines. This county has more Northern people than any other in the State. I found many from Livingston, Monroe, Wyoming, and our own Genesee, and the people here are glad to have us settle among them. The homes of the Northern farmers can be told by the glance of the eye by any traveler. Lands vary in price from $40 down to $5 per acre, according to their nearness to a village or railroad. Madison is beautifully laid out, and the wealth of its inhabitants will be noticed by their gothic mansions, decorated with climbing roses and shaded by the Magnolia. There are good schools in this place. A Female College is located here. Georgia is taking the lead of all the Southern States in having the only State Agricultural Society. Now, as I have tried to tell you the dark as well as the bright side of the story, and not having any axe to grind, I close with, Yours, Truly, H.C. ADGATE. ++ submitted by Linda C. Schmidt *********************************************