106 FACTS AND FIGURES OR THE 



CHAPTER XXII. 



OKRA. 



While 3'ou will not make the money out of this that you 

 will out of some other vegetables you can plant in this sec- 

 tion of the country, you will make about as much as you 

 can on any other, taking into consideration that it is nearly 

 a sure crop, and does not require the work, spraying and 

 fertilizer that others do. It can be raised on land that is 

 not irrigated, although you can make a better crop if you 

 have irrigation. It grows on any kind of Florida soil, and 

 in any section of the State. In the Southern part it will 

 grow the entire season, making to perfection in the middle 

 of the summer when it is nearly impossible to grow other 

 kinds of vegetables. In the Northern and Central part of 

 the State plant the seed any time after the first of Febru- 

 ary. You can keep the plants bearing continuously with a 

 little work and fertilizer until the cold kills them in the 

 fall. Okra is not known on all of the difTerent markets, 

 but you will find all of the Southern markets and a majori- 

 ty of the Northern markets paying a good price for it most 

 of the time. If you are farming near any of the Florida 

 cities, you will not have any trouble in disposing of your 

 entire yield at home. 



PLANTING AND FEKTILIZING. 



Okra does not require transplanting. Plant the seeds in 

 the field where you wish the crop to grow. Prepare the 

 land as directed in Chapter II. Plow deeply, then harrow 

 level and lay the field ofif in furrows three feet apart, drill- 

 ing the fertilizer in these, mixing thoroughly with the soil. 

 The following makes an excellent analysis : Ammonia, 4% ; 

 available phosphoric acid, 5% ; potash 6%, using about 800 

 to 1. 000 pounds to the acre. In about two weeks' time after 

 }ou have applied the fertilizer, you can plant the seed,. 



