The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-08-18

lJlS Is feature OF farming tnat Pu
nam did not consider in making II
its exhibit, although it has some {
the best specimens of blooded stoc
on its stock farms to be found in tn
entire south. Failure to exhibit ther
lost to this county the first premium
Irish Potatoes.
The famous Hastings Irish potat
section begins on the east side of tn
St. Johns River at Palatka, and ex
tends to and beyond the eastern
boundary of Putnam county, as wei
as for many miles to the north of Pa
latka along and back from the river
Thousands of acres are now unde
cultivation and thousands more ar,
being opened up by thrifty and intel
ligent men from the north and west
These potato lands have a clay sub
soil and all over the section devoted
to the growth of potatoes, flowing
wells are obtained at such small cost
that each individual grower has his
own irrigating system.
These lands are producing an aver.
age yield Of so barrels to the acre
This is not an estimate, but an actual
fact.
The crop is planted between the
first and fifteenth of January and the
bulk of it is harvested and shipped by
the Goth of May. Early shipments
this year brought growers from 5000
to $500 per barrel and there were one
or two instances where an even larger
net sum was realized. There were
but few instances in the whole season
where these potatoes sold for less
than $500 per barrel. The potato
growers of Putnam county are among
the most prosperous tillers of the
soil i'll the whole world.
The same land, after gathering the
potato crop is planted to corn and
other crops with the best results.
Orange Growing.
The southern portion of Putnam
county is largely devoted to orang,
growing. This part of the county is
more properly called the peninsula
section, owing to the fact that it is
almost surrounded by the waters OF
the st. Johns river, Dunn's creek and
beautiful Crescent Lake. There are
number of towns and small settle
ments in this district, among them be
ing Crescent City, Huntington, Pomo
ma, Como, Sisco, Satsuma Heights,
Welaka, Fruitland and Georgetown.
Crescent City, Pomona and San Ma
teo take ranking places for the grow
ing of oranges and other citrus fruits
More fruit of this kind is shipped
annually from Crescent City than
any other single shipping point
in the state. The crop last
year amounted to nearly 100000
boxes. In tangerincs it was said
that the crop at this place last
year amounted to nearly one-third the
crop of the entire state.
Crescent City has some beautiful
groves, and many of its people have
accumulated modest fortunes in grow
ing oranges. 1t is the second town
in the county in size; has good hotels
and many winter homes of people |
who spend only the winter months in
Florida.
The western part Of the county is
settled by those engaged mainly in gen
cral farming, though in this section also
much attention is still given to the grow
ing of citrus fruits, and with good sue
cess. But the western part of the county
is an ideal section for the general far
mer. The people who inhabit it are the
kind who make ideal neighbors, and
he section is one that has great prom
>c Of growth, 1t contains many pretty
little villages and settlements, among
them being the pretty little towns of In
crlachen-among the lakes-Keuka,
Johnson, Melrose, Grandin, Putnam
Hall, Florahome, etc, all with cultured
people, churches and schools.
The Flerahome district needs but
system of drainage canals to open Up
possibly the richest area of muck lands
in all the South. At the recent session
If the Legislature local drainage law
was passed for this section that only
needs to be made effective in order to
make these lands available to those who