The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-01-19
AZ Art,ols all Farmers Should Read.

An Article all Farmers Should Read
10 the Editor of the Banner;
According to promise will give a
more definite explanation in proof Of
INV claims Of the productive powers of
the soil Of Florida.
The temperature of the soil in mid
summer rising to 120 and AS high as
1856 degrees Is too intense and is de-
strnctive to plant life, and the conse-
quenee is when summer approaches
vegetation expires and find that
overhead protection against the heat
of the sun in connection with proper
irrigation and culture will maintain
temperature ranging between 40 and
80 degrees which is the growing tenn
perature of nearly all vegetables, trees,
flowers, etc.
These being the conditions neces-
sary for production, before we can
possibly determine the quality of soil
so that without these conditions it is
impossible to determine the va ne of
are required. Many of the gardeners
and farmers of Florida have wasted
hundreds of tons of fertilizing material
thinking that this evil existed only in
poor soil not thinking that tile condi-
tions for productions were destroyed
by the intense heat. This is why |
have said that the productive powers
of the soil of Florida are as yet I'M
known and so is also the soils de-
mand or need of fertilizing material
unknown to all but those who have
tested it under those conditions. Weall
know that plant will not grow in
boiling liquid manure, yet by cooling
to a temperature of 60 or so degrees
we bring it into proper conditions con-
genial to plant life, in which condi-
tons only is it possible for us to know
IS productive powers as a fertilizing
material.
From these facts / consider myself
safe in say ing that so per cent of all
the money spent for fertilizing mate
rial was unnecessary, besides the loss
of time putting it to misuse by adding
it to soil already too strong, under
proper conditions, for production.
claim for scientific culture that these
same conditions are equally essential
to irrigation, and if irrigating is done,
which it frequently is, regardless of
these conditions, that more harm than
good is done by irrigating or fertiliz-
ing either under improper conditions.
1t is self-evident from these facts
that we can have perpetual garden
in central to southern Florida chuck
full of choice, crisp vegetables any
and every day in The year and supply
the home demand and keep what
money there is here; besides raising a
surplus of products to export.
/ have frequently been told by per-
sons in Florida who had lands with
soil strong enough, if in the latitude of
Ohio, to produce 80 bushels of corn or
$50 bushels of sweet potatoes to the
acre, that summer gardens are a fail
ure, assuring as reason that the soil
was too poor and at the same time
having good winter garden on the
same ground, as if the ground was
poorer in summer than in winter, not
thinking that change of tempera-
ture was the cause of the difference in
crops.
] repeat that the failure of the sum
mer gardens of Florida is not on ac-
count of the nproductiveness of the
soil but for want of proper conditions,
which can be made at cost of about
500 per acre, and / also repeat that
when these conditions are established
in connection with proper culture and
irrigation that the larger portion of
the lands of Florida will be superior
in power of production to any in the
United States without any imported
fertilizers, and If any readers of this
article having lands convenient for
irrigation that would like to put one
or more acres under such conditions
for the purpose of testing the truth of
the above statement / will be glad TO
assist them in such labor at the ordi-
nary wages usually work for.
Respectfully,
L. HARTER.