The Ocala evening star., 1911-05-30
IN AND AROUND 0CALA
some Pertinent observations on City,
County and Crops by the stroller
(Florida Grower)


CFlorida Grower)
do not know what the word /
"ocala' signifies. but il is probably an |
Indian name for something good. The |
Indians gave wonderfully expressive /
names 10 places
| have been to Ocala this week. and 1
can say with truth that If l am right |
in my supposition, ! fully agree with |
the Indians Ocala l. one OF the !
smartest cities in Florida. and / con-
fess that l was very agreeably i'm
pressed with the city in general and
the surrounding country in particular.
l have always beeen impressed with
the city in general and the surround
ing country in pfticular.
l have always been impressed with
the fact that town with good back
country was a smart and growing
town. eocala certainly has the back
country. and il seems to me that IL
more people really knew what this
Section~aad TO offer that there would
he a wonderful growth here in the
near future.
Ocala is located in 4 rolling ham
mock country. The soil i deep ami
rich and covered with heavy hardwood
timber. which in itself is a standing
advertisement Of the richness Of the
earth. The country around and about
Ocala reminds me OF some northern1
state. as il is rolling. and so different
from the usual fiat-pine country one
usually sees in travelling around Flo
rida.
I could not see any evidence that
Ocala has been doomed. and that is
probably the reason that so much good
/ land so close TO the city is yet in the
rough; uncleared and untenanted. That
/ the soil is of the best quality that Flo
rida can show, is evidenced by the rich
growth of corn. cane, beans, grains and
grasses; not omittins melons. which
are among the main crops of this sec
tion. Besides fine looking farms,
which appear more like northern
farms than in most sections of Flor
ida, 1 saw. some of the finest cattle l
have seen in Florida, and / also saw
some hogs without the raZor-back
label The pasturage is fine. and all
the live stock looked fat and healthy.
I also saw many herds of goats, and
quite a profitable industry in Marion
county.
| wish some of the counties that are
having such hard worh TO get their
| people to vote for good roads could
send some of the kickers up TO Ocala
for an object lesson in what good
roads mean. l travelled over miles of
the best roads l have seen through a
country district. and this trip was TAX
en- on Tuesday OF this week, just after
the rain had poured almost contin-
ually for forty eight hours, and there
was not a particle of mud to be seen
nor any washouts encountered during
the three hours ride. The roads are
built of natural clay. are hard as iron
and smooth a billiard table. 1t is
just such a country as this that I
would expect to build up quickly.
Although Marion county raises its
quota of citrus fruit the country right
laround and about Ocala produces
none. l saw but one citrus tree on my
trip. Ten miles west, at Lake Weir. is
some of the best citrus country in Flo
rida. I understand ii is too cold for
citrus fruits here, the lake protecting z
the groves in the locality mentioned.
1t is, however, a splendid general
farming and cattle country, and will
: soon be found out. The people of
Ocala should show their goods to the
world more. They should get together
and contribute money for an advertis-
ing campaign, and when the people
, come in response to that advertising
, why Ocala can deliver the goods.
:
Of rnnS-
greatly interested at this time. Mar
ion county is the greatest producer OF
melons OF any county OF Florida. In
, fact, am informed that Marion county
produces 30 per cent of all the melons
grown in Florida, and I am also in
formed that the Marion County Melor
Association handles 80 per cent of al
the cantaloupes grown in Marion
county. There are ten shipping sta.
tions for melons, all within fifteeT
miles of Ocala, and here the packed
melons are looked over by Inspector
u connected with the association, VIII,
= see that they are properly packed anC
. up to grade.
: This year it is expected tRat ther,
will be upwards Of 700 cars of cante
loupes shipped by the association. an,
the Florida Citrus Exchange. VIII,
= have loaned their district manager
\ office machinery and last. but no
least, they have loaned the association
their assistant sales manager, \. II
Dechmen, who is now in Ocala gettini
ready for business.
J. 1t was with Mr.. Dechman that
made the trip into the country. an
y we saw more melons in one patch tha
ever saw before. l am told that
negro farmer on the north end of tow
has $50 acres in melons. Mr.. Dechma
states that the rains came just at tn
right time, and from now on they wi
grow like negro babies. Shipping /
express lots commences this week. an
in car lots next week Mr.. Dechma
tells me that while the California can;
Will start about the same time that "
have the advantage in distance. an
can let them ripen more fully on III
vines, and that they are in much bette
kets. He says that the prospects for
prosperous season are very fine. an
that he expects the melons TO sell q
upwards Of $1,000 a car for the fr.
already sold the first two cars TO go
that money. This means $3.50 a crat
T. o. b. Florida. and the average pac