The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-05-12
MARION FARMS

drive out to the Marion Farms Fri
day afternoon, and what was seen
was a revelation.
The farm is composed of about
seven hundred and fifty acres and
commands a beautiful view of the
surrounding country, and as it IS
fringed with a hammock background
in all directions, the trees forming
which are now in full leaf and flower,
one is rarely permitted to see more
beautiful landscape.
Leading from the entrance to the
hospital quarters are some as gigan-
tic live oaks as are to be found in
the county, and we regretted to see
that some of them had been girdled,
but fortunately the woodman's axe
has spared some of the larger ones
nearer the quarters. They are Ger.
tainly a stately, handsome tree, and
we wish that more of them were
planted. If they were planted along
our hard roads we could not do a
more handsome thing for posterity.
The yard near the hospital is kept
with scrupulous care and the little
park at the entrance, named in hon
or of Dr. Bitch, is kept in good trim
Since our last visit there has been
added a womans department and we
found it in excellent condition. There
has also been added a tuberculosis
department, which is planned to give
the patients as much fresh air as pos
sible
Every prisoner and patient is
known to DR.. Bitch, and he has
good word for all of them, and all of
them have a good word for the doc
tor He is extremely popular, and L
one could live on good wishes the doc
tor would be fortunate indeed His
name is praised on. every hand, and
his presence acts as an inspiration.
He leaves them all hopeful and
CHEEKY.
We visited the sleeping apartments,
bath room, dining room and kitchen,
and found everything in good sani-
tary condition. The tables, instead
of using the old-time oil cloths, are
plain boards sandpapered and we'll
inviting.
Nearly all winter long we were
resting under the impression that all
the peaches in the county were killed,
but on our visit to the farm we were
confronted with an irrefutable proof
of our error. We were shown an or
chard of fifteen or twenty acres load
ed to the ground with fruit.
We were turned loose" and told to
eat to our hearts content, and before
we had visited many trees we imme-
diately decided that it must have
been a finely colored, full ripe peach
that caused good Mother Ewes undo
ing. We were told that the peachas
had been ripening since the middle of
April. They are certainly rich in col
oring and the flavor is deli
cious None are being shipped else
where, but all are being reserved for
the local market. So much for having
scientific farm near ones gates.
Mr.. Purvis, the accomplished and
painstaking superintendent, was not
at home, much to the regret of Dr.
Bitch and ourself, but Mr.. Fletcher,
his assistant was most obliging in his
attentions, and gave us a great deal
of information.
The farm cured and packed away
last winter for future use fifty-two
hundred pounds of meat and ninety
two 50-pound cans of lard.
The meat is very fine and was cur.
ed with great deal of care and is
pronounced by connoisseurs worthy
of being placed at the top of the heap.
The prisoners now find it a luxury,
and not a pound of it will go to waste.
The crops on the farm are far ad-
vanced. For instance. sweet corn is
nearly ready to be marketed, and
other crops are equally as far adj
vanced.
The stock of all kinds is looking
we'll and it is a delight to see the
way the farm is managed.
There is a big nursery of pecan
trees and many acres are planted to
this industry
If any of our readers want to see
model farm and a finely conducted
prison hospital they should visit the
Marion Farms.
The drive out is one of the most
beautiful and sequestered in the
neighborhood of Ocala, and the dis
tance is only about two miles.
C. r. Peabody, manager of the Air
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