The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-11-08
Florida Is Showing
Much Development


New York City, by James R. Murphy
of Palatka, president Of Florida Farms
and Homes, Inc. The Bulletin is per-
haps the most influential publication
of it's character in the country, and
anything which appears in it's columns
has great weight with the leading real
estate men of the country. In part,
Mr.. Murphey's article was as follows:
Florida is the greatest land of op-
portunity in the United States today
for the man of industry and initiative.
35,000,000 acres of land, only about 2
per cent of which is cultivated, and
with population of about 100000. 1t
offers a great field of cheap land for
the farmer and homeseeker.
"The average man looks upon Flor
ida as a vast wilderness of lowlands
and swamps, with no other industries
than lumber turpentine and orange
groves. Yet this year it is estimated
that the corn crop of Florida will ex-
coed by more than a million dollars
the value of the orange and grapefruit
yield
in the next few years Florida will
be recognized as one of the greatest
live stock states in the Union Any
one who has kept up with the trend of
events and knows the tremendous de-
mand that the necessities of the Euro
pean war have made upon the live
stock industry of the world knows
that the production of beef and pork
Offers most inviting field for profit
able investment.
Florida with its mild winters, its
natural pasturages all the year round
its abundance of good water, and its
growing season of from 300 to 365
days a year, possesses advantages for
live stock raising that no other state
can equal.
''The lumber and turpentine inter.
ests and other large land owning con.
Germs recognize this fact and are pre-.
pairing to fence their land and raise
live stock or lease their pastures
These interests that for so long looked
upon land as merely a product have
been awakened according to the uses
to which they put it.
Near Palatka a local lumber com
pany, combined with western capital
has fenced in 100000 acres of land on
which they have 5000 head of cattle
They have 5000 acres in corn and
velvet beans on which they will fatten
their cattle for market. Aside from
this they depend entirely upon natural
pasture for about nine months out of
the year to keep the cattle No chel
ter lis needed, owing to the mild win.
tiers.
The Armour Company of Chicago
recognize the trend of events in Flor
ida and are now building at Jackson
vile big packing plant with capacity
of $4,000 hogs a week and from 300
to 500 head of cattle and like mum.
Der of sheep.
The tourist business is a splendid
tonic in promoting the growth of the
state, but it is the army of newcom-
ers that settle on the farms every
year that supply the bone and sinew
for this growth. This army of home.
seekers is increasing every year and
will show a remarkable increase in
the next few years because of the
widespread cooperative movement in
Florida to advertise the states advan.
tages and to develop it's resources.
"a notable movement along these
lines is the Florida First advertising
campaign, in which many of the cities
are participating through Their boards
of trade and other local organizations
Funds are raised by assessing levy
OF ten cents per capita. of each com
munity contributing and the little
towns get the same benefit from the
advertising as the large cities.
Last but not least j want to say q
word about the newspapers of Flori
da. doubt if any state in the Union
has such progressive, public-spirited
\ body of newspaper men. They give
their columns freely to any movement
for the good of their state. Their
splendid talents and energies are con
tributed largely to build up the states
resources on broad. constructive lines
No body of men in the country do Sc
much for their state as the press OF
Florida. Broad minded liberal mer
that they are. they never hesitate to
sacrifice their own interests when II
is for the good of the community. With
such forces at work, Florida is bound
10 forgo m y1;dIxx