The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-12

Lake City, Fla, March 11.-(Editorial Correspondence.) )-While it is claimed for this section of Florida that farming can be profitably followed, yet there Is no land in 1t which can be compared to the prairie and canebrake portions of Ala bama. Tobacco growing is quite fea- ture in Gadsden County, about 100 miles due west from this. Columbia County, and a great deal of money has been in- vested in the business, New York parties being largely interested. It was tried here quite successfully for awhile, and many of the best prizes awarded at State tobacco fairs fell to growers in this County, and it may be again taken up by some of them.
 It is claimed by those who live here that this is an entirely self-supporting County. The exports from this County amount to about $2,0000OO. The chlet items from which this sum is derived are yellow pine lumber, spirits of turpentine and rosin. hard rock phosphates. hard woods, Sea Island cotton corn, Sumatra and Cuba tobacco. for wrapper and filler, rice, syrup, honey, wool. hides, cnlckens and eggs. It Is good cattle and stock section. Farmers make much of their own meat There is large cold storage plant here and much of the meat IS placed therein and taken out in proper time and cured at home by the farmers. Why would not such an establishment pay in Montgomery and be an encouragement to the raising of cattle and hogs?
 It is d delight to the eye to go Into the woods here where there are so many beautiful evergreen trees. The rareSt Of | Towering and foliage plants flourish, rom | the grand waxen leaved white howered | ma gnolia of the forests and the lily anu lotus of the lakes and streams to the calla. rose and pink of the garden. pe- can trees flourish and yield abundantly' | CassaVa and velvet beans bid flair 10 l work out a marvellous change in all tms part of Florida. They are peculiarly adapted to light sandy land and it Is said | will not flourish in heavy clay soil. Thou | sands of acres are devoted to the cultiva- | ton of these two articles and the pros poets are that they will in the end make | stock raising the principal line of busi- ness in great portion ot fIorlaa. lme | gently as to the growing of velvet beans | in Florida did not in any manner exag- l gerate results, There Is universal con | currence in the belief that the raising oi | cattle and hogs can be successfully car red on, with no other food than tn' | two articles of cassava and velvet beans
 Dr. H. E. Stockbridge. late Professor of Agriculture in the college here' IS | somewhat of an enthusiast as to the va
 ne of these two crops, but he is thorough | ly informed as to their origin nlst9r | and mode of cultivation. He says tna
 cassava is the manihot of South Amerlca | and is the bread plant of millions or peo nle It is adapted only to tropical ane
 semi-tropical countries. Its Northerr
 limit of successful culture is about th' latitude of Montgomery. It is particular | lv adapted to the light lands of the pine!
 woods or wiregrass belt on which l
 easily yields from six to fifteen tons O O 1 food per acre. The utilizable portion D | the plant Is the root or tuber, Wmci
 grows to an average of about three inche
 in diameter and two to six feet in length ,, 1 single hills easily producing from tWelV
 fo twenty hounds. The plant produces m
 seed in our climate, but is propagate
 from cuttings of the stalk like suga g
 cane. The plant is a branching shru
 growing six to ten feet tall. The stalks ar
 for seed through the WinseF n1ose e
 oether. and for planting the stalks ar
 eut in sections about three inches Ion
 and one or two pieces are dropped
 each hill The crop is preferably grown
 checks. the hills being four feet apai
 each way. ,,.t,,.- ,,ot,
 It starts very slowly, 'hs planting oe!I!
 almost corn planting time. and It IS pe' p
 fer to be done before the middle or Apri
 seven months being required TOT na'u'