The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-01-28
EMPIRE BUILDING CONCERN OPENS VAST ACREAGE TO FARMERS

few wire fences from where we
viewed the cattle we could see hun
dreds of acres of tall corn in a high
state of growth. It was in the roast
ing ear state when / saw it, and the
long ears were hanging out in such
abundance as to make ones mouth
literally "water" to gather in some
of it.
Rich Agricultural Lands.
Besides fields of corn we viewed
there great fields of field peas and
several large patches of sorghum,
sugar cane, velvet beans and other
crops such as are calculated to as
sist in feeding both stock and man.
To say that the lands around Munson
and throughout the northern part of
Santa Rosa county are rich and cas-
lily cultivated is putting it rather
lightly. They are considered by good
judges of land to be among the very
best agricultural lands in the entire
South. They are what might be
termed "sandy loan" lands with
red clay subsoiI underneath at
depth ranging from five to fifteen
inches. They are so level in many
places as to enable a whole planta-
ton to be cultivated in rows reach
ing from one side to the other. In
many places the farmers seem to
have view with each other in seeing
who could lay off the straightest
row across an entire plantation. The
fields of growing crops appear to be
SO level that they resemble great
green sea of water when viewed from
distance. 1t was my good fortune
also to view one of the company's
large orchards and vineyards. In one
80-acre field saw about so acres in
choice peach and pecan trees and
about 80 acres in concord sxapes.
While the vines and trees are yet
young they are in good conditions
and promise much for the future.
The company is also preparing to set
out field of spineless cactus. This
plant grows we'll in this part of the
country.
After driving over much of the
country west of Munson and seeing
many of the crops we went into the
town and partook of a sumptuous
dinner at the company hotel, where
many of the employees in the land and
logging department board. If the
dinner served to US was fair sam
pie of what the boarders get there
every day I will say that they are a
long way from starvation in these
parts. The long table was supplied
with many substantial dishes and
many delicacies as well. 1t kept one
waitress busy most of her time sup
plying our end of the table with hot
fried chicken, but she never appeared
to wane. 1t was a feast indeed.
800 Acres in One Field.
After dinner we went east along
the Old Spanish Trail for twelve
miles and then turned north for a
couple of miles to another of the
great plantations of the company.
This plantation of 800 acres is in
charge of Mr.. Gay and this is the
first year it has been cultivated. The
ground is raw new-ground, but the
absence of stumps adds much to the
appearance of the level fields and the
growing crops make the place appear
much as If it had been cultivated for
several years. The corn, velvet
beans, field peas, sugar cane, sor-
ghum, sweet potatoes, melons, etc.
looked almost like the crops in the
rich river bottom lands in some of
the states north of us. The scene
was one of such magnificence that
the camera was again brought into
service and several views were taken
just to show people in other parts
what is being done in this section.
A Land of Good Roads.
The graded hard roads are good
In fact THEY are so good and so we'll
kept that we had the camera man tc
photograph some of them here anc
there. I would like to be able tc
present a picture large enough tc
show some of these roads for many