The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-12-18
BACK TO THE LAND MOVEMENT

land movement"
Through it we may gradually dis
Germ the fact that the war in Eu
rope is going to prove to us "bles
sing in Disguise
Things are not so bad now as they
were Immediately and for a long time
after our great freeze"
/ The writer of these lines at thai
time travelled from Orange Lake tt
the Manatee river and he witnessed
a scene of desolation. Every tropi
cal and semi-tropical tree and plant
was killed
In this immediate vicinity where the
orange industry had it's birth, and
where there were numerous wilG
groves, not tree was left standing
and one bank failure followed quick
ly upon another, and the bottom drop
ped completely out of property values
The distress was appalling.
But our people did not lose hope
nor courage, but turning their atten.
ton to other things they made the
best of their opportunities, and in
a little while, so to speak, the earth
was re-carpeted with grass, and the
woods were re-laden with the fra.
GRANGE of flowers.
Marion county begun the stock
growing movement; it begun the
movement for the planting of water
! melons and cantaloupes and kindred
stuff; it started the great naval stores
movement and in little while prop
erty values were greater than before
our big disaster.
/ So again there is another "back to
the land movement" but this time it
is in the planting of more staple
crops.
The Clark-Ray-Johnson company,
we are told are clearing a thousand
acres of their "cut over land" and are
preparing to plant the same to staple
crops such as corn and oats and po-
tatoes.
We are told that these gentlemen
are doing this principally to furnish
employment for their laborers and
stock, and incidentally if the war con-
tinues they may make more than if
engaged in either turpentine or lum-
Der.
Along this same line a Dunnellon
correspondent of the special Christ
mas edition of the Tampa Tribune
says:
"The greatest undevoloped field
for commercial returns lies in
the possibilities of farming. One
year ago there was no farming done
here. The citizens, realizing what
other sections were doing, determined
to experiment and find out just what
could be done with this land that lay
in such vast idle expanses. They de-
cided to try about four hundred acres.
apportioning it among themselves,
some planting melons, other beans,
other cantaloupes or cucumbers. The
results were very gratifying. Despite
a dry season, every crop was a grand
success, even exceeding all expecta-
lions. AS result, Notwithstanding
the low financial ebb of the country
at large, over a thousand acres of
new land has already been cleared
for next season, and there will be
a great deal more cleared before
planting time. Our citizens are 60
ing to have the aid of the Marketing
Bureau in disposing of the crops. The
people generally are interested, as
lshown by the number who are clear
ing.
"Jno. d. Robertson, mayor of Ocala,
/, is fencing in 1000 acres, all for cul-
tivation. He has cleared already 800
acres, and will plant melons and
, other like crops. J. T. Rawls will
add 100 acres to his 125 acres already
cleared. Mr.. Rawls will raise melons,
cantaloupes, beans, peanuts, chufas,
peas, and will raise stock in connec-
ton. E. F. Beall will cultivate forty
acres in melons. j. S. Williams will
cultivate thirty acres, beans, melons,
cueumbers, etc. w. ]. Waters, who
has his farm already begun, will clear
and plant 1000 acres. Mr. Waters
will truck farm and will raise stock.
Bermuda onions, which were only
experimental with last year, are to
receive considerable attention the
coming season. F. M. Sanders will
plant six acres and E. F. Bargaineer
TWill plant nearly two acres. It takes
10000 plants to the acre, and with
everything favorable. a yield of 1000
bushels per acre can be made. Allick
lnglis is planting 125 acres. 100 in
corn and peanuts and twenty-five in