Report of Committee on Necrology 
W. L. Floyd, Chairman 
CHARLES KENNEDY McQUARRIE 
One of the outstanding figures in Flor¬ 
ida agriculture during the past 20 or more 
years, has been Charles Kennedy Mc- 
Quarrie. This genial Scotchman has 
traveled the length and breadth of the 
State many times, giving advice, counsel, 
and encouragement to the inexperienced, 
unsuccessful seeker after better methods 
in agricultural and horticultural lines, and 
keeping closely in touch with well in¬ 
formed and successful growers, that he 
might encourage others to do as they were 
doing. 
He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, Oc¬ 
tober 12, 1851, and died in harness as 
State Agent of Farmers’ Co-operative 
Demonstration Work at Gainesville, No¬ 
vember 16, 1921, thus rounding out an 
active life of more than three score and 
ten years. 
He was a direct descendant of the Mc- 
Quarries of Ulva’s Isle, Scotland. He re¬ 
ceived his early educational training under 
a “Dominie,” and later completed his edu¬ 
cation in Glasgow, where he attended a 
technical college. In his early manhood 
he was a cloth manufacturer in his native 
country, but suffering financial losses due 
to a bank failure, he came to America. 
He settled near DeFuniak Springs in 
Walton county in 1888, and there for 25 
years was a “real dirt farmer.” It was 
there in 1893 raised the first velvet 
beans for feed and for turning under as a 
soil improver that we have any account of 
in Florida. He found these beans grow¬ 
ing as ornamental vines on the front 
porch of Dr. Felton, a retired Methodist 
minister, and with that quickness to see 
agricultural possibilities in new plants and 
energy in trying them out so character¬ 
istic of him, he demonstrated the value of 
this plant now so important in Florida. 
He practiced diversified farming and 
proved what so many are slow to learn, 
that this is far wiser and safer than the 
one crop method. He carried on various 
fertilizer experiments on his farm and 
learned much about the value of fertilizer 
on Florida soils and desirable mixtures 
for different crops. 
He maintained a good home orchard, 
was the first to grow Elberta peaches in 
North Florida for shipment to Northern 
markets, and his keen eye was the first to 
detect the presence of San Jose scale on 
Florida fruit trees. 
He was appointed assistant superintend¬ 
ent of farmers’ institute work in 1909, 
which position took him before farmers’ 
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