The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-07
GEN, GORDON TELLS OF MS FLORIDA HOME

uLVI UUIiUUu IIIIU
General John b. Gordon. who has just
finished his book of war "reminiscences
IS looking forward with deepest interest
to his return this fall 10 southern Flor
ida where he is preparing to plant his
orcbar ds of oranges pneapples, bananas,
grape fruit. Avocata pears. etc. To the
request for q brief statement about that
portion Of Florida, the general saio:
Like every other locality. 1t mas l'S
objections in some particulars. rue
most serious objection TO it, THINK, ~
the mosquitoes, AT certain seasons l,leS
ere very annoying. but fortunately thfy
come in the months which are NOT 'h'
working portion OF the year. = re'elss
the cropping seasons down there. we
plant our crops of tomatoes anu
beans and other ve9eta bles in NCFcfh-
Der December and January and snip 70
market in March April and May. OOt
crops are planted, made end marKeted
in five or six months instead Of twelTe
months as is the case with cotton"
What is your leading and most proht-
able crop. general?
tomatoes are much TIE largest prod
net in that section. but other VezetabieS
are shipped in considerable quantities.
locality?"
yes, very profitable but Ike all crops
there are soma ORA wbacEs. We make
heavy crops some seasons and LIGHTER
cnes n other years: hut | consider the
raising of tomatoes etc, in that part
Of Florida as vastly more profitable than
raising cotton or other crops in other
states You perceive that our crops are
grown in midwinter and We get them to
market when other sections are just be-
ginning to plant Hence our crops are
sold at fancy prices
Tell me how much profit is made 10
the acre"
Well that depends on the kind Of
land. the seasons and largely upon the
industry OF the farmer himself. | should
ssy lat tomatoes pay net chat is above
expensos) in that locality from $50 to
$500 per acre. Much larger profits than
these are sometimes made; but the lars
est net profits per acre are usually made
| by hard working men. who do their own
labor. who cultivate we'll and prune their
tomato vines by hand. This hand prun~
ing is said To double the crop
4 want to say, however, that raising
| vegetables which is exceedingly attrac-
tive and very lucrative to energetic men
who are willing to work, is not one
Planting and growing of tropical fruits
in that extreme southern portion of Flor
.da- Growing vegetables is only Il step
ping-stone to planting Of orchards, which
insure large and certain and permanent
incomes"
DO you think. general, that fruit
growing down there is more promising
and surer than peach growing In Geor-
gia?"
"oh. yes. far more promising. YOU
can see why it is SO. There is no such
thing as failure OF fruit crops from
frost We have larger and smaller crops
in different years. but crop every year
is certt In and the profits per acre are
far greater than from peaches | have
been raising peaches myself for many
years i'll middle Georgia ana have found
| it very profitable; but would rather
leave as legacy to my children a well
| established orchard in the fruits suited
to that southern section OF Florida than
TO leave them ten times as many acres
in peach orchards You see. the great
differences are these: First, the certain
" g crop every year as against the
sreat uncertainty In the peach crop:
| second, the much larger profit per acre;
bird, the long life of the orange. tba
grape fruit, the Avocata pear. etc.
An investment III such orchards is a
Permanent one-the trees lasting Cor q
Lifetime The grape fruit. as YOU kno,v.
Which IS in torm ana color like an
enormous orange, is getting to be the
great breakfast fruit in all our country
7nA IN Europe. and that part of IFIori4s
Is the nome of grape fruit A roor man
with a family of children growino ,,,l
around him make himself and 3bn,pp
nde endeqt in few years in that To-
eanty II he is economical and enersetic
and Will work e N'iS
lie need not be idle a single dav un
less he chooses to be. 1t Is a new coun
try and labor is in great demand and
when his time is not needed in his crop
or "hen ne wishes to labor for cash
in order to help him pay expenses he can
get at least 81 per day for every honest
days labor. Sometimes more In tho
rleE'ng and packing season women ana
children make raonev First-class pack
ers earn from So to s. per day Women
often make ny packing tomatoes In the
crates from - to so per dav So tii-t
poor fnan with pienty energy can do
there what he can't do anywhere else
co FAY as my knowledge extends Ii he
mas no money he can arrange to work q
part Of his time in his crop and part
of his time for very high wages and In
the packing season find light and pleas
ant and very profitable employment for
his family. He can rent a few acres of
prairie land for his tomato crop Or he can
arrange to plant on shares and can buy
on long credit another piece of land on
which to begin his orchards In less
than six months his tomato crop will be
made and sold. Then he has six months
more for other work. Whereas in cotton
he scarcely gets through with one crop
before he has to begin preparing for the
next. With fair success In his tomato
crop he Will be prepared for going ahead
with HIS orchards, and when he gets 20