The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-06-08
BY ALEX McRAE.

| BY ALEX McRAE.
The F1orala section including Lock
hart Alabama, is comprised of the
southern half of Covington county.
Alabama, certain sections Of Geneva
AND Coffee counties and Walton county.
Florida. This is the most rapidly grow
ing section OF Alabama and West
Florida, as is indicated by the 1910
u. S. census. wherein 1t is shown that
Covington county led all the other
counties in the state in the percentage
| of increase in population, which for
said county was 1898 per cent This
marvellous increase occurred mainly in
the southern part Of the county and
Is stin going on as the cut-over lands
are being rapidly taken up by the
influx OF farmers from adjoining coun-
ties and from other states
Florala is the trading center OF this
rich agricultural. manufacturing and
timber section, and is manifestlv be-
coming the big metropolis OF the mid
ole west wire grass" section. The
farming interests of this part of Ala
banla are varied. The farmers from
the counties farther north Of us, buv
the cut-over lands in tracts Of from
forty to one hundred and sixty acres
winch may be obtained for very rea o.
sonabie prices on the most ADVANTAGE
Gus terms, including frequently even
the erection Of houses and barns They
then break the land not waiting To
stump 1t, and plant either general field
crops or truck. Almost any kind OF II
crop does well, and the soil is rapidly
built up by intelligent farming. and the
Planting Of the greatest soil renovator
the velvet bean. II does remarkably
well here and is generally used i'm ro-
tation. The seasons are more regular
ana sufficient here than anywhere else
in Alabama.
In addition to all the field crops
grown in Alabama, the trucking pos
sloInties are unsurpassed The soil
and climate also seems particularly
adapted to horticulture, such as the
growing Of peaches, various berries,
figs, pomegranate, plums, etc, but per
haps the most important and rapidly
developing horticultural Industry is The
growing Of pecan trees in the extensive
nurseries of the Florida Nursery d
Trading Company which has its head
quarters in Florala. This concern has
upon seeding stock grated 100000
sCions from bearing trees IT. has
planted nuts enough to make one halt
million pecan seedlings to be grated
in the winter Of 1854 The pecan
does splendidly here and there is al
ready large acreage planted in south
Covfngton. Grated trees have often
been known here, to bear nuts the sec
ond year, after being set in orchards.
Some Of the first trees planted here,
ten to eighteen years ago, are bearing
from 35 to $50 pounds each,
l have seen quite a number of seed
ings bearing at from Ave to seven
years after planting of nuts. Never
IN all my experience and observation
have elsewhere seen pecan trees bear
as young or as regularly as here.
nave yet to see a pecan tree in this
section that failed to bear fair crops
OF nuts, and Of no other section Of the
pecan belt, which is all the coast coun-
try, can this be said.
Last year the Central Of GEORGIA
Railroad established between Florala
and Lockhart one Of their test farms.
1t was a very unfavora Bile
year for farming, we (your correspond
INT being manager) made seven and r
1af bales OF cotton on ten acres Of
and. When the land was good, sixty
bushels OF corn per acre was made,
IND hne crops of peanuts, COW peas
10Y beans, sweet potatoes, sugar cane
'ame off, cover crops were planted.
'uch as Netch, Burr Glover, rye and
10 IS. They also grew splendidIyI, and
Ifter grazing them with hogs and cat
lie, they will all be turned under ex-
:ept the oats, which will be cut for
lay and then followed with COW meas
outhern farm crops will be planted
gain this year
The value of these lands are being
recognized more and more. This ID
he country, par excellence, for the
mall farmer. II is rapidly becoming
he richest agricultural section OF the
tate. do not know the various land
nd lumber manufacturing com panies,
ut It Is large. The lands bring from
$50 to $1,000 per acre. depending
mainly upon the proximity TO town
nd railroads.
The Central OF Georgia and I. r. ~
ailroads afford communication with
Iontgomery, Penss cola, Mobile West
florida and all Georgia points. Many
respective farmers come here and find
m ploynent with the great lumber
ompanies doing business in this sec
ion.
The Lakeview Poultry Farm. located
[ LoclShart Ala, ls no doubt the big
est Of its kind in the state and prob
bly, the largest in the South. Moth
lg but the highest class Of thorough
red chickens are raised, Is acres are
squired for the chickens and White
ldian Runner DUCKS. The incubators
ave a capacity Of 1000 eggs. this
ANY chickens have been Matched at
ne time on several occasions. Two
lousand laying hens do the egg bust
ess at this place. No pit chickens
re raised at Lakeview out there is a
ife guess that there arc more Of these
oble and beautiful birds raised in and
round F1orala than any other place
the state.