The Ocala evening star., 1920-06-02
MARION IS A GREAT
SUGAR COUNTY
Mr.. NJ. L. Payne Tells of Extensive Pro-
duction of Cane Before the War

that at the outbreak Of the war be-
tween the states there were in Mar
ion county something like siZ or seven
Thousand acres in sugar cane, and
sugar mills which made and shipped
large quantities of sugar by water TO
Savannah and Charleston? Mr.. Mar
in l.. Payne, one of Marion's best
known farmers, and who has lived in
this county since 1859. yesterday. at
his home near Fairfield. told Of the
extensive production Of sugar cane IN
this section of Florida, on the high,
hammock lands, and along the Okla
waka. Mr.. Payne says that 25 to 80
barrels Of syrup to the acre were
made in those days, and says that on
the same lands today the production
can be made much greater, because
of the improved methods of planting
and cultivating. the better varieties
Of cane now to be had, modern mills
and the development Of sugar chem
istry.
Mr.. Payne was born in MicanOpy
in l847, and spent his early years on
the big plantations which fourished N
this part of Florida before the war.
What he says, therefore. is authOri-
tative. General Duncan l.. Clinch,
says Mr.. Payne, was among the
growers of cane, having from 300 TO
$50 acres planted near the site of Did
Fort Drane. about a mile southwest
of Irvine, which the general had been
in command of. General Clinch had
a sugar mill on his plantation which
4 |.
was not the largest mill II the county,
however, the Marshalls, who had over
80 acres in cane on th. Oklawana
river, had a much large mill operated
By steam. Silver Springs, Payne's
Landing and Orange Springs were
the shipping points on the rivers at
that time. Barges were tOWed by
small steamers to Palatka, and larger
steamers piled between TINT point and
Savannah, Charleston and other ports.
Mr.. Payne is of the opinion that
the rich, rolling hammock lands Of
Marion county will make as much
syrup and sugar as the Everglades
and of a finer quality. He was asked
yesterday why cane growing on an cX-
tensive scale had not been revived IN
this county after the war. His reply
was that the war did away with slave
labor, which had been plentiful, the
unsettled conditions of reconstruction
followed. the orange industry was
started and other developments drew
attention. The main reason, however,
Nh. Payne says: is that the planting
of cane on a large scale requires a
considerable investment of money,
and capital has not turned its atten-
ton in this direction. He believes
that money can be made in this coun-
ty in the growing of cane for syrup
or sugar. AS year in and year out
proposition it is much ahead of truck
ing, he says. Money is now being
made by those who are growing cane
ON small scale in this county.
Mr.. Payne says that the Spaniards
did not produce cane in this part Of
the state, and that the remains of old
sugar mills now to be seen in various
parts of the county are not the e
mains of old Spanish mills, as some
suppose, but of the plantation mills.
According to Mr.. Payne the plan
tations in this county were from 5000
to 100000 acres in size. The largest
single acreage under cultivation. how
ever, did not exceed $500 acres. ac-
coTding to his recollection. At the
outbreak of the war there were be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 acres in cot
ton in Marion county, Mr.. Payne esti-
mates. Tobacco was grown extensive
ly Corn was another big crop. On
Mr. Payne's grandfather's plantation,
on top of the hill about a quarter Cf
a mile south of Mcintosh, on the west
side of what is now the Dixie High
way, five acres of tobacco was raised
and made into cigars and sold for
$4,000. 1t will be of interest to
know that, just across the road from
this five acres, twenty acres of cab
bage this season brought $4,000. The
site of the town of Mcintosh, by the
way, was once sold by Mr.. Payne FOR
80 cents an acre.
Mr.. and Mrs. Payne have been liv-
ing on their farm near Fairfield for
AZ years. 1t is one of the best farms
in the county, located on a ridge a Id
surrounded by luxuriant hardwood
forests. The hospitable home of the
Paynes, shaded by immense trees, is
situated on hill 2l0 feet above sea
level. Mrs. Payne, before her mar
riage, was Miss DuPuis, daughter
of David Spice DuPuis, who came TO
Florida from South Carolina. and was
owner of large plantation near Nc
Intosh. Mr.. Payne's family came
from Virginia.