The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-28

Dear Journal:
| In recent issue of the Journal there
was an article about hay saying that
| 100000 was spent last year from
| Florida in buying hay. The agricul-
| ture department issued two years ago
an article that Florida imported two
and one half million dollars worth OF
hay and three and one quarter million
dollars of western pork and beef. This
is certainly an outrage. You can see
most any day wagons going out from
Pensacola with one and two bales OF
hay in their wagons. These farmers
have from forty to sixty acres of land
and have stock and are too lazy or
indolent to raise sufficient use for his
own use and could also raise hay to
sell. 1t is certainly deplorable fact.
Take Escambia county for example
We have as fine soil as any county in
the state or in any state. We can raise
as fine hay and in paying quantities,
as in any state and better than in the
North or West do as we have twelve
months of constant growth. Prof. /
E. Fullington of Florida College of Ag-
riculture making a comment on the
rious soil builders the velvet bean and
cow peas, and peanuts and says the
velvet bean probably takes more nitro
gen from the air than any other crop
growing in the county. He makes a
slight mistake. The kudsu is the
strongest and best soil builder we have.
1t takes more nitrogen from the air
than any other legum and it is soil
builder and self fertilizer. All Other
legumes have to be replanted every
year, not so with the kudzu. 1t needs
no replainting and no fertiliZing after
first year and it is a periennian. II
Is a constant green growth from early
spring until late fall or until the un-.
usual heavy freeze, making a constant
growth of about ten months in year.
In order to inoculate the soil from vel
vet beans or cow peas or other lie.
gumes, you must turn them under
The kudzu inoculates the soils with the
bacteria from the tuber cells on its
roots. These roots Of prongs is long
and contains more bacteria than any
other plant and takes up the sulphuric
acid from the sub soil, by reason OF
its long deep roots. The plants re-
main standing and is cut four and
five times during the season making
the strongest and best hay for all kind
Of stock and makes the finest kind of
pasture for all stock from sheep,
horse, mules, cows, and pigs and it
retains it leaves at harvesting. It is
absolutely insect proof and cures
quicker than any other legume and
will cut from eight to ten tons to the
to-, IL ,,,,fr Mold kas-
tamonfes from several large farmers
and stock raisers in other counties OF
your state, whom are quoting ten tons
more to the acre and then to think
with all these blessings in soil and
climate that some farmers in Escambia
county will buy hay shipped from the
West and North to feed their stock
A spanking maching should be applied
to such men. Escambia county can
challenge any county in the state Tor
products of corn, sweet and irish po-
tatoes. cats, sorghum, cane, peanuts,
velvet BEANS cow peas and without rear
Of contradiction we can raise all kinds
Of stock cheaper and better than In
any other county in the state as we can
grow constant sucuiant crop OF le-
gumes and native grasses, such as
beggarweeds, and other grasses. The
humus In nitrogen supply In soil may
be maintained by the heavy growth
Of natural vegetation and we do raise
as fine a crop of fruits from a peach
to satsuma orange. as in any other
county of the state. We have the
soil and climate and we cannot alone
raise for home use but for shipments.
All kinds of vegetables, berries, both
wild and cultivated, there is nothing
in growing vegetables and fruit Of ali
kinds of soil products that we. can
raise here In Escambia county one
hundred per cent. But these blessings
can not be had unless We cultivate
the soil in order to harvest you must
plant and IL you will use one-half of
the God given inergies and good COM
mon sense brain and will power and
pep that you would have to use on
other places Of our beloved southland.
you will come out and live longer and
better with less worry and trouble
than in any other portion. You have
everything you can wish for in elm
ate, water, and soil. Not aloEe can you
enjoy farm life to its fullest extent,
in fruits, vegetables and stock. but
the waters abound with the finest fish,
oysters. crabs. and shrimps both sal.
water and trash water Fielding you an
ample retu11 either for recreation or
profit and It is incumbent and solemn
duty that you and should proclaim