The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-12-17
FLORIDA IS ALL RIGHT.


Whether one witnesses the activi-
ties in the orange aud cattle business
in south Florida; the pineapple in
dustry along the east coast; the
sponge, cedar and fish business down
the west coast; the palatial hotels
along both coasts; the rapidly resur-
reciing groves and phosphate plants
in this section, or the tobacco, dairy,
and more staple products of middle
and west Florida, he is compelled to
have his faith in the state strength
ened.
A glimpse of the activities of south
Florida, and what they betoken, have
already been noted in these columns,
and an inspection of the farming and
dairy operations in middle Florida
grounds ones faith in the ultimate
destiny of the state.
After passing Madison the lay of
the land is RS picturesque as is to be
found anywhere in America. 1t per-
haps would be an exsggeration to say
with Dryden that "hills piled on
hills and mountains on mountains
lie" but one can at least say with
Wordsworth tina. there are "beauii-
full rough scattering of the hills,"
aud that they present to the eye a
most pleasing picture.
To the mind of the writer Tallahas-
see is the most charming location of
any town in tue world and is lovely
flower gardens make it Indeed as
fair as any Eden. Why these lands
should be passed ny and men pitch
their tents on the less beautiful and
less productive low fat lands, is one
of the mysteries Of our modern civiii-
cation. 1t is certainly not because
these lands do not respond to the
touch and skill of the husbandmen,
because evidences are mum rous
enough to contradict these statements
and no where in The state is farming
carried on more profiiably than in
Leon, Gadsden, Jackson, Jefferson
aud Madison counties.
Living on the outskirts of ITALIA.
hassee is Mr.. J. r. Roberts, one OF the
most prosperous farmers in Leon
county. In all of its appointments
his farm is a model. He carries on
| dairying as a side issue. He has
twenty-five head of fine Jersey cattle.
He raises his own fced-stuif for them
! and his success is one evidence that
| i'm that section farming will pay if
carried on systematically, intelligent
| thy and industriously. Mr.. j. p. Rob-
erts, when he came home from the
army didn't own n penny. He
! finally seraped enough money to-
gether to buy an OK and cart and
hauled fish from the gulf aud retailed
them on the streets of Tallahassee.
He soon had money and credit
enough to buy small farm. To-day
he owns city property, stocks and
bonds, a spleEdidly equipped farm
| and as yet is not an old man.
Mr.. g. w. Saxon, Tallahassee, the
banker, is another example that farm.
ing will pay in this state if carried on
intelligently. He was raised on a
| farm and has made success of it.
He invested his surplus money In the
mercantile business and made a sue
cess Of that. He then began bank
ing business and is making success
| of it. But he hasn't abandoned the
farm. He has a place containing
eight hundred acres four miles from
the city. lie finds his farm more pro-
fitable than bis bank. He has grown
this year, among other crops, 10000
pounds Of tobacco. He planted, gath
cred, housed and cured the crop him
self, with the assistance of his man.
| ager, a Virginia tobacco grower, and
this crop, now ready for shipment, is
pronounced by experts to be as fine as
any grown and packed in Cuba and
he is already offered 80 cents pei
pound for the lot but expects. to real
ize $40 coo for it. His barns are built
with logs and the cracks cEincked
with clay. lie can admit light
through the windows, which are
closed with shutters, and can thus
have the room as dark or light as he
desires and by the admission or ex.
clusion of light give the tobacco
any color desired. After it is pole
and barn cured he puts it through &
sweating process and IL is then cured
permanently. This he does by pack
ing OH the floor and covering with
bagging and fodder. After it reaches
a certain degree.of heat it il aired and
repacked and the process is kept W
until it is fully cured. 1t is then put
in hanks AMI tiers identically the
same as the Cuban tobacco is prepared
for market. Mr.. Saxon says he is GER
tain that any farmer of ordinary in
telligence, with one seasons ex
perience, can learn the art of curing
tobacco.
Besides his tobacco crop, Mr.. Saxor
has successfully grown good crops o
hay, fodder, corn, cotton, cane, peas
potatoes, etc.. and if he is not ht
ought to be the most contented mar
IN the world. And the farm, if intel
ligently and industriously managed
ought 20 be a panacea for discomfort
everywhere; and especially ought il
to be so in Florida.
With the splendid returns from
oranges, lemons, pine-apples, early
vegetables, tobacco, and with stapl,
crops to back up these side enterprises
we are firm in the belief that Florids
offers the greatest inducement of any
state in the union to persons who ar,
-sE;ysssSss The jungles of
eSs Lt AIT am, are NOT ti y