The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-05-06

Floyd, Nsrtmsnn and others compli-
mented-ho Fence Would be
Boon for Marion County.

The Banner comes to me regularly
every week, and / am reminded that
have not contributed to the most
essential requirements which enables
a paper to exist. l therefore hand
you Bacon & Thsyer's check for So.
am pleased to notice in your pa
per that your little city is making
reasonable advancement in All things
that tend to make desirable place
for one to live.
l also notice that the politicians in
Florida are quite active, and that
among the numerous aspirants, the
voters ought to select some good men
to serve them in the various positions
in the state AMI county to which they
may be elected. l am more than
pleased to note the interest that is
being taken in regard to no fence or
herd law. I believe have expressed
my opinion on that question on one
occasion in your valued paper, and
while living in Florida l always ad-
vocated it with my neighbOrs, many
of whom found opposed to it, so it
gives me pleasure to see such good
farmers as Mr.. Baskin Of Anthony,
advocating it.
notice Mr.. Floyd who was turned
down two years ago for his advocacy
of no fence law, is again in the ring
and adheres to the same ideas. 1t was
not my pleasure to know Mr.. Floyd
personally, so of bis other qualifics-
tions / cannot venture an opinion
but it is safe to say that he is sound
on the no fence question. My old
friend, E. L. Wartmann, 1 notice is
also aspiring to represent the people
of Marion county, and [ believe he
too would make a very safe and able
representative. I would be pleased,
however, to see him take more de-
cided stand in favor of a herd law
that would compel stock owners to
provide for their own stock. 1t is not
only unjust to compel farmers to
fence against others starved cattle
and hogs, but if these stock raIsers
only knew, it is decidedly in their
own interest TO fence their stock, save
the fertilizers that are lost, improve
their breeds, and double, yea thrible,
their value.
Noticed in the Banner some time
ago an article written by one Erwin,
in which he gave as a reason why the
no fence law should not be enacted
that it would increase the value of
the land. Such an argument needs
no answer. If there is a country on
earth where the values Of land should
be made higher it is Florida. be-
lieve as Erwin does that it would
enhance the value of lands to have a
no fence law and if so it should be
sufficient inducement to have such
law enacted at the first session of the
legislature. The fact that lands are
lower in Florida than in any other
portion of the United States is evil
dence that there is some cause outside
! the quality Of the soil. Florida should
be one of the most pOpulous Of the
states; but inducements must be
shown to the settlers who wish to
/ cultivate the land, and no greater
! inducements could DE offered than
! immunity from the ravages of staTv-
ed hogs and cattle, not their own.
/ Beef and pork can be produced on
! the farm cheaper and better than in
any other country, but no farmer can
| be successful and allow his stock to
run in the woods. Hundreds of thou
sands of dollars are expended for
| fertilizers in Florida that might be
avoided if the stock was kept on the
farms. The money paid to the north
every year for beef, pork and butter
and cheese could all be left in the
state, and more than that Florida
would soon become an exporter in
stead of an importer. 1t is not that
Florida farmers cannot produce
enough. but they fool away all their
money for things that they ought TO
produce at home, and could if they
would ever learn the value of keeping