The Ocala banner., 1922-06-02
FLORIDA WILL PROFIT BY THE
CALIFORNIA FREEZE

| SH@tE0 E0nlNtN v nEE[E
Irwin A. Yarnell, the genius de-
veloping the magnificent Highland
Park estates and who has been the
prime factor in other high class de-
velOpment in the ridge country" of
Polk county, recently made a trip
to California to gain exact informa-
tion from personal observation and
Investigation as to the effects of the
several freezes in the growing
sections Of that state during the past
winter When he returned Mr.. Var
nell gave a statement to the Lake
Wales Highlander, which should
prove Of interest and value to all who
have investments in citrus grove prop
erty in Florida He likewise made
some pertinent and timely comments
on the lack of civic spirit and enter
prise in this state as compared with
what he found abundantly in evidence
in California.
Mr. yarnelrs statement as given
to the Highlander is herewith repro
duced in full:
Il saw eight, ten and twelve-year
fold groves frozen to the roots" said
Mr. Yarnell There was a tempera-
ture Of 20 degrees for five days and
Il hit the trees mighty hard. Once
in a while there would be a grove
which, for some unexplainable reason,
did not seem to be hurt, but all sec
tions We're struck. None that | know
of escaped; there were no groves
that were not harmed so far as l
could see and learn,
Grove owners and men of stand
ing and information in the citrus busi-
ness are talking about loss of 40 per
cent, and in my judgment it is more
than likely to run more than that
Many owners, discouraged at what
they deem to be q knockout. blow,
will sell their properties at almost
any price and there is a great deal of
interest in Florida groves. i found
a great many people who were look
ing about for something else to go
into, feeling that the cold weather
was likely 10 come again and again
and that there was no use in staying
in the citrus game. Many will turn
TO black walnuts, raisins, prunes and
other things, and why shouldn't they,
when they are holding three-year-old
black walnut groves at $4,000 an acre
II do not set up as a prophet, but
l predict that the number of people
who will get out of the citrus industry
and into other things-their course
determined by the belief that this
freeze is but one of many-will be
such as to be a serious factor in the
citrus industry in that state and of
course it must be a great factor in
the growth of the industry in Florida.
Why do many believe that this
freeze will be but one of many? You
know that California's climate has
been tempered by the Japanese cur
ren just as Florida's has been temper
ed by the Gulf stream. Well, there
is a strong belief that the great earth
quake. by shifting reefs or bars in
the oceans bed. has detected the Jap
anese current off shore AS for N.Y.
self l know nothing at all about the
scientific end of this and express no
opinion about it, 1t may or may not
be true. do not know. | do know,
however, that the opinion is very
widely held and that great many
growers believe it is the reason they
have had this past cold and will have
occurrences in the future. It is the
reason they are getting out of the cit
rus game, believing that in their situ-
alton, it is too much of an uncertainty.
las to climate, have always felt
that Florida had it on anything Cali
fornia has to show and my experience
this trip confirms me in that idea. We