The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-04-06
IMPRESSIONS OF A
MAN FROM INDIANA

A reporter of the Star, while wan
dering around, had the pleasure of
meeting Mr.. E. c. Ward, from In
diana, who, with his wife and. daugh-
ter, is now located on Lake Weir,
which he says is the most beautiful
lake in the state.
Like all northern and western peo-
pie who come here and stay long
enough to see anything grow, Mr..
Ward was insistent that his garden
be inspected, which we did, and to
quote him when showing it:
81 didn't move on this place until
January LIST of this year and every
thing had been neglected so l had to
clean up all the ground. See that
corn! Silks popping out and we will
soon have roasting ears. How about
these peas and beans? Wish you could
stay to dinner for they are the finest
on earth and I would be ashamed to
tell how short time they have been
planted; radishes grow so fast that
they do not have time to all grow
down in the ground, but come both
ways and tender to the last bite.
Lettuce-no use showing you, for any
where in the county you can see big
fields of it. Turnips-well, it's get
ting rather late for the best. See
those strawberry plants! Look at the
berries-have been eating them since
March 10th, and will continue for a
month yet. | had to fix the land and
set them out. Can you beat it? Set
out January 28th.
"Watermelons and cantaloupes run
ming fine, and by May LIST to 10th will
be eating them. Irish potatoes-eat-
ing them now right out of the garden
Sweet potatoes are running fine and
will have them to eat by June LIST
So far have used no fertilizer, but will
force some of the things along from
now on, with an application or two.
"Fish! Well, we are eating them
daily and from the speckled perch
weighing up to pound and a half to
bass. from three to six pounds, with
an occasional one of ten pounds OF
more. The largest I have caught
weighed six pounds" ...
Mr.. Ward is very enthusiastic, but
has the stuff to show his basis for en-
thusiasm. Our wandering around
showed US some of the finest crops We
have ever seen. One forty-acre fielt
of sweet potatoes, Mr.. Ward drew oul
attention to, for it takes the new,
conner to notice these things, they, are
so common to US. These potatoes were
set out for the early markets, to crate
and sell at fancy prices, ahead of any
other crop raised anywhere, either
north or south.
Mr.. Ward was also very enthusiastic
about the immense melon crop, some.
thing like four thousand acres, in the
southern part of this county and in
the counties Immediately adjoining
His little garden, with everything ir
it, was just sample of the thousands
Of acres of tomatoes, cantaloupes
sweet potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, corn
etc.
He drove sixteen hundred miles
with Ito use his own expression6 GAL
Of US getting Disguised more and
more, the further we drove" but wher
they reached Ocala, things began tc
ease up with them, and when they
finally located in a little home, begar
to realize that they had reached their
goal, and now says this is good
enough for him for the rest of his
life, and Mrs. Ward seems just as well
satisfied.
When he drives over the county and
sees the immense citrus fruit groves
oranges. grapefruit, tangerines anC
ponderosa lemons, weighing from tive
to four pounds each, then from these
to the farms of from ten to two thou
sand acres in cultivation, covered with
the finest crops, at time of the yeal
when he has been used to seeing very
little but snow and ice, cattle in the
fields and pastures, without the neces,
sity of housing, hogs fattening and
gathering their own feeds, he says;
whats the use living in discomfort
when one can have all the comforts ?
And just look at those women and
children in the water, swimming, fish
ing and ,lounging in the sun in their
wet bathing suits. They have been
keeping it up all winter"
One farmer told Mr. Ward that the
creamery was paying him $1,000 q
month for milk Mr.. Ward hasn't in
spected the creamery as yet, but says
he will in few days. He thinks he