The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-10-26
FRIEND OF FLORIDA


sonal acquaintance of its editor with
this state, that great trade journal,
the Manufacturers Record, has be-
come a. special friend of Florida.
Every issue of the magazine, which is
a steady but conservative booster for
all worthy development, contains
more or less interesting information
about the state, which is policy
that does US lot of good. Knowing
it's high reputation, people who are
inclined to be suspicious of "boost-
ing" in many other publications, al
ways pay attention to what they see
in the Manufacturers Record.
In the issue of Oct. 81, we find a
page and half devoted to an article
entitled "Peninsular and Sub-Penin-
sular Air and Climates, with Special
Reference to Florida"
1t is made up of extracts from a
paper read by DR.. Van Bibber, not
ed physician, before the American
Medical Association in 1885. Even
thirty. years ago, the advantages of
our state were so apparent that this
article, in the light of subsequent
events, reads today like prophecy. In
another place is two-thirds of page
on the harbor development of Miami,
and finally letter by VIM. T. Kuhn
of Houston, Tex, on Florida climate,
which is as follows:
"The two articles dealing with eli
NAUTICAL and other advantages of
Florida, which appear in the Manu-
facturers' Record of October z, have
been of considerable interest to me
and no doubt to hundreds of other
natives of that state, and / take the
liberty of affirming that what is stat
ed therein is the truth, for as native
of the state / know something about
its climate and commercial advan-
tages. ! have been in California as
well as other western states, and I
know that the climate of Florida is
more congenial than that of Cali
fornia. The summer of Southern
California is one of extreme heat dur
ing the day; in fact, there are few
hotter places in the United States
than are to be found in Southern Cal
ifornia. / have been from coast to
coast, on the plains and into the
mountains, and have yet to find any
section of the country where the eli
mate, winter and summer, is as
equable as that of Florida. In Cali
fornia and also in other parts of the
Pacific coast country the winters are
made very disagreeable by excessive
rains, while in Florida the winter is
generally fairly dry, the rains COM
ing IN the spring and summer, when
they are most needed for the crops.
Florida has none of the dry, arid
country found in the west, and there
fore there are no expensive irriga-
ton systems to construct and MAIN
tain. On the other hand, there are
thousands of acres of partly inundat-
ed lands which by drainage can be
made the most productive lands in
the country, even more so than the
irrigated lands of the western states.
But there are hundreds of thousands
of acres which do not need drainage
or irrigation and only await the
scientific methods of cultivation which
are so essential to success. There is
plenty of room in Florida for develop
ment, both agriculturally and COM
mercially, and will be for some time
TO come. There is no state where
potatoes, corn, vegetables, sugar cane,
tobacco, citrus fruits, nuts and scores
of other products can be more sue
cessfullyi cultivated than in Florida,
and Florida products bring top-notch
prices IN the eastern markets, and
furthermore, are many hundreds of
miles nearer to those markets than
California and other Pacific states.
Florida is no longer a backward state,
but is rapidly coming to the front.
Roads are being improved, waterways
developed and improved, factories be-
ing built, and, in fact, everything is
being done that goes toward the bet
terment of the conditions of her citi-
zens in business, social and moral ac-
tivities."