The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-25
Sc Our fLIEH)a SOIL:
1nage II by What 1t Does, ana Not BY
What Eather Knoekers or
Boosters Say About Ii
(Dixie)

There Is not the least danger that
the value of Florida land is going to
be affected by rumors. by speeches on
the floor of the House of Representa-
tives in Congress. by Quarrels among
subordinates in one OF the numerous
bureaus in Washington. or by investi-
cations held by congressional commits
tees or by scare head lines in western
newspapers, comforting the truth
when stun can be raised on this same
FLORIDA land like they raise in Man
atee county and people go down there
to see it.
] was down there not long ago and
saw celery, lettuce and potatoes in the
fields. and tomatoes being planted
From the car windows this land looks
tropical jungle, but when cleared and
bigger than any other land anywhere
spots in Florida.
Celery raised on this land has
brought this season $3.50 per crate,
running from $500 to $1,000 per car.
Lettuce has brought from $500 to 5000
a ear. and the yield in potatoes prom
ises big at top prices, and the prospect
for good crop of tomatoes is fine.
1t costs no more than sixty cents per
crate to raise this celery that is now
selling for $3.50. One acre Of this
Florida land will yield from 5000 to
81, 400 per acre in profit, the variation
being due to weather conditions and
care and cultivation. Two crops per
year can be made on each acre.
Now IL anybody thinks that any
thing that comes out In Congress or
anywhere else is going to affect the
Epriees OF Florida land among those
who come to see it let him go most
anywhere in Florida and try to buy
some.
/ I was down In the Manafee section
just about two years ago and when
there was offered a tract OF land
containing one hundred and ninety
five acres at $50 an acre. My friend.
Jack Lamb. who is now running for
sheriff of Manatee county, was the
man who made the offer, Suggesting
that I come down there and go in with
him to handle this land at this price
and share in the profits above it.
did not go, but when went back there
again last week Jack told me that he
had sold one hundred acres of that
same land for 500 an acre and had
not set any price on the other ninety
five acres.
About month before this I was
passing through the northern part OF
Dade county. Across the main street
| of the village of Dania was suspended
a canvas banner bearing this legend
f"7o5 carloads Of truck shipped from
this point last season, which brought
to the farmers who raised 1t 100000
| Now Dania is a very small place
but this is a very big record and there
are lots of places along the east coast
shipping just about as much.
These two examples Of what Flor.
ida land will do gathered by persona
observation on the east coast and the
west coast must not be considered a:
Istrange or unusual Coming up from
Manatee last week, a man got on tn,
train at Ocala and told me that tn,
lcabbage crop and the melon crop O
Marion county promised big and tina
1they expected to get $1,000 an acre ou
of each of them. Everybody know
THAT Sanford gets rich on celery ant
lettuce, Gainesville thrives on cab
lbages. Hastings has grown into cit!
lon Irish potatoes, Starke and Lake
land have waxed and grown fat OF
Strawberries, Quincy has been turned
Into a commercial center on Tobacco
land that Baker county land, whicl
fused to be considered rather poor, i
lnow producing along with the best ii
1.-The other counties.
Oh, no! Florida land cannot be hur
lby rumors when the actual demonstra
tion OF those who come to see in ev
Iery county in the state, from Escam
bia to Dade, shows top prices 70
iadapted crops carefully cultivated.