The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1901-06-14
Martin, the New Throne of csnts-
loupe Kings.

wi. SOhu Nl. Niditiu, VI OCo1a, IL SoNC
promise of growing to be the second
place in size in Marion county. This
was so because the fertile and famous
Sugar Hammock is just to the east of
the town. Other famous hammocks
are west and north. Sugar Ham,
mock is probably the most extensive
in the state, and if the freeze had not
disheartened and ruined orange grow
ers in this section, in all probability
by now enough oranges would have
been produced from this hammock
alone to have made many million.
aires. Land was in great demand at
that time-seventy-five and one hum
dred dollars an acre as it stood then, q
virgin forest.
The Fessenden and the Weatherbee
groves were examples of what the
people would soon have accomplished.
The freezes well nigh ruined all, Ia.
Dor was demoralized, and the entire
peneur class was disheartened. PeO-
pie who had scarcely known any bus
mess but orange culture were left
without thing to do and with no
knowledge of farming for living.
Since that time the rallying from
the disaster has been wonderful. Mar
tin is now one of the best farming
sections to be found in the state.
Broad acres of cotton, melon farms,
corn fields, cane patches and great
fields of cantaloupes and other vege-
tables show that the people have
learned to live without receiving the
blessings of the golden fruit"
Last year one of the thrifty farmers
of this section took prize for raising
the best bale of cotton produced in the
county. Now come Essterling Bros,
with the finest cantaloupe crop that
was ever before had in the state of
Florida. They have about four hum
dred acres here, including one hun
dred and ninety acres bought of ]. B.
Malloy Monday.
This firm is busy packing the fruit
for northern markets and has trans.
formed the little, once quiet hamlet,
into q beehive"
Easterling Bros, are the largest
cantaloupe growers in the world.
They have in that one fruit over a
thousand acres, scattered about in
four states, Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina and South Carolina.
They do this that they may control
the markets. In this way they avoid
any great slump and ship throughout
the season.
They employ experts in the bust
ness of raising and caring for the crop
which they have made speciality.
They also employ large host of COM
mon laborers. They have now fine
packer from New York, A. ID. s.
Grimley. Mr.. Grimley has the larg-
est grape packing house east of Cali
fornia. AT Hammondsport he en-
ploys over one hundred and fifty per-
sons during the grape season, packing
Catawbas, Concord and Delaware va
rieties. He is teaching a large force
the art of packing.
The Easterling Bros. also have over
five hundred acres of watermelons in
Florida and in Georgia.
They will ship from two to twelve
ears of cantaloupes day from here
until the season is over. They al
ready have taken the banner for ship
ping the first car load of cantalOupes
from this section. Already a carload
is going ont each day.
The senior member of the firm of
the Lyon Brothers is here and is buy
ing heavily from the Easterlings. He
is paying fancy prices and is superin-
tending the packing of his own pur-
chases. He has houses in Pittsburg,
New York and other northern cities.
J. r. Easterling, the business man.
ager of the firm, said it was probable
that the firm would concentrate its
Florida canaloupe business here at
Martin, and if so the acreage would be
fully as many as one thousand. All
shipments will be made by Swift's
Fast Refrigerator Car Line.
c. s. Robertson, superintendent of
the company, is here, and has per-
fected arrangements for the carrying
of the whole crop. He will also ham
die the large crops at Lowell, Red
dick, Evinston ami other places.
The Florida Supply Co., of Jackson
vile, is here at work getting out the
hard wood in Sugar Hammock. This
company has large number of
, teams, and usually has from fifty to
one hundred men at work.
Laborers are in great demand and
no person need be idle that is willing
to work for reasonable wages.
Meffert's saw mill has received big
order for orange boxes from the south
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