The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-09-13
ORANGE MILLS
POTATO GROWER
Gives Valuable Information
About Famous Potato
Belt.

Mr.. ]. II, Millican of Orange Mills, in
letter 10 P. ]. Bccks of this city, re-
Gently gave his experience with potato
growing and other farming on the lands
al East Palatka and Orange Mills, as fol.
lows:
Dear Sir-AS per your request | am
making statement of my potato crop oi
1912 for you In the first place | will
say that the Orange Mills and East Pa.
latka section is located on the East side
of the ST. Johns River in the Southern
part of what is known as the Potato
Belt, and the Western and Southern
edge of this Potato Belt runs up within
two miles of Palatka, city of 1000
huStling people, the county seat of Put
nam county, and has good schools, ex-
tenSive manufacturing interests, is an
excellent railroad center with five lines
OF railroads and deep water at the door,
giving il the very best freight rates and
good passenger rates for its citizens.
The main crop is Irish potatoes, no
better grade being raised in any other
part of the United States. Irish potatoes
are one of the safest crops grown in
Florida. The reason for this is that the
potatoes come into market early and are
used universally, and the demand is in
.crcaSing more rapidly than the supply.
| he yield OF Irish potatoes is from 40 TO
90 barrels per acre, though some plan
tcrS obtain around 20 barrels, while
others who use Tile drainage and irriga-
ton have harvested as high as 120 bar
rcIS TO the acre. The most of the grow
crS in this section sell their potatoes F.
ni inf hn Cta
am giving you is made from my 1912
crop grown on so acres of land, On
Lhis 50 acres first distributed AZ tons of
fertilizer, which cost me $1.457. also
used 23O sacks OF seed potatoes which
cost me S632.5O. My labor for cutiva.
lion and harvesting this crop as near as
can get al ii, cost me 81 ,OSO my barrels
cost me $S37.1O making a total of ST.
OO6.6O. had yield from this 50 acres
of 2,7O0 barrels or 81 barrels per acre,
which sold f. o. B. cars at $l00, Civ
ing me $lO,SOO for the crop, or a net
profit after paying all expenses from the
80 acres OF potatoes grown OF S6,793.4O,
giving me net per acre from this land
for the potato crop alone of $135.S6, and
have at this time a beautiful crop on
same ground. Will say further in re-
gard TO this potato growing that ii is
very necessary TO get hold of the best
land that you can find. feel sure that
the land am growing potatoes on is as
good as you will find in the State. This
is what is known as the low or level
land, which is underIaid with clay at
depth of about two feet. 1t is located
in what is known as the flowing we'll
belt, the wells flowing continually after
being put down. These wells can be
had at depth of about $50 feet and cost
about $175.
This section will grow corn after the
potatoes, giving 4 yield of about 40
bushels per acre, which can be grown
safely after the potato crop, or in fact,
will state that anything that grows in
Florida can be grown successfully on
these farms. There are hundreds OF
acres of such land yet unclcared in this
locality, which can be had from $50 TO
$50 per acre, according 10 location, etc.
Yours truly,
|. III. MILLlCAN.