The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1905-02-17
COTTON IN MARION CoUATY.

; find that one of the most promising
, source of profit to our farmers in this
! county land doubtless others) had
never been developed to any great
| extent. That the great southern
{ money producer has been so prom
! inently neglected, is, perhaps, due to
| several reasons. First, the people
| lost sight of every other resource in
| cal fruits. These gave promise of
''get-rich-quick-and-easy'' method
! peared to fulfil the promise. The
| freeze crushed out at one blow these
| easy hopes, and with them also
crushed out the energy and ''get up"
| of the people. 1t took time to re-
cover, and in the shuttle the people
seem to have lost sight of the great
possibilities of the southern king.
! Second, before the war Sea Island,
| or Florida long staple cotton, was
| the only kind cultivated here, and
since the war what little cotton is
| planted is OF the same variety. In
my opinion it is big mistake for our
planters to neglect this great staple,
and also mistake to plant the Sea
! Island variety. 1t is mistake to de-
| pend so largely ON fruits and vege-
| tables, which are SO perishable in
their nature, and which must be
thrust upon the market when ready,
| whether the market is high or low,
| which one fact alone makes the
profitable growing of them SO uncer-
tain, and neglect the great staple of
the world, which can be held as long
as one wishes to catch a market
| which will give profit over the cost
of production.
/ see no reason in the world why
Ocala could not develop into a big
/ cotton market, and if it can be done
it will put more life into the COM
mercial interests of the city and
more money in the pockets of the
| planters and farmers, and i'll general
| circulation, than any other one thing
that we can encourage and develop.
| This depends on our farmers. but
| when they evince a desire to work
up to it they should receive all the
encouragement possible from the
merchants in the county. All that is
needed is a beginning by our most
progressive farmers, and as soon as
results are seen all of the farmers,
big and little, will soon see that iu is
the best crop that they can cultivate
to put money III their pockets. Cot
ton is mOney-has always cash val
ue-dOn't spoil by holding until you
wish to put it on the market-can be
made for a great deal less than vege-
tables. 1 am satisfied that it will
| grow well here. Climate and soil are
both suited to its successful produc-
| ton. Our geographical situation in
relation to the great canal which will
handle the Oriental trade, promises
great things for the Gulf states, and
the world demand, ever increasing,
for the great staple admonishes Flor
ida people to be up and doing. God
has given us many rich resources,
and if we have it in us we can reap a
| golden harvest and make Florida one
OF the greatest and richest of the
states.
I How shall we make a beginning in
the agricultural line? Plant some
cotton. Not the Sea Island variety,
but fine grade of short cotton. /
see something in the papers about
| the Florodora. l know nothing about
that, but do know of cotton, now
| cultivated to a considerable extent in
middle South Carolina, known as
| Simm's Silk. 1t is a cotton which
| classes between the best grade of
short cotton and Sea Island. 1t is a
thrifty grower and prolific bearer, and