The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-11-27
oCALA AND. MARION COUNTY

Mr.. L. H. Chazal, secretary of the
Marion County Board of Trade, and
an indefatigable worker for his town
and county, writes the following for
the Florida Industrial Record, Bob
Bentley's new magazine published in
Tampa:
Ocala, "City of Beautiful Trees" is
located in the geographical center of
Florida, in the center of a rich agri-
cultural section. No city in the state
has a more substantial back country
Ocala is one of the most attractive
cities in Florida, and is at the same
| time an important commercial center.
No one has seen Florida until he has
seen Marion county; for this county,
tof which Ocala is the largest town,
differs from other sections of the
state in topography, scenery, forest
growths and agricultural products.
l In this county there are gardens that
remind one of old Spain, there are
farms that remind one of Pennsyl-
vania, and hillside places, fenced with
stones picked up in the fields, that
Suggest New England.
| Near Ocala are the largest springs
i'll the United States, and the most
beautiful in the world. Thousands
visit them annually. The records of
| the United States Geological Survey
show that Silver Springs are the
largest in this country, and they are
probably the largest in the world.
There are no available records of for
eign springs. The waters of Silver
ESprings are as clear as air and the
underwater gardens and caverns are
viewed from glass bottom boats. Dur
ing the summer months the bathing
in the cool waters of these springs is
: most popular. Summer excursions
are run from Tampa, Jacksonville and
other points, and thousands visit the
springs in their automobiles. AS the
waters of the springs have temper
ature of about seventy degrees the
, year around the bathing in the hot
weather is most refreshing. The boat
trip down the winding Oklawaha is
one of the most interesting in the
country Someone has called it an
American classic. Silver Springs is
navigable to it's source and from the
. springs the river starts or ends. River
, boats ply between Silver Springs and
J Palatka.
: The agricultural section around
> 0cala is one of great versatility, in
. Guiding general farming, livestock
) raising, dairying, trucking and citrus
and deciduous fruit raising. One car
: readily imagine, therefore, the won.
derful possibilities of combining veg
ietable farming with livestock raising
vegetable gardening, orchard and
grove. And when the many varieties
of sub-tropical plants, flowers anc
palms are added, it is scarcely posi-.
Bile to think of anything more attrac.
tive. There are few days that the SUI
does not shine. There is an abundant
i rainfall No irrigation is necessary.
1t was a Marion county Poland
China sow that captured a grand
championship at the Internationa
Livestock Show in 1919. This summer
Marion county raised boar sold fol
$4,000, the largest price ever paid fol
hog in the southeastern states.
The industries of Ocala and Mar
ion county include lumber, crate ant
: basket manufacturing, naval stores
: foundrying,, machine shops, cooper
age, mining of hard rock phosphate
soft phosphate and peat, the mining
and kilning of limerick, manufacture
of fertilizer and the manufacture o
cigars and drugs. Large quantities o
crushed stone for building and roa
purposes are shipped and large guam
titles of ground limestone are ship
| ped for agricultural purposes. LAX
Weir sand is SHIPPED all over the stat
for building urposes.
There are at present over 225 mile
of hard-surfaced highways in thi
county, radiating out of Ocala an
into the adjoining counties. Thi
makes OcaIa an excellent distributin,
: point and headquarters for statesmen
The county this year bonded for road
of a more permanent type and tn
city bonded for streets. The Dixi
Highway traverses the county from
north to south. The Seaboard rout
to Tampa starts here, and there is
connection with state road No. 5 b,
way of Dunnellon. The roads now i
the county are of limerick and sand
Iclay. The county commissioners hav
| just purchased machinery for the pun
pose Of oiling the limerick roads, an
many believe that this may prove
= be the solution of the road problem i
this county.
The county has a splendid publ
school system the center Of which ar
fully accredited high schools in Deal
and Dunnellon.