The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-11-10

If there was che thing more notice
able than another on the Glidden. tour,
in which the editor of this paper took
part. from New York City to the Flor
ida line, it was the absence of farm
fences.
Where fences were seen at all tn cir
purpose was to fence stock in, not To
fence them out.
And such stock. They looked for al
the world like the pictures so cons pic
uous in farm journals. which, judg-
ing from our home products, We were
all along led to believe were not true
to life, but were used for advertising
purposes only.
Speaking in one of our letters of
the magnificent looking cows we saw
in Pennsylvania, We said that they
had udders as big as water buckets.
Believe it or not, some Of them were
even larger than water buckets. For
they are on record as giving more
than water bucket of milk at a milk
ing.
The sheep and hogs and fowls were
alike large and formed as pretty
picture as did the cattle.
1t was only after reaching the Flor
ida line that we saw a scrub" cow
or a ''razor-baek" hog.
We were told that before the no.
fence law prevailed in those states
that the stock did not present this
fine appearance. Now, that the farm
ers are compelled TO fence in and
care for their stock, they can i'll af-
ford to care for scrub" ones, so now
the cattle, swine and sheep are so Uni
formly in such excellent condition
that they may be gathered up with
out a days notice for entries at any
state or county fair.
And the saving in dollars and cents
in having no fences TO build has been
simply enormous.
All this money-thousands upon
thousands of dollars-has entered
into industrial and manufacturing en-
terprises, and have added enormously
10 the wealth of those states.
A gentleman who owns tract of
land on the outskirts of Ocala told
US yesterday that he had just paid out
five hundred dollars to fence out 9TH
e. peoples scrub cattle. and, by he
way. he added that he could buy all
the cattle in the neighborhood for less
money, but one must fence against
one COW the same as a thousand.
Every year this gentleman must
pay out his good money TO keep his
fence in repair in order to make Il
conform to the legal requirements
under which, according to the de1ni-
ton of one of our famous attorneys,
is horse high, bull strong and pig
tight
In New York, New Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Maryland. West Virginia,
Virginia, North Carolina, South Car
DINA and Georgia. the states We pass
ed through, one could not force back
the lawful fence, such as We have in
Florida, if he had an army at his
back
The few cattle kings" in Florida
have dictated 10 its law-making pow
ers for all these years our fence laws
to its wanton hurt and injury.
II is high time We were having
change.
II all the money that has been paid
out since the close of the war between
the states in Florida for the building
and repair of fences could be collected
in one heap and put into industrial
enterprises and manufacturing plants,
one would be astounded at the reyo-
luton that it would bring about.
We believe, in deed and in truth,
if fences could be done away with.
that Florida would be the equal Of
any of the states we have named in
wealth and manufacturing industries,
and her farm life would be more self
supporting and attractive.
More than anything else that we
could name, a "no-fence" law would
| be a boon 10 Florida.