The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-02-10
Mr.. FLAGLER's LATEST ENTER.
PRISE

airy 4th prints map of Florida, which
gives the route of the new railroad
which Mr.. Flagler proposes to build
from point near Maytown-between
Titusville and Sanford-and the east.
ern shore of Lake Okeechobee, with
branch to Bassinger, between Lake
Bassinger and Lake Okeechobee.
4 The Ocala Banner made the an
nouncement of the building of this
new road some time last summer. The
Record says that so little is known of
this new section of the state bv the
average citizen that the full signifi-
canoe as a factor in the development
of a rich section of the state is not
understood.
The Record says that Mr.. James E.
Ingraham, vice president of the East
Coast Railway, is one of the best post
ed~.men in Florida of the southern
and east coast sections and of the state
generally. That he has during the
past twenty years made many trips on
horseback through the native forests
and has even traversed the Ever
glades. In an interview this morning
he explained much of the character of
the new country and it's latent capa-
bilities. Mr.. Ingraham went over thu
new line last June.
Continuing, the Record says:
In view of the fact that the demand
for staple farm products is constantly
increasing and at prices that are re-
munerative to the grower, it would
seem apparent that this body of land,
practically 140 miles in length and
averaging twenty-five miles in width,
affording large traffic in lumber and
naval stores, at once, and we'll adapt
ed to raising staple crops if rail trans
portation is provided, will quickly be
developed. The drainage of the Ever
glades and the lowering of Lake Okee-
chobee five feet will have a marked eff
feet on the lands lying north of the
lake and will also add to the value of
the territory.
! "Tbe line extends lis miles from
Maytown to Geneva" said Mr.. Ingra-
ham, "and peaches, oranges, corn and
tomatoes of excellent quality are
grown between the two places, and
cane, cotton and alfalfa could be
grown if properly cultivated and the
lands drained-and drainage is easy.
There is high hammock land west of
the st. Johns and good timber is back
of the hammock. Sixty-five thousand
boxes of oranges were shipped from
Geneva last year.
From Geneva to Cbuluota is ten
country interspersed with clear lakes,
where the soil is of good quality. Be
sides vegetables and fruit, cattle, hogs
and sheep do well here. From Chuluo-
ia to Whittier the proposed line runs
fifty-eight miles through good lands.
Much land of great fertility along
there is available for farming. Vege-
tables and fruit, as we'll as cane, rice,
cotton-and alfalfa, l think-do well
there. From Whittier to Olney is a
= distance of twenty-eight miles, and
much of the distance is over open
prairie The soil is productive, and
cattle and hogs do well. On the route
from Olney to Fort Drum, ten miles,
the Kissimmee prairie is skirted on
the eastern side by the road. The
hammock land produces twenty-five to
8 thirty bushels per acre of corn. From
Fort Drum to Tantie, distance of
twenty-five miles, the line runs
through country in which fiatwoods
alternating with prairie are found.
Low land can be drained and much of
it is quite fertile.
"The lands along the route of the
extension are generally well adapted
to crops of various kinds and are COM
ing into demand for general farming,
being stronger and more reliable than
high sandy ridges or dry hammocks.
If a comprehensive system of cultiva-
ton is carefully carried out these
lands ought to provide very large
traffics in farm products such as corn,
cotton, cane, upland ice, oats, alfalfa.
fruits and vegetables. Sea Island cot
ton has been grown successfully by
many of the older settlers on the fiat
woods lands. Corn on these lands
produces from fifteen to thirty bushels
to the acre without fertilizer. Co
pher rice yields eighty bushels to the
acre without fertilizer. At present the
\ great industry is cattle raising, and
the herds all look well. Sheep and
hogs thrive on the ranges. The cat
tlemen raise corn enough to carry
them over from year to year for their