The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-18
0CALA NEAR THE
RICHEST LAND In AMERICA

We take the following from the
current issue of the Manufacturers
Record:
In May, 1912, the writer visited a
land reclamation operation some 10
or Is miles from Ocala, Fla, where
the course of a river was being
Strengthened and 5000 acres of land
which ordinarily were under water
were being drained. The plan was an
attractive one, and even at that date
gave promise of remarkable success.
Land which had been under water
waist deep had even then been reclaim
ed in part and some of it Put under
cultivation. This development gave
promise of showing what could be
done in reclamation work. The sue
cess of this enterprise is now told in
letter to the Manufacturers Record
from Mr.. Edward A. Wright, editor
of the Florida Grower, who writes:
"Ocala, town of 5000 or 5000 pro-
gressive citizens, is very properly
termed the center of the agricultural
and stock-raising section of Florida.
"What is without doubt the richest
body of land under cultivation in
America is located about fifteen miles
southeast of Ocala, in the abandoned
river bed of the Oklawaha river. This
property is known as the Young &
Ford farm, personally owned by
Messrs. Young & Ford, and is for the
first time this year planted on large
scale to corn. An elbow in the course
of the river has made it possible for
this tract of land to be drained. A
canal has been cut from each point of
the elbow and the river course divert
ed into this canal. The old river
course now serves as drainage for
these lands, and the lateral bitches are
drained into the old river bed. A dixie
is formed at one end, and not only is
drainage obtained, but by the manipu-
lation of the dixie during dry weather
water can be placed back on the land
for irrigation purposes.
"The soil is simply the decayed
vegetation of centuries. 1t ranges
from 20 to 40 feet deep of solid muck.
When drained it is accessible for
cultivation with either mules and
plows or tractors, and it is sufficiently
porous to take off rainfall without dis
comfort or interference with the
crops.
"Last year from Az acres planted
to corn an average yield of ZAP bush
els of corn per acre was obtained
without the application of any ferti-
Ezer. This year 100 acres is solidly
planted to corn which averages over
the entire acreage better than 100
bushels to the acre, all without any
commercial fertilizer. 1t is sight to
behld! The cornstalks stand in almost
solid mass from IL to Is feet in
height, and the quality of the corn is
all that could be desired.
"Receding back from the vast
acreage of fertile soil the sand soil
with the yellow-pine growth gradually
occurs. 1t is the purpose of the pro-
moters to engage in the livestock
industry extensively, and the higher
lands adjoining afford excellent pas
turage and the corn taken from this
land will, of course, be fed to the
hogs and cattle that will be raised
thereon. The famous cornfelds of Il
linois and Iowa, about which the
American farmer has heard for a
generation, fade into insifnifcance as
compared to the wonderful production
of such land as is to be had N the
river bed of the Oklawaha river.
'The Young & Ford farm is the
first commercial drainage project
which has been carried through to a
successful conclusion in this river bed.
There are thousands of acres of just
as good land for a distance of Is to
20 miles south of this farm and con-
| tanned in this same river bed, which
| reuqire only the necessary amount ex-
pended to accomplish adequate drain
age. Investors in this part of Florida
| are just coming to a full realization
| of the possibilities of these rich lands,
and in comparatively short space of
time the Oklawaha river bed from
Silver Springs to Leesburg, in Lake
county, will be veritable gold mine
producing staple crops is almost un-
believable quantities per acre."
With 100 acres in a solid body
/ yielding an average of more than 10C
bushels to the acre, Iowa and other
western states will have to admit that