The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-05-09

other is more favorably located liz
relation with the world
Obstacles that Florida does not
have to contend with as in the north
are mud, snow, sleet, slush, icy side.
walks, frozen pumps, arctic overshoss.
frosted ears and fingers, heavy over
coats and rocks to jolt wheels and
plows
The growing season in Florida is
longer over it's entire area than IN
any other state in the union. It has
more sunlight and more rainfall than
an yother, both so necessary to sue
cessful plant growth
At first the visitor sees a good deal
of sand, and may conclude off-hand
that nothing will grow 1t is only
neseccary to look around and see that
there is a wonderful variety in every
form of plant life Investigation
shows that Florida is first in number
and variety of merchantable forest
trees, having over 200 kinds, or ~
per cent of all the trees of the coun-
trl, a half more than can be found
in any other state And lumber is
sent by the shipload to foreign CONF
tries and by the trainload to the
north.
Investigation also shows that Flor.
ida is the only state with trees not
found elsewhere in the world as far
as known to botanists. These are
technically known as "Tumion taxi
folium" and Taxas floridian" The
former, a graceful confer which mas
received from the strong pungent
odor arising from it's foliage when
bruised the uneneviable common
name OF "stinkink cedar" 1t is not
known to grow on its own account
in any other locality than along the
east bank of the Apalachicola river.
The second related and even more
restricted tree of this locality is
known as the Florida yew. Those
two trees are probably survivors Of
early growths, having died out in
other parts of the country, but con-
tinue an existence in Florida. Sam.
pies of the taxi-folium are to be seen
in the state capitol grounds at Tai.
lahassee, having been transplanted
from their native heath.
No state in the union offers more
opportunities for growing trees than
Florida-fruit trees, nut trees, flow
ering trees, ornamental trees, forest
trees, shade trees-trees to stand as
monuments to you when you are
dust.
AS William Cullen Bryant said
Father, Thy hand
Hath reared these venerable columns
Thou
Didst weave this verdant roof. Thou
didst look down
Upon the naked earth, and forthwith
rose
All these fair ranks of trees. They,
in Thy sun,
Budded, and shook their green leaves
in Thy breeze,
And shot towards heaven"
A record story is told of an old or
ange tree in Central Florida that one
year produced 100 boxes. A yield of
10000 oranges from one tree is Of
record in Florida With a half or
quarter of such a yield there is mon
ey in citrus fruit. AS Hoyt said IN
his poem on "The Orange Tree" 4.
Yves. sing the song of the orange tree
With it's leaves offvelvet green;
With it's luscious fruit of sunset hue,
The fairest that ever were seen;
The grape may have its 0accnanaI
verse,
To praise the fig we are free;
But homage pay to the queen OF ALL
The glorious orange tree.
Picture a tree on this Florida land,
a golden orange or grapefruit tree,
which lives for many years and when
rightly tended gives abundantly OF
fruits not equalled in quality else
where in the union-fruits possible OF
being transported to Americas best
markets in from IL to 80 hours. IL
must have been an orange tree that
Milton spoke of in his description OF
the Garden OF Eden.
"And all amid them stood the Tree Oh
Life,
High, eminent, blooming amDroslai
fruit
OF vegetable gold"
Picture a pecan tree, native OF
the south, tree which will produce
a crop in constant and increasing de-
mand-one of the richest of its kind