The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-01-20
4 BEAUTIFUL WRITE-UP or McIN'
TOSH

passed, mas the 1OllOWiuS W say
Mcintosh, which was so splendidly IN
evidence at the fair:
From Ocala / went to Mcintosh,
about "a miles north. 1t is a little
city on a hill in the midst of a beau
tifuI grove of the largest and stateli-
est live oaks / ever saw, with their
strong arms reaching out nearly a
hundred feet, thicl1ly draped with
Edreamy Spanish moss. The largest
trees would doubtless measure 20
feet in circumference. High up in the
branches of one of these magnificent
trees was coy summer house,
where no rays of the summer sun can
ever penetrate, and the gentle breeze
passing through would make it little
paradise for one to spend the noon
time hours in the summer time, or
for a "spooners' resort" in the gloam-
ling. All around can be seen we'll kept
cottages, all painted white, which
makes as fine a picture as one could
well imagine.
I'm the front and back yards of
many of these cottages were orange
trees, loaded with golden fruit, with
occasionally, for change, a tree load
ed with grapefruit. No picture could
be painted to rival this in beauty and
lloyeliness-the handiwork of nature.
That scene alone amply paid me for
the trip. But wait, the picture is not
finished. In front of the town, in
plain view, is lake, and all around
it's margin are fields of lettuce in all
stages of growth, from those just
planted to the finished product, head
ed up as large as small cabbages. I
was told there were over 100 acres in
all, which bring, in favorable years,
$500 or more per acre.
Adjoining the town on either side
are orange groves. Picking and pack
ing commenced while I was there. S.
| H. Gaitskill (no doubt some will re-
member him, as he attended the farm
ers' rally held here a year ago, and
gave us a fine talk on stock raising)
has his own packing house, and owns
the largest groves of oranges there.
Would be glad to tell you of the whole
process of packing, but space forbids,
but will say that the process is per-
foo+soo ;troIf WIFI COW for tho hounf1t
of the orange eaters that every orange
is washed and scrubbed with brushes
by machinery till every particle of
dirt is removed No danger of mic
robes on these oranges. Mr.. Gaitskill
showed me over his farm of 1000
acres-all hammock land. | saw his
herd of short-horn cattle, which are
being crossed on native stock. They
seem to be doing well, and are taking
on the characteristics OF the full
bloods, and would compare favorably
with the same class of stock in the
blue grass regions of Kentucky. He
| is building up a flock of sheep by
crossing the natives with rams of the
best breeds of sheep. He also has
fine saddle stallion, one of the best
he could get, and is now raising his
own horses. 1t is what all southern
farmers should do. There has been,
suppose, hundreds of horses and
mules brought into Chipley this sea-
son to supply the needs of this Sec
ton, which means many thousands of
dollars that go to fill the pockets of
farmers north of us. Every dollar Of
that money ought to be kept at home.
A few good stations and jacks would
be a paying investment here in more
ways that one. Mr.. Gaitskill is a
grand old man, and is doing good
work as a leader among farmers. 1t
| Is pity that there are not thousand
such men in our state. The more the
better spent two nights with him.
He has an ideal home. His good wife
presides with the grace of a true Ken
lucky lady. The house is spotless and
garnished, and she makes the home
bright and happy for all who are so
fortunate as to partake of their hospi-
tally. Mr. Gaitskill has recently sold
large amount of hickory and oak
timber on the stump, shipped out of
the state, to be returned to us later
on as a finished product in wagons
and buggies, and we lose the profits
the manufacturer gets, besides paying
the freight both ways. How short
sighted our people are to allow such
a waste to go on. Our state has been
blessed with plenty of raw material,
and no effort is made to manufacture
it at home We simply make the 9TH
er fellow rich at our expense. 1t is
a shame that in this cotton country
there is not a single cotton mill in the
state. The saw mill and the cotton
gin seem the height of our ambition
With factories in our cities there
would be plenty for all, better prices
for products. money would circulate,