The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-02
Use the Surplus To Build school
Houses
FEDERAL POINT. Aug. 80, 1856.

FEDERAL POINT, Aug. 30, 1856.
Special Correspondence Palatka NEWS.
From the very fiattering notice we got
in your issue of the 9th we infer that
there must be some other fellow who
does not quite agree with TIE News in
his opinion of our worth. Well, that
is but natural. | suppose it is just as
true now as il ever was that opinions
differ upon every subject, and it is hardly
to be expected that all creation should
fall IN love with your humble cores
pendent.
There have lately appeared IN The
DAILY NEWS and in the Times onion
several articles IN regard to peach culture
and the desirability of canning that
luscious fruit in this State. The opinions
expressed are widely different, and well
they may be, for, like oranges, the whole
State Is not well adapted to peach culture.
In the middle and northern portions of
the State peaches succeed very well,
growing To good size and of fine flavor,
while IN the eastern and southern por.
tions of the State they do not grow as
we'll and are not a profitable crop To
grow for market. The time may come
when varieties may be discovered or
developed that will succeed better in
this section, but we are n long ways from
having obtained it now. In the more
northern portions of the State conditions
are radically different, and from my own
observation | should say that | think
peaches could Ice made II profitable crop
for both canning and other uses, even
with the present varieties known there,
yet | do not think peaches are grown in
sufficient quantities anywhe in the State
to warrant the establishment of a factory
for canning ehe surplus fruit. And when
it comes to tomatoes, however desirable
the idea may be to can them, they GER
tainly cannot be grown here cheaply
enough to make the effort of any object,
unless somebody discovers n better
method of cultivation than l ever knew.
Besides, our tomatoes are not first class,
their greatest merit being that we can
ripen them early i'll the season and get
them into market at "a time when even
inferior vegetables will sell for high
price. However, L know nothing about
the cost or methods of canning fruits
and vegetables, and do not claim to be
any authority as far as that enterprise
will 40.
l notice "a paragraph IN your paper
stat NJ that there Ia quite surplus In
the county treasury. That fact may lbs
very gratifying TO our county officials,
but Will hardly please the tax payers, 1
imagine. We have always considered
that the use OF money was of some bene-
fit to the people, and while they may be
willing to promptly pay all the expenses
of the county, yet would not feel like
locking up any surplus funds III the
treasury To lie idle, or become load
stone for the eyes of jobbers whose palms
are itching to feel its weight. Why can
not the school board read up the law IA
little more closely and use some of this
surplus for school buildings and furni-
| turef They would not be compelled to
build u new school house in every district
| in one year, but can make a commence
ment right away, and SO continue until
Putnam county viii be supplied with
good school buildings without any seri-
Gus burden to the tax payers.
lpresume there is not an intelligent
Ran or woman in this county but will
agree with me on the importance of edu-
cation, however much they might differ
with me on other subjects, and we GER
tainly ought to have, If we do not, a
pride in all the higher advancement in
our own county, and l look upon the
means for educating the masses as being
the very foundation of all other improve
ments. We carnot well carry our en-
thusias SIN too far in this matter, much
less couutenance any spirit of antagonism
or apathy. l am glad 10 see that THE
NEWS has gone 20 studying law in this
matter, and hope you Will continue until
the people have at least a general idea
upon the subject.
The general news amounts to but little.
Mr.. j. =. Folsom had the misfortune
to lose a valuable Horse last week, the
animal dy ing of lung fever.
Frank F. Tenney has gone on to Yer
mont from Philadelphia, where he made