The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-01-20
FARMING IN FLORIDA
PAYS HANDSOMELY

1t is a noticeable fact that man,
of the farmers of the northwest VIII,
come to Florida on prospectin!
tour begin at once to compare th
soil of Florida with that of thei
own locality, entirely from tn,
standpoint of it's profitable yield o
wheat. They look at the Florid;
sand and then think of the blacl
loan of their northern farms an(
shake their heads in a doubtful man
ner as to the prospects of gaining q
living from that kind of soil. They
fail to realize that Florida puts forth
no claims as competitor of Mime.
sofa, Iowa and the Dakotas as a
wheat producing State. But they
also fail to realize that an acre of
Florida sandy soil, plus the balmy
climate of Florida, plus the proper
fertilizer, will often produce as
much net cash as 25 or even 80
acres of wheat land. Twenty-Five
bushels of wheat to the acre is big
average yield. This amount of grain
sells at from 65 to Is cents per bush
ell after it is hauled to the local mar
ket. In other words, it is good
land, a good crop and stiff prices
that brings back $17. SO to $40 per
acre, gross. Three or four good or
ange trees will often yield this
amount of money value and plenty
of grapefruit trees bring that
amount from Single tree.
1t is therefore obvious that to
make any intelligent comparison be-
tween the products of the two local
tiles, all these well known facts
should be taken into consideration
OF course there are chances to take
on the orange crop. Some years the
yield is poor and sometimes the
prizes are poorer, but there are also
many chances to take on the wheat
crop, or corn crop or a hay crop.
In quite large section of South Da-
kota the past year the drouth was
so prolonged that the wheat crop
scarcely paid for the seed and the
labor, without any profit to the land
owner who rents out his land on the
shares. This is not written to dis
parase in any way the magnificent
farming sections of the great north
west, which have for years furnished
the world with well filled bread bas-
kets, and will continue to do so to
the profit of those who cultivate.
The statement is made simply to in
sist that in making comparisons, all
the facts should be taken into CON
sideration. If man wishes to
raise wheat and western cattle, and
enjoys the cold climate he should
not come to Florida. But, as often
happens, he for any reason desires
to live in warmer climate and he
wishes to look over the opportuni-
ties in Florida for making a living
at farming or fruit culture, he
should bear all these details in his
mind. To simply generalize with
one eye shut and one ear closed. is
not to know the facts or arrive at
any correct conclusions. Without
question, the same brains, industry
and capital worked out in Florida
will bring as much net cash returns
rs it will in any other locality.
The best g rain at the highest
price does not come without the
most careful and intelligent labor.
The finest of New York apples are
not produced in any easy haphazard
manner. The high grade of long
staple cotton will not grow promis-
,uously on thin soil poorly cultivat-
I'd. Neither will profitable fruit and
vegetable crops grow on Florida
sand unless they are given careful
But that under right
there is as much cash re
urn in Florida farming as there is
with the same effort expended else
where, is very easily demonstrated
% any thinking person Orlando
Sentinel.