Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-10
FLORIDA KEEPING
ITS SPIRITS HIGH
More Diverse Crop Planting
Expected to Be Good
Result of Troubles.
BY J. C. RoYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK. August l0.-Florida. as
result of the ravages Of the Mediter-
ranean fruit fly in the citrus fruit
orchards, has taken q fresh grip on
Investigation Of planting. The fiy. ac-
cording to Gov. Carlton, may prove q
blessing in disguise.
Florida people. according to a trained
business observer, who has just made q
complete circuit Of the State. have
nicknamed the pest the "Medf1y" and.
strange as 1t may seem, it is being
laughed OF more or less.
Farmers say that while the ny
damaged this years crop the next
crops will be better than ever. They
were assured this week that Federal
Farm Board will devise some compensa-
ton for the losses the citrus growers
suffered.
The fly e not a Statewide pest and
no one. investigators say. is openly
down in the mouth" in Florida despite
the pest and the recent closing of small
banks.
They are disappointed but not dis
couraged," one Florida banker, now in
this city. said today In commenting on
the brave public spirit the State Is
showing. Money is tight. There is
no denying that. But the situation is
not one of panic. Most of the failures
have resulted from unexpected runs
and have been in small towns where
rumor moves always on three motors"
Men who have made a careful study
OF Florida conditions say the same
Substantial citizens are unit in de-
claring Florida is all right but any one
willing to farm wisely. but that it is not
SO good for the man who hopes for q
return of the wild real estate boom of
some years ago or who is dependent
solely upon production and sale Of cit
rus fruit. For diversified farming and
truck gardening there is a wonderful
future, they say. If the grower is willing
to work. AS one Florida philosopher
put it. there are too many content to
get along with one ticky cow and ar
orange tree with a rotten root"
Men with large interests in the State,
but who live in the North. seem as con-
f1dent as ever. Barron Collier, the
largest individual landholder in Florida.
with possession of 100000 acres. in a
statement telegraphed to the writer to-
day said:
It am more than ever inclined TO
give Florida my whole confidence and TO
do my utmost to assist its upbuilding
and prosperity"
4HC ulloLUtbuklCS WIlICII' VIC 0b1UC ICS
Gently has undergone have not slowed
up the activities of this man, who is
building up what is believed to be one
of the largest one-man agricultural
projects in the world.
Florida feels somewhat resentful, in
habitants Of the State say, over the fact
that 1t has no representative on the
Federal Farm Relief Board, while Cali
fornia has two members. They feel
also that the Mediterranean fly situ-
alton has been greatly magnified and
overemphasized in other sections of the
country.
However, the State is making addi-
tional preparations for an influx Of
tourists and visitors the coming Win
ter which will far exceed that of 1929
20. Florida feels that 1t will get its
full share Of visitors and that even
those who 90 to Cuba will stop, many
o. t,aezi, In Florida going or coming.