The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-04-25
A VISIT TO MARION FARMS

Through the courtesy of DR.. S. Fl.
Bitch. state prison physician, and in
company with Miss Legie Blitch Mr.
r. r.. Carroll, editor of the Star, and
Mir. j. D. Rooney, secretary TO the
Ocala board of trade, the writer had
the pleasure of visiting the Marion
Farms Friday
What we saw was not only reve-
lation, but was an Inspiration. We
do not believe that it IS possible for
an experimental farm to teach more
efficacious, practical and thoroughly
helpful lesson than do the Marion
Farms, under the present manage
ment
We would be glad if every farmer
in the county could visit it, and espe-
cially so if Captain Puryis had the
time to go over it and show its work
ing details as he showed them to US.
We felt like we had been given les
son in real farming.
We found Captain Purvis in the
workshop, engaged in making hoe
handles, and as he was not on dress
parade. we were perfectly aware'that
he was not anticipating company. and
that our visit was an entirely unex-
pected one He showed US that near
ly every implement used on the farm
bore the stamp of the Marion Farms
brand, and was manufactured on the
farm All the hoe-handles, axe-han-
dies. rake-handles, pillow stocks,
horse-shoes, wagons and carts, al
most from start to finish, are the
handiwork of the prisoners. But the
lesson of utility does not stop there.
Everything not needed for the time
being is carefully stored away in its
proper place. labeled, and when need
ed is quickly found.
From the wood and blacksmith shop
We were taken to the saw mill. Cap
tain Purvis bought an abandoned en-
CINE and boiler and rugged up an ex-
cellent plant, which is now capable OF
saving 5000 feet of lumber per day,
if so much is needed. Besides saving
the lumber he saws crate material,
material for farm implements, wood,
he 10
always in demand.
Captain Purvis has also rugged up
d nice little electric plant, which has
enough to light the prison
house and grounds. This he finds
much cheaper and entirely more con-
venient than fooling around with
lamps or other artificial lights.
The dynamo was fixed up by one of
the prison officials, who was gradual
ed from one of the Boston electrical
schools.
We were next shown the syrup and
sugar making plant. The same care
is used in manufacturing the cane
juice that is shown along other lines.
Last season Captain Purvis manufac-
-ured twenty-six hundred gallons of
syrup and has a large quantity of it
still on hand, and it is fed to the pris-
0ners, much to their relish and enjoy
ment. He mixes the Florida cane
syrup with the Japanese cane syrup,
and the combination he finds makes
a better article. and the mixture pre-
vents crystalization.
We were next shown the corn. hay
and fodder Captain PurvIs shows
the same ingenuity and forethought
here as in other departments of the
farm. He has devised method of
saving hay, especially peavine hay. in
rainy weather. He takes a pole, nails
pieces of board crossways upon it,
and piles the hay thereon. The air
circulates through it, the water drips
from it, and is thus made fit for cur
ing. He takes the precaution to soak
all weevil-eaten corn (but little Of
which, however. is weevileaten) in
medium salt water. This swells and
fills the grains, moistens the ears and
prevents dust from getting into the
horses nostrils and thus irritating
them and producing coughs among
the animals. The horses relish corn
submitted to this process, and are as
fond of the shuck as of the corn it
self.
We found the several varieties OF
hay and fodder to be sound and
sweet, and the condition of the stock
which is fed on nothing else--shows
the same to be full of nutrition.
The horses, colts, mules, COWS and
hogs are of the best breeds, and Cap
tain Purvis finds that they do best by
crossing them with the native stock