The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-19
Santa Rosa Among Most
Progressive Counties In
Whole Vest Florida Area
Rv w. cHIPLEY JONES'.

1t has taken Santa Rosa county a
long time to get under way, but
there isn't a county in West Florida
which is progressing more rapidly or
which is being more talked about
anent it's wonderful agricultural and
horticultural resources and their de-
velopment. Nor is there like area
of the great empire of West Florida,
which. within a decade, will show
greater results from the progressive
spirit which is being manifested in so
many ways now from end to end of
old Santa Rosa.
Neither is there a like area in the
entire state OF Florida. which con-
t2ips a greater number of acres Of
highly fertile and productive lands
lands adapted to both agricultural
and horticultural development. This
is particularly true of the northern
section of the county; or say, from
the Alabama line south, to within
three or four miles of Milton.
Thousands of Acres Ready For De-
VeIopment.
Within this area there are still
thousands of acres of pine forests, but
a greater portion of the area has been
cut over and is ready for development
into farms and fruit orchards-Sat-
suma orange groves, BURBERRY and
sand pear orchards and pecan groves.
Nor are abundant evidences lacking
at any point throughout this area, or
for that matter anywhere in Santa
Rosa county, Of the entire county
peculiar adaptability to horticultural
pursuits upon highly profitab BILE
basis.
Home of PapersheII Pecan.
For many years Santa Rosa county,
and particularly the section imme-
diately surrounding Milton and Bag
dad, has been famous as the home of
the papershell pecan. But within
the past few years the culture of this
delightful nut has been extended far
and wide beyond the original con-
fines, its native habitat, until now
all of Santa Rosa county may be
truthfully described as the home of
the Florida pecan. And the nuts
which arc now being annually har-
vested from the scores of groves in
the county are responsible for one of
the county's most important sources
of revenue. Thousands of dollars, in
fact, are now being derived annually
from this source; and a decade hence,
when the scores of young groves
throughout the county come into full
bearing, these revenues will mount
into hundreds Of thousands of dollars.
But by no means is Santa Rosa
county's horticultural development
being accomplished exclusively in the
culture of pecans. Indeed, in no
county in West Florida, is there to
be found a greater diversification Of
horticultural development, than in this
county. While it is a fact that the
papershcll pecan seems to thrive bet
ter and is perhaps more productive of
fruit in Santa Rosa county than any
where else within the area of pecan
production, within the coming five
years there will be as many Satsuma
orange groves, BURBERRY and sand
pear orchards, in Santa Rosa county
as in any other county in West Flor
ida. This, because the citizenship of
Santa Rosa is as much aroused to
the marvellous possibilities of Sat
sumas, bueberries and sand pears, as
it were possible for them to be. And
to a man. the progressive element Of
the county, acting upon its convic-
ton that West Florida, and particu-
larIy Santa Rosa county, through it's
special aud pldDIIlIN 10 IIutI anu DER
ry production, is literally pouring
money into the county's development
in these lines.
Several Hundred Acres Satsumas
Growing.
There are already several hundred
acres of growing Satsuma groves in
Santa Rosa county. at least one Of
them the very best, both from a
standpoint Of productivity and vigor,
that I have seen in my travels
through SATSUMALAND. I refer
to the Hentzelmann grove located
five miles south of Milton. However,
there are but few groves in the coun-
ty which have come into bearing, a
greater portion of the area in the
county being cultivated to the fruit
having been In cultivation but one,
two and three years. But irrespec-
tive of age, all of the groves in the
county, which I have seen, and I have
seen most of them, are as good as