The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-05-25
MARION COUNTY IS ONE OF
THE GREATEST GENERAL
FARMING SECTIONS IN
FLORIDA
County Agent Gives Facts Concerning
Staple Crops and Live Stock
Marion County Floridian)

SOuuCy
In the last issue of the Floridian was
published group of articles on the citrus
and truck crops of the county. The follow
ing articles are on general farm crops, hog
raising and dairying in Marion county. An
effort has been made to make the informa-
ton as practical as possible, and it is based
on figures and data obtained from practical
farmers.
This standard grain crop is grown
throughout the county on all types of soil.
On the muck lands an average yield of 100
bushels per acre is actually harvested in
normal seasons. Lawton Martin, Corn Club
boy of Moss Bluff, for four successive years
made over 100 bushels of corn per acre on
this type of soil. This kind of land can be
leased in almost any sized tracts.
In 1913 the average yield of the club boys
over the county on all types of soil was 4S.3
bushels at an average cost of 81 cents per
buShel
On the better types of soil, other than
muck lands, with considerable humus con-
tent, commercial fertilizers can be used
profitably. Soils that naturally will not
yield over 20 bushels of corn per acre should
not be considered corn soils and will not
pay profit on fertilizers other than manure.
The past season 0921 grower produced
little over 200 bushels of corn on eight
acres of high hammock land, with clay sub
soil, without the use of any kind of fertiliz-
ers. This corn was planted April LIST and
matured Sept 1st to 18TH The cost of pro-
duction was $3.50 per acre. This field
would have no doub BIT warranted the use of
commercial fertilizers. Furthermore the
season of 1921 was the driest known in
many years, and the yield was badly cut
The general practice in growing corn is to
plant In wide rows, and to grow peanuts
peas velvet beans in the middles and
sometimes in the drill with the corn. This
practice is good one, especially when the
field is to be pastured.
On most farms corn can be grown at a
much less cost per bushel than the market
price. 1t is extremely risky to plant seed
from northerly states. A few scientifically
trained farmers are doing good seed selec.
ton work, and improved native grown seeC
can be had.
The corn weevil does great damage t,
stored corn throughout the winter months
but this can be eliminated by fumigatine
the corn In tight cribs, the extra cost O.
which will be repaid by one seasons saving.
PEANUTS
Peanuts rank next to corn in importance
as field crop. Most of them are pasturet
off as a part of the hog fattening system
However, many car loads of the 1921 crol
were shipped out of the county
Peanuts are frequently planted to follow
oats or some truck crop. Pine lands will
clay subsoil are considered the best sol
types for peanuts, though with proper fer
tilization they will produce we'll on most sol
types that are used as farms. Acid phos
phate, and land plaster are to be chief,
relied upon as commercial fertilizers. Tw,
to four hundred pounds per acre of aci,
phosphate applied before planting will al,
materially in improving the crop. On mos
soils the use of 400 to 600 pounds of Ian,
plaster or gypsum per acre will pay TIL
land plaster is scattered over the rows O
vines at about the time they begin to bloom
This will make the nuts fill well, thus pre-
venting so many pops"
Yields of more than rs bushels per acr
have been made in Marion county. On
grower in 1921 averaged so bushels per acr,
harvested from twenty-four acres. The 12O
bushels sold at Toe. per bushel, which wa
not considered a good price. Besides tn
nuts he baled about ten tons of good pes
nut vine hay. Another farmer planted te
acres May 10th, following a good crop q
oats. Oct. 18th he harvested $50 bushels 9
peanuts and five tons of hay. Forty head @
hogs and pigs were then turned into th
field and it carried them thirty DAYS on I'll
peanuts left in the ground
Peanuts are frequently planted in the cor
fields between the wide rows of corn. TIL