The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-06-11
FARMING PROSPECTS
WERE NEVER FAIRER

season of the year.
DIR. j. G.. Boozer, who takes such a
keen interest in farming and stock
so much towards helping the people
engaged in them, recently made a
trip all over the county, stopping at
different places to examine the
crops, the stock and fruit and talk
with his friends the farmers. The
doctor says that he has never seen
such fine crop Of many of the diff
ferent products nor such a large
acreage under cultivation. 4
The season has been ideal almost
from the first of January and only
for short spaces of time has there
been too much or two little rain and
the crops have thrived. What
pleases DR.. Boozer most is that staple
crops predominant and in the raising
OF these crops, and plenty of them is
the salvation of the county
Many new settlers were seen, peo-
pie who have only this season be-
come tillers of the soil and got their
crops in and growing The increased
acreage from this source is very con-
siderable, and many of the old resi-
dents have added to their cultivated
acreage either by new lands or re-
claiming those long idle
While The melon, cantaloupe and
ayoy,e- I,ar-o T,oou boIou axra,s
age in acreage the yield has been
4,air and in the case of the melons
has been good, the fruit especially
aine and many farmers viii reap
large sums from this source. Beans
brought good money to few and a
little to a great many; the canta-
loupe crop, while very short, was of
fine flavor and brought good prices,
The doctor does not count much on
these crops, though, for staples are
his long suit.
The doctor said: THE crops never
have looked as promising to me. The
corn crop will be the best in many
years, if not the best the county has
ever known. Huge fields of luxuriant
green corn in many places higher
than / could reach and the stalks
filled with abundant ears, makes one
feel like the county. is coming into its
own. The good condition of corn,
large fields and unusually fine, ex-
lists in all parts of the county, and
many farmers who have been buy
ing corn the last of the season for a
number of years will have corn to
sell this season, besides plenty to
fatten more hogs than usual.
THE same condition applies to
peanuts; the acreage is probably the
largest planted for years, and the
season has ben a perfect one for this
valuable Florida crop-valuable as
a money bringer direct and the great
est hog producer ever known. .
DR.. Boozer was especially pleased
with the great pinder crop and says
it is worth mint of money to the
county.
Velvet beans have been planted in
large acreages and the vines are
looking we'll This great forage crop
and cash producer combined will
bring in thousands of dollars to the
farmers of the county, besides ena-
bling them to fatten their stock.
AS to sweet potatoes, the same
condition prevails and sugar-cane a
close second. Everywhere he went
the doctor saw good cane patches,
one of the best crops one can plant
in this county in a small acreage and
every farmer should have cane plant
ed on the place The cane was look
ing fine and the sweet potato patches
were starting off we'll Many farm
ers are just planting this crop with
conditions for the planting perfect.
The tomato crop of Marion coun-
ty is something to be proud of this
year. To give one an idea of its
magnitude, the Anthony section alone
had over 600 acres and the crop has
been generously scattered all over
the county. The prices have been
good and the crop will bring to the
county great deal of money DIR
Boozer says if the surplus of this
crop could be canned it would bring
a fortune to the county and he can
not urge too strongly upon the peo-
pie of the county the need of home
canning plants, and says the boy and
girl canning clubs are forerunners
of a great business in the canning
line in the county.
Best Of all, possibly, the doctor
noticed in every barnyard and about
every place throughout the county a
fine lot of hogs, cows and poultry
Not only had the quantity increased
and the farmers and their wives
seem to appreciate their value more