The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-18
THE FARMERS
TRAIN PROVED
A BIG SUCCESS
ONE SENT OUT BY UNIVERSITY
or FLORIDA TRAVELLED FOUR
TEEN HUNDRED MILES, AND
141 ADDRESSES WERE DELIv.
Erred TO so,754 PEOPLE.
specIaI to The Journal.

OF fl0rl0a to operate FARMERS IN
stitute train. This work was under
taken in cooperation with various
railroads. The railroads furnished the
train and carried 1t over their roads
free Of charge, while the university
equipped the cars and provided for the
lecturers and demonstrators with the
train. It was run Independently of
any other schedule and so permitted
the work to be carried out to the best
advantage.
Equipment.
The train was composed of an en-
CINE and FIVE cars throughout the
81 eater portion of the route. Through
out the citrus region citrus car was
included. A baggage car was fitted
up with miscellaneous exhibit. The
greater portion of this car was taken
UP with an exhibit of forage crops and
corn. The forage exhibit consisted of
80 varieties, all raised in Florida. Six
of the kinds were legumes and sixteen
kinds We're different varieties of sor-
ghun. The corn exhibit was the first
ten prize winners from the boys and
girls corn clubs for 1910, the first
ten prize winners for 1911, and several
varieties of corn grown for seed in
Florida. Several varieties of correctly
named sweet potatoes, a large number
of materials used in compromising fer
tilizers were exhibited. Near the en-
trance door there was an exhibit of
dairy utensils such as would be need
ed for the home dairy. A portion Of
the car was given over to an exhibit
of work done at the university and
work done in the home economies de-
partment of the Florida State College
for Women. On the walls of the car
were numerous enlarged and smaller
photographs showing farm implements
at work and other activities connected
with the university.
Five attendants from the university
Were constantly with the train. and
at times it required as many as eight
attendants to give reasonably good
attention to the visitors.
A stock car was fitted up with pens
containing five breeds of thorough
bred hogs raised in Florida. Only
average stock was exhibited. such as
could be raised by every farmer who
would give these breeds fair atten-
ton. Two automobile cars were used
to display improved implements and
machinery for use in Florida. In one
car there was small gasoline engine
useful for farm purposes.
The citrus car exhibited various
sizes of oranges and grape fruit prop
erly packed in boxes. The proper
method of loading the fruit in cars to
avoid being damaged in transit was
explained by attendants. Another at
tendant in this car exhibited various
insects and diseases of citrus, giving
| instructions as to the best methods Of
controlling them.
A day coach was used regularly for
the accommodation of the attendants
and employees of the railroad. During
inclement days this was used as a lee
ture room. During a portion of the
trip Miss Harris, professor OF home
| economics in the woman's college. ac-
1 fed h. -, ,a,aar IL
| time the day coach was employed as
q lecture room for the women.
Itinerary.
The train was taken over by the At
lantic Coast Line railway at Gaines
vile on November 14th. From here it
was taken in a northeasterly direction
| to Nassau county: then southwark
| through Jacksonville and Sanford to
| Fort Myers, making stops at the vari-
GUS larger stations en- route. Then the
train was taken northward, stopping
at Tampa, st. Petersburg and various
other points on the Atlantic Coast
Line railway as far north as Live Oak.
At this point 1t was taken over by
| the Live Oak, Perry & Gulf railroad,
stopping at Mayo. Perry and other
| stations on that line, and returned to
Live Oak.
From Live Oak the train was trans
| ferred to River Junction by the Sea-
/ board Air Line railway without stop.
The Louisville & Nashville railway
| took the train from River Junction to
| Century, stopping at the more Inn
portant places along this line OF rail-
read. From Cantonment the train
was taken by the Southern States
Lumber Company road to Muskogee,
and at that point was taken by the
Pensacola, Alabama & Tennessee Rail-
road Company.
la- ~ NJ
On December 18th.
Results.
The train travelled over fourteen
| hundred miles, making seventy stops
en- route The average length OF stop
at each place was something over two
| hours. This was usually sufficient
| time to allow the visitors to examine
| the exhibits closely and to receive IN
| structions fro mthe attendants.
The average daily attendance was
1888, counting the days that the train
| was operated Twenty-eight counties
| were visited and in most or them more
| than one stop was made.
| A great amount of interest was man
| ifested by the people who lived at or
near the places where the train
stopped. In some places as high as
80 per cent Of the people living with
in five miles of the station attended.
A number of farmers came for twenty
/ miles or more, and in one case g Iarm-
er reported that he had come over
thirty miles to see the exhibits and
hear the lectures. At one station four
hundred people attended the train
through an incessant rain. As wholeI
the attendance on the train was at
least three times as large as had been
| aHticirated..
Nothing that has been done IN an
| agricultural line has aroused as much
| enthusiasm from the people along the
! lines of railroad the train travelled. II
was found impracticable TO give more
| time to this project or to take the
train over other lines Of railroad al
/ this time OF the year.
Many persons were disappointed IN
that the train did not stop at theiI
| station. This, however. was unavoid-
able. since it would have taken more
time than could possibly have beer
/ given this subject to have stopped al
| ali places where the people desired &c
see the train. It is hoped that it may
be possible to run similar train next
year and that we may be able to stop
| in nearly every county in the state
The large attendance on the train