The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-08-12
WILL RAISE POTATOES.
Farmers of FlOrahOme to Unite
on Irish Potatoes as Lead
ing Spring Crop.

and muck
The colony is peopled by families
who have come from all sections OF
the north and west and-Kansas.
Kansas is mentioned separately for
obvious reasons. The previous ag-
ricultural experience of many of the
citizens of Florahome had been con-
fined to such observations of corn
and wheat as could be viewed
through the windows of Chicago
elevators, watching the'whirr of ma
chinery in the flour mills of st. Paul
and Minneapolis, and in reading
agricultural dissertations by the late
Bill Nye and other eminent writers.
1t will be remembered that when
Bill Ny6 planted his tobacco farm in
North Carolina, and after waiting
for two months for the tobacco to
come up, he called in an expert, who,
after digging into the hills and pull
ing up a piece of tobacco said: NO
wonder it didn't grow; you had the
tin tag on the up side.'
This is all merely Introductory to
the remark that large proportion
of the citizens of Florahome are
what might be termed theoretical
farmers. They are all men Of ideas,
and good ones, but the majority of
them lacked experience up to the
time of acquiring few alapathic
doses in their present environments.
Many of the inhabitants of the
place are also well along in years
and fortunately have a competency.
They are not obliged to work and so
they theorize to kill time.
1t must not be understood that all
citizens of Florahome are theorists
that has simply been the predomina-
ting influence. There are many men
in the colony who have been practi-
cal farmers in the north, but who by
costly experience are coming to learn
that conditions of success in Florida
may differ from those in Indiana.
Illinois and other doubtful states"
These practical workers, earnestly
DESTROYS of success, are the ones who
must be looked to to prove to the
world that the lands about Flora
home are all that has been claimed
for them.
Some of these men have been emf
nently successful already according
to the estimate of the Southern EX-
press company. They have raised
peaches and tomatoes and other
fruits and vegetables which have
been sold at great prolific the en-
press company. Here is one in
stance in actual figures:
H. j. Rector shipped 3l2 crates of
peaches which sold for $355. 90. OF
this gross amount the express
charges were $l99.93, the commits
sions were $34.Sl and the cost of
crates $43,6S leaving Mr., Rector net
returns of $77.53. q.
This is only one instance. There
are others.
NOW FOR IRISH POTATOES.
Two weeks ago Maj. w. L. Gless-
ner, land commissioner of the &. S.
q F. R'y. suggested meeting of citi-
Zens with view to the organization
of potato growers association, the
members to agree to plant sutfi-
cient acreage in I otatOes to give the
place standing as potato growing
centre and establish a market for
buyers. The meeting was held last
Wednesday in the school house and
nearly all the farmers of the colony
We're present. Maj Glessner called
the meeting to order and explained |
the reasons for the faith that was in |
him why FlorahOme should become |
a great potato center. The farmers |
discussed the matter and resolved to |
go into this industry. They will
hold meeting next Saturday after
noon to complete the organization.
Already pledges have been made of
about 50 acres in potatoes for next
spring.
Potato growing is not altogether an
experiment at Florahome. 1t has
been tried and proved successful and
immensely profitable.
q. l.. Knight had one acre planted |
last winter on his muck farm. He !
used very little fertilizer He shipp-
ed his crop TO Tampa and realized
$3.50 from this one acre.
VIM. Harrison planted two acres
and sold his crop for 5000, beside re-
serving the culls.
There are hundreds of acres of land
about FlOrahOme capable of produc-
ing like results.
To be sure there are dangers of
frost and perhaps other difficulties
in the way that are not now seen,
but these very risks are the things
to make success worth striving for.
If there We're no difficulties there
would be no success.
Mrs. G. l., Knight is spending a
well-earned rest at her old home in
Kansas.
The post Office inspector visited
on Wednesday last to in
vestigate a recent scrap which oc-
nmrrah hntwepn the thirh assistnnt