The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-10-13
FLORIDA IS FORGING
FAST TO THE front
Col. Murphy Writes Of it's
Remarkable Land De,
velopment.
Agriculture anl Cattle Raising Pro-
gfess-Tourists Being Converted
Into Permanent Settlers.


gress-Tourists Being Converted
Into Permanent Settlers.
James R. Murphy, President of the
Florida Farm and Homes, Inc, has
returned to the city after a three
months vacation in the mountains of
New York state. While enjoying the
baths and the waters of Saratoga
Springs and the fishing in the Adj
rondacks and other lakes and steams
he has not forgotten to say good
word for Florida and to tell of it's ad-
vantages and it's substantial growth.
In the September number of the
Real Estate Bulletin, the leading real
estate journal of the country, is a
very interesting article on Florida
under the caption, "How Florida is
Forging Ahead" His vacation over
Mr.. Murphy is now actively engaged
in the good work of keeping Florida
to the front. He left on Wednes-
day for Orangeburg, S. G., to attend
the live stock conference and exposi-
ton at that place, and to use his eff
forts to secure such an event for
Palatka during the Farmers Union
Convention, Nov. 21-24.
The article on Florida in the Real
Estate Bulletin is as follows:
Florida is the greatest land of OPP
portunity in the United States to-day
for the man of industry and initia-
tive. With 35,000,000 acres of land,
only about two per cent. of which is
cultivated, and with a population of
about 100000, it offers a great field
of cheap land for the farmer and
home-seeker.
The average man looks upon Flori-
da as a vast wilderness of low lands
and swamps, with no other indus
tries than lumber, turpentine and
orange groves. Yet this year it is
estimated that the corn crop of
Florida will exceed by more than a
million dollars the value of the or
ange and grapefruit yield.
This is indicative of the trend of
development in Florida. For many
years the land development compa-
MES have been selling their land in
ten-acro plots and tens of thousands
of investors all over the United
States have purchased these small
tracts.
In our own development in Putnam
and Marion counties more than 5000
such tracts have been sold and most
of these buyers are anxiously await
ing the day when they can come to
Florida and take up their residence
there. These people will not be long
in the state when they will want to
buy more land to extend their farm
ing operations along the line of gen
eral farming and stock raising.
In this connection I want to say
that 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 demands that the ne
cessities of the European war have
made upon the live stock industry ot
the world knows that the production
of beef and pork offers most in
viting field for profitable investment
Florida with its mild winters. its
natural pasturage all the year round
it's abundance of good water, and its
growing season of from 300 to 36t
DAYS 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-,
paring to fence their land and raise
live stock or lease the pastures
These interests that for so long look
ed upon land as merely by-product
have been awakened to the fact that
their land is now valuable asset OF
serious liability according to the
use to which they put it.
The progress of the state is sc
rapid that thew cannot let it lie idle
any longer. With S12,00O,000 worth
of bonds floated in the last year fol-
GOOD roads, principal and interest or
which must be met, with many more
millions of dollars going into new
school houses. and other PUBIC
buildings. the man who owns large
tracts of land must turn it to profita
bic use or lose it.
Recognizing this fact the lumber
and turpentine interests have com
hired under the name of the Cattle
Tick Eradication Committee .of th'
southern Settlement and Develop
mert Organization, and have assess
Cd themselves on an acreage basis t.
raise fund of 100000 a wear to car
nv on campaign of education {
arouse public opinion to the necessl
tv of passing laws to rid the state o
the cattle tick, an insect somethin!
like the sheen tick, that sucks tn
life blood of the cattle and keeps
stunted This campaign is being. 81
vigorously conducted that already i'm
mense ranches are being fenced il
and improved stock is being brough
into the state.
Near Palatka a local lumber com
| - ao,,,b;rod with western caDit2