The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-08-18
PUTNAM'S OPPORTUNITIES
For the Farmer, Trucker and Fruit Grower are
UnexcelIed.
en- lMN0 nnE EAalMEMY OkAlnnaMn r. nll srar-
ENJOYS PRE.EMINENT SHIPPING FACILITIES
Greatest Potato Growing Section in the World

Htii"hi SOuHIy 10 OiiS u tllC OluSs
counties in Florida. The fact tina
the broad and beautiful St. John
river cuts the county in two iron
east to west, that this river is navi
gable and that the county is distan
less than a hundred miles from it
mouth, made Putnam county easily
accessible to the early settlers. Lons
before the day OF railroads, Palatka
the county seat, was 4 thriving vii
lage and farmers and fruit grower,
were plentifully sprinklcd i'll all part:
of the county.
Besides the St. Johns river, the
county has natural wealth i'll a NUM-
Der OF other navigablc water courses
connecting with large and beautiful
lakes Crescent and George, besides
innumerable small, clear, fresh water
lakes fed from springs. 1t is a county
of beautiful small lakes.
Two OF Florida's great trunk line
railroads pass through the county,
one on the east and one on the west
side of the st. Johns river-the Flor
ida East Coast and the Atlantic Coast
Line railroads. The, Georgia South
ern and Florida railroad also passes
through a large part OF the county,
rich in general farming and fruit
growing experience and even richer
possibilities. This road has its south
ern terminus at Palatka. The road
runs from Palatka to Macon, Ga.
A branch of the Atlantic Coast
Line also runs from Palatka to
Gainesville, Florida, passing through
a fine, thickly settled farming and fruit
section of the county The Ocala
Northern railroad, now building and
within ten miles OF Palatka on its
northern march, will be completed to
Palatka by the middle OF September.
This road will open up to settlement
a rich agricultural and trucking sec
ton, passing through the famous
Ocala Burbank colony and the New
South Farm & Home Colony. Pa
latka, where this road reaches deep
water, will be its northern terminus,
its entrance into the city and its dock
ing facilities having already been Sc
cured.
These rivers and railroads afford all
sections OF the county the very best
and most economical shipping facili-
ties. No other county in the state
has these advantages 50 fully.
The lands Of Putnam county are
suited to nearly all the fruits, cereals
and vegetables grown in the south
land In some sections cotton and
corn are the staples, In other sec
tons whole communities are engaged
in growing Irish potatoes, while in
still others citrus fruits are grown
almost exclusively. Peaches and pears
are grown in all parts OF the county, !
and in some sections many are eX-
tcnsively engaged in growing the for
mer luscious fruit, the earlier varitics
OF which have been found very profit
able.
In various parts OF the county are
to be found lands particularly adapted .
to trucking, and immense quantities
of celery and other vegetables are
grown and shipped. The lands around
Palatka have proven very profitable
for celery growing.
1t is not the purpose Of this article
10 go into the subject OF farming and
.ruit growing in this county except
n a general way and to tell the
story of community successes-giving
only facts.
That Putnam county is the leading
agricultural county Of Florida has
,een proven. At the last State Fair !
leld in Ocala, Putnam county was
.warded the second premium for its
agricultural exhibit.
That it did not get FIRST Premium
vas the result OF thoughtlessness or
misunderstanding,
The committee on awards was tied
p for two days in indicision. 1t was
unanimous in its opinion that Put
lam county had altogether the finest
urely agricultural and horticultural
xhibit. Next to Putnam came Mar
on county.
But Marion county had a stock eX-
ibit Putnam had none. Stock rails