The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-16
FOR COMMON PROGRESS.

Nearly 100000 American farmers
have purchased 5000 900 Canadian
acres this summer. They are trans
planting their food producing energies
to Canada, to the Dominion's profit and
to Uncle Sans loss Land in Canada
is cheap. The time is coming when il
won't be cheap. Acreage win cost as
much there as here. And then what is
the farmer going to do? Where is he
going? The rest of the world, except
ing Siberia and the Sahara is already
crowded" This is an excerpt from an
neapolis newspaper. The answer to 1t
is: Come to Florida.
Florida has thousands of acres of
arabic lands, and is far from being
crowded" In the confines of this
state may be grown wheat corn, cot
ton, and all staple products, besides
citrus fruits. small fruits and earlss
vegetaelss
West Florida. alone would accommo-
date thousands of families, who could
find here climate unsurpassed, and
soil on which may be- grown the finest
crops.
Time was, when Pensacola depend
ed upon its great lumber export busi-
ness, that little thought was paid to
our back country and its possibilities
Today with modern farming methods
applied to this county, Escambia is
taking its place as the leading agri-
cultural county of the state, as far as
quality of products is concerned. Es-
Gambia county has exhibited at the
State Fair some of the finest sweet
and Irish potatoes, some of the best
hay and some of the best grain grown
in this state. Those who examined
the exhibits at the Moline Fair last
year, which were later taken to the
State Fair in Jacksonville, declared
that the corn compared well with the
best grain of Iowa and the Irish po-
tatoes beat those of the Hastings Sec
ton. The sweet potato crop, which
has just been marketed, brought the
best of prices on the northern mar
ket. The finest grade of rice, and
other small grains. are grown in
West Florida. and the varieties of
stock feed grown in this county are
excellent.
Florida needs better farmers and
more of them, and an increased pop
ulation. For unless the farmers are
able to market their surplus after it
is produced, of what profit are all the
modern methods known to agricultural
science?
1t has been said that Florida could
be shut away from the rest of the
world and could maintain itself indef-
initely, entirely independent of outside
resources or aid. Theoretically, this is
true. But from a practical standpoint.
jut how much does Florida depend
upon it's own resources? Just how
much of a market is furnished here in
the state for Florida products7
1t is said that in Pennsylvania,
through the prosperous agri-
cultural region. one finds ready mar
ket afforded by the many industrial
towns of that section. The Pennsyl-
vania farmer does not have TO ship his
crops to a far distant market. His
market is right at his door.
Let us see how the city and coun-
try problem could be worked out In
this section Of the state Let us look
a few years and, for the sake
Of argument, visualize Pensacola as
1t might be, should this county pro-
gress as 1T has every right to pro-
gress, during the next twenty years.
We see a city with public docks,
increased facilities, and at least two
new railroads, seeking this port Wei
see new enterprises spring up. Coal
and hardwood. and steel products from /
Alabama and Tennessee. have made |
possible factories for the manufacture
Of farming implements. We find yes
sells which come to this port with |
shipments from South America or
Cuba returning to those countries |
with farming machinery, and other /
products, made here in |
his city. which has become one of
he great distributing centres of the
country.
In tho rural districts we see model
farms, producing corn and cotton.