The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-03-29

schools, $4,000 public charities
S25 600; for general expenses of the
government $4,000,
@. Are your taxes paid promptly?
A. They are.
@. Do your tax laws secure equal
ity and uniformity in assessments?
A. They do not, and they are the
occasion of considerable complaint.
ASYL UMs AND PRISONS.
Q, What asylums have you, and
what IS their condition?
A. We have one-an insane asy>
lum. The building is very fine, and
is a substantial Structure. We have
neither deaf and dnmb nor blind asy'
lums.
Q. Where is your insane asylum
located, and how many inmates has
it?
A. 1t is at ChattaEoochee, and
contains 113 lunalics. The location
is high and healthy. There are few
other insane persons in the State who
are cared tor by private individuals.
The state makes provision tor their
care and comfort.
Q. How are youl deaf, dumb and
blind persons provided for?
A. There are not many IN the State.
They are cared fdr by their relatives
and friends. Next winter it is prob
able that the State will make some
provisions for them.
Q. Is your insane asylum managed
by commission or by State officials?
A. 1t is managed by the Governor
and bis Cabinet In Florida, you
know, all heads OF departments are
appointed by the Governor,and these
officials are, therefore, called his Gao
met.
@. How much is annually appro,
priated for the support OF your insane
asylum?
A. The sum ofdwenty-tive thous.
and dollars.
O. Are your counties provided
with poor housea
A. A few of them are. AS n rule,
however, county commissioners pay
the relatives and friends of paupers
for taking care of them.
@. How many inmates are there
in your State prison, and is your
prison leased on sustained by the
State?
A. WE have sS;ate prison. Our
convicts are leaS s., out to a contract.
or, who has .bgl egS nrepared for
them. This contractor takes all the
convicts and pays the State SIS per
anuum fer eachon of them. He takes
them at the county jaiIs aud bears all
the expenses attached to them. The
number OF them varies considerably.
At present it is about 200. The
present lease expires next fall and
then it is our intention to make the
convicts greater source of profit TO
the State.
@. Do you think that the leasing
system is more advantageous to the
State than the system by which the
State retains absolute and sole con.
| troll OF the cOnplctS
A. think the leasing system is
best for our population, provided the
convicts are properly cared tor.
There are improvements needed, how.
ever, in our system of managing con
victs.
! @. What is the character OF the
majority Of the crimes committed in
your State
a. Crimes against pro-. erly.
q. What proportion Of your con.
VETS is colored -?
a. About fiye>sixths.
AGRICULTURAL.
.. Is the tendency toward small
farms or large plantations?
y. Toward small farms. Stats
tics show that the percentage OF in
crease OF small farms in Florida is
greater than in any other Southern
State. Large portlons OF our State
are now being utilized for truck
farming, and this kind of farming,
you know, is in the direction of small
farms. AS our transportation tacil-
tiles increase we shall turn our atten-
uon more and more to raising veg
etables and other tropical fruits. 1
think the time is not lar distant when
we shall supply the Northern mar
ket with early vegetables and fruits.
ms year we sent North: tomatoes,
green peas, cucumbers and other del.
lcate vegetables, as early as Febru>
airy l. We also shipped strawber,
ries as early as that date. The cul-
ture OF Strawberries is increasing
very rapidly, and they are found to
be very profitable crop. There
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