The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-23
FREE MEN OF
THE TRUCK FARMS.

THE TRUCK FARMS.
Some time ago the editor of The
News had a letter from a gentleman
who wanted advice on the matter OF
occupation. He wrote that he was
al years old and had worked like a
yellow dog for twenty-five years, ana
i, that time had helped several man
to get rich. But now," said he, u
find myself with a family, living in
rented house, with bank account OF
but little more than $500 and a job
that pays enough to keep the wo't
from the door and no more. What
would you do if you was in my shoes
My health is good"
Don't know No man can say WlEh
certainty what ne would do standing
in another mans shoes. But Al isn't
old-not so old but that man who
finds himself steering wrong course
can change it.
Why don't more of these men who
hold Jobs that have no futures Try
farming, or truck gardening? The
farms are not crowded. There is a
market for the things that the far'l-
ers and gardners grow. There is
still unlimited wealth in the soil and
millions of acres of productive land to
be had at small cost.
True, the life of the pioneer farm
er to be successful, means work and
hong hours and achy backs and bliS-
tered hands. 1t means an end to the
ater-going and dancing parties and
a lot of expensive gimcracks that
cost money and don't amount to much
The willing man can do well in rails
ing truck right here in the environs
of pretty Palatka, and besides, have
the advantage of living in one of the
most even, healthful climates the sun
shines on, and where there is suffi-
cient amusement and society to sup
ply the longing of any reasonable So
cial nature. Here one can live in the
open every day in the year and en-
JOY life as the God of nature intended
man should enjoy it.
Truck farming is profitable. So is
general farming. Just across the St.
Johns river from Palatka there is a
large stretch of country devoted pri-
marily to the growing of Irish pota-
toes. These potato farms stretch all
the way from the river east to with
in few miles of St. Augustine.
Thousands of car loads of potatoes
were forwarded from this section dur
ing the past spring and those who
preferred sold their potatoes at the
depot all the way from So to $3.50 the
barrel. They made a great deal of
money. Most of these farmers now
have fine fields of corn on the same
land from which they harvested the
potato crops. Corn is also cash.
There is little danger of either the
potato or corn market being glutted.
Palatka is a city of some $500 in
habitants, and its people are as hap
py and prosperous as in any similar
sized city in the world. The city has
all the leading denominationa'
churches and good schools. 1t has
everything that other communities
have except paupers, and many things
that others have not. There are nu-
merous other small towns in the coun-
ty.
But I couldn't live in a small
place says one man.
Then don't complain of your lot
The large cities live on the life-blood
of humanity. They grind and op.
press and stife, and sometimes de.
moralize. Some day, if we mistake
not, the flood tide of this draining Of
the farms to populate cities will have
been reached and then will come ar
era Of saner living.
Today the Independent man is no'
the millionaire, not the manufacturer
not the individual who is working fol
a weekly stipend, but the man whc
grows the things that the worl,
must have in order to live.
If he owns the land he has wealtI
and no yoke can rest long on hi!
shoulders. He is free, his own man
drawing the fullest benefits from hi
own labor