The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-08-29
Diversified In,.uSt rie =.

In season and out of season we
have stI.ven to impress on Floridians
the necessity for diversified Industries
in order to develop the full capacity of
the State. Our idea is that every piece
of land should be made 10 produce that
for which il is best adapted, and that
withal, every farmer should raise for
himself and his help and stock plenti-
ful supply of food Us fist requisite.
We endorse the powerful article of
MIR. TAFT on cattle raising. with Just this
idea in view. The development of that
| great industry would carry along with
| 1T others, especially ~ the reg IONS pecu-
liarly adapted to the cattle business.
| We see no reason as yet to doubt that
| Mr.. TAFT has the correct notion, and that
| the Use of the means at hand for the
| improvement of the breed of cattle
| would, with proper provision for win
| ter feeding, raise the sales of cattle from
half million dollars To five millions in
as many years. When Florida Ieef is
made as juicy and tender as that brought
| to us In refrigerator cars from Chicago,
| il will crowd out the imported article at
the same price, because 1t will be fresh
er and come into market IN better con
| dition.
The God of Nature has been too good
| to Florida, we sometimes think. His
| gifts are so many and 30 varied that in
trying to grasp them all we let the whole
| fall To the ground. lt is useless for one
| man to- tiy to do every thing with lin
tied amount of capital. If he is located
| where gardt ming pays best let him be a
| gardener; If corn and cotton are the
best staple where he -, let him grow
| them; II oranges and small fruits are
| the natural product of his ground, let
his chief attention he given To- them.
But wherever he IS, lac Will find out that
he can grow his food for home con-
sumption in abundance, and he should
have his chickens, turkeys, hogs, cows,
beef, corn, oats, hay, Vegetables-in
| short, everything that Is good for man
or beast in the eating line. When he ia
| independent, his staple crops will lie
clear money for him and their profits
| will go to increase his capital. Don't
run To seed any one article; don't put all
your eggs into one basket.
To the producer who reads this the
query may occur, How do you, sitting
in your office, know these things" We
know them by an extensive range of
travel, experiences, observation. habit
of Judging of the capabilities of a cOun-
try by Its situation, climate and soil, and
careful study of its statistics. We
have never seen n portion of the United
States where Nature has been so prod
igal of her gifts aS she has been To Flor
lda, and 1t has been the study of our
| life since coming here to find out how
best those x It's could be utilized for the
promotion of the prosperity and happi-
ness of the people. We have seen it
proved that cotton, corn and oats can he
raised to advantage In certain sections;
that peaches, pears, grapes. tigs, straw
berries and the like flourish best in an
other region; that oranges, lines. lem
ons, pineapples and guavss are the sa-
fest profitable crop in another, and that
there is general adaptation of the State
to the raising of cattle and hogs, while
there is no portion which will not grow
every thing mentioned To "a greater or less
extent, and where early vegetables will
not pay.
If our people would realize these facts
and act on them there would be no com
plant of one section against another and
no foolish claiming that one portion
contains az that there iS of good il the
State. The truth is that, - much AS we
boast and sometimes. We fear, blow
we do not fully realize what a goodly
heritage we have and have not vet half
developed our resources. There is too
much of speculation and too little Of
hard work. The mission of our think
ing and workin- farmers ia to rem ,ly
this, and by diversified farming demon
strate to new Corners that gCci IA ming
in Florida pays, and pays well. Man
ufacturing industries viii follow the full
development of farm n-erests.-Times-
Union.