The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-11-21
NAPIER Observation-Disclosures
ASSTOCKFEED; ANALYSIS MADE
It's Development and Adaptability to West Florida
and South Alabama Soil Paves Way For
Extensive Stock Raising.
(sy w. cHIPLEY JoNEs)

Since The Journal employed me several
weeks ago TO undertake the task of Sell
ing" West Florida and South Alabama TO
West Flor.dans and South Alabamians
through its columns. (Which I might add
by the way Of parenthesis, is an abso-
lutely necessary thing TO be done, through
some medium Ct publicity. in prepare
ton Of tho mind OF West Florida for the
really epoch making things in develop
ment undertakings which are now in pro-
cess of consummation from end TO end
Of the Eldcrado Of West Florida) I have
written hundreds Of pages of copy" pre-
senting 10 Journal readers the marvellous
possibilities Of West FOirida's and South
Alabamas development into a veritable
Eden Of horticultural productivity.
Had Written Little on Agriculture.
Meantime / have written but little up
on the sections agricultural possibilities:
not because I have not been impressed
with the possibilities OF West Florida and
South Alabama. from an agricultural
point Of view, because have been, these
many years and still am.
However. I do believe that from this
day. hcnccforth. agriculture is going to be
4 secondary consideration 70 horticulture,
in the really prOdjgious forward move
mcnt. upon the threshold OF which West
Florida and South Alabama are just ar
irving, with the one exception of stock
raising-an industry always incidental TO
agricultural activity.
And because. within the past decade.
there has been imported into West Flor
ida ard South Alabama, from the veldts
Of South Africa. a grass, so adaptable to
the soils Of West Florida and South Ala
bama as 20 appear really indigenous to
the soils Of West Florida and South Ala
bama as 10 appear really Indigenous to
these soils, so marvel0usly productive and
SO rlc, in stock feed value, that when its
culture has been established in every
neighborhocd in West Florida and along
the border lands of South Alabama, this
entire section will have nothing whatever
70 fear in competition. as a stock raising
country. with any other section in the
entire L. S. \.
Napier Grass
7 refer to the Napier grass. which was
first introduced int West Florida by thei
Florida experiment station at Gainesville
and which is being developed upon a very
extensive scale by Napier Farms and
Milling Company. in the vicinity Of Flor
ala Alabama.
Napier Farms and Milling Co.'S Farm
was privileged a few weeks ago, to
visit the plantation Of Napier Farms and
Milling Company. eight miles north east
Of Flcrala. whore 80 acres OF this wonder
mi grass vas growing with marvellous
luXuriance. And when 7 was told by NJ
r. Cartwright. president of the company
that the yield from four cuttings per year
from his fields of grass would amount
70 80 tons per acre, or of cured grass,
20 tons per acre, I was absolutely prepar
81 to accept the statement as true.
From this years crop. however, Mr.
Cartwright will cure but a small amount
OF Napier grass, the greater portion Of
the crop having been reserved for seed
ing 600 acres additional land which his
company was clearing for it's culture when
was at Florala and for seed which the
farms company is selling to farmers
throughout South Alabama and West
Florida this fal.
Exhaustive Experiments Made
Exhaustive experiments have been
made with the Napier grass by the exper-
iment stations Of both Florida and Ala /
bama. since it was first imported into I
the country from South Africa, with the !
result that Il has been proven that Nap |
Ter thrives and produces satisfactorily !,
upon any reasonable fertile soil. How |
ever, II is essentially 4 southern product |
OF the soil and will not grow successfully !
in a climate more severe than the climate !
which obtains in Florida and as far north !
as the first tier Of counties Of South !
Alabama.
Most Serious Rival OF Alfalfa. I
Napier grass is the most serious rival
as a stock feed product which alfalfa has; :
indeed, in all of the most essential con-
stitutents of a balanced stock feed Nap {
Ter grass Is, to all intents and purposes,
tho equal Of alfalfa, as witness the fol-