The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-25
Press Comment
Some Figures.

I
| Florida was touted far and wide by
| ignorant and prejudiced writer's, not
so very long ago, as a land of desert
| and swamp with a worn out soil in
| capable of production. 1t was an i'm
] famous SANDER as all Flordians
| know, and it brought out a hurricane
Of indignant and wrathful depials
upon the head of the slandered. There
were promises of correction on the
part of the publication giving curren-
! cy 70 the libel upon the state. but, SO
far as we know a satisfac Ary correc-
ton has never been made. Fortunately
! the figures have been collected and
published which furnish a complete
Ifrcfutation of the Infamous statement
| that this is a desert land. The Sea-
board Air Zine, III connection with
the state marketing bureau, has COM
piled figures showing the amount and
value of certain Florida crops pro-
duced during the season of 191S-1919.
The general farm crops for the year,
consisting of corn, sugar cane, sweet
potatoes, pecans, peanuts, tobacco,
cotton, of sea island and short staple
varieties, velvet and soy beans, were
valued at s76, 571,135. Corn headed
the list with 12,000,0 900 bushels val
ued at $25,0OOoOO 1t will surprise
many to learn that there were $3.50
bushels Of wheat grown in Florida IN
the year named. 1t may yet be that
some variety of wheat adapted
to our soil and climate may be
evolved by some of the best plant
wizards who are always experiment.
ing in the production of new varieties,
and Florida may become a wheat
growing state.
The states truck and vegetable
crop was valued at about 100000, 900
requiring with the citrus crop, by
actual records 66,771 cars to move it
to northern markets. A solid train,
exclusive Of engines and tenders of
481 miles in length. Too many figures
are wearisome to the flesh and we
summarize a few of the main produc-
tons and their value as revenue pro-
ducers:
q To itemize: Citrus fruits, 23,354 cars,
valued at above $53 100000; perish
ables, 43,157 cars, valued at above
$30,00O,0O0, and staple farm crops to
the value of s67,57O,135. A total of
more than S150,000,000.
We might add to that the value of
our beef, pork, mutton, wool, hides,
poultry, milk, butter and eggs, oysters
schrimp and fish which the state pro-
duced and sold; the output of our
phosphate mines of which we produce
more than so per cent of the worlds
supply, the tobacco produced and
cigars manufactured.
We might. tell of our good roads
system, the best in the South; of the
millions of dollars invested in drain
age operations to make productive
farms of the fertile lands that are
now too wet for cultivation, but what's
the use? The sensation seeking in
dividuals who come here to misrepre-
sent the state. will not be convinced
by figures. They will continue Their
campaigns of SANDER and misrepre
sentation, but the truth cannot be al
ways suppressed or. ignored. Florida
is not a desert, but bears within its
fruitful bosom the seeds which will
make it eventually the greatest stock
raising, fruit and trucking state of the
Union. The figures. which we have
quoted above (and we have given but
a small part of the shoWing) will be
spread abroad, and refute the vile
SANDERS of the paid caluminators.
Then will come such flood of inves-
tors and home seekers as the state
has never known. Hasten the day
Tampa Times.