The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-01-02
cocoANUTs IN FLORIDA,
roaeures OF New Industry Inaugurate,
by Shrewd New Workers.

-. L. rleIu, OF ReQ Bank, N. d., is
an extensive Florida cocoanut-grower,
he is member of the firm of Field &
osborne, Ezra Osborne being asso-
GATED with him in the enterprise. TO
a 1Tsoo''e reporter the other day Mr..
Field said eve are located in Dade
County, Florida, which is the extreme
southern end of the peninsula, on the
Atlantic coast. There, between Cape
Florida and Jupiter Inlet, we have
now about eight thousand acres of land
which we are devoting to cocoanut-
walks, which is the distinctive name
applied to these plantations. We began
our purchase of land there about three
years ago, buying it from the Govern
ment at low price. 1t being il. the
Everglade region, as will be seen by a
glance at the map, the land has never
been considered of much value for any
purpose, whatever it may become by
an extensive system of drainage. Here
we are upon the shore of the sea, a
needed requisite in the successful
growth of the cocoanut palm The
soil IS porous coral land. From Cape
Florida north for distance of ninety
miles, running parallel with the coast,
there are bays, rivers and sounds, dis
;sS;ianected by narrow strips of land, but
Themselves connected by inlets to the
ocean, through which the tide GIBBS and
flows. Between these and the ocean is
our strip of land, which varies in width
from twenty rods to little over'a mile,
being elevated nearest the ocean, and
sloping gently toward the west
'This chain of inland waters receiving
the fresh water flowing from the Ever
glades prevents its teaching through
this strip of land Easterly winds fire.
quently drive the Gulf Stream waters
against the coast beach as far north as
Lake Worth; these waters being about
eighty degrees Fahrenheit, tropical
climate is produced and fine growth
of vegetation is insured. We are famed
by the breezes waited to us from the
Gulf stream, and everything favors
rank, luxuriant growth. Here during
the last two years we have planted over
two hundred thousand cocoanuts. We
take all our help and implements
from the North. The natives
there are wild, lazy, shiftless
class, unfit and incapable for work.
The total population of Dade County in
1880 was only PSF. Our planting is
done in winter, when / take my family
South with me and superintend the
work in person. At other seasons the
trees help themselves and very little
cultural attention is needed"
SAT what age do the trees come into
bearingP"
''From six to seven years from plant
ing. Then they will average about two
nuts per tree, and bear continually al
most until seventy or eighty years old.
We plant about twenty feet apart,
which gives about one hundred trees to
the acre, or little more"
~What about price and profits?" Mr..
Field was asked
During the last three years prices
by the cargo have ranged from twenty
to seventy-fve dollars thousand,
twenty dollars being the lowest figure
for the most common kinds. This is
for the nuts delivered in New York; the
freight and expense from the tree to the
market will not exceed 6ze dollars a
thousand"
SIS there no danger of overstocking
the marketp"
''The demand for cocoanuts is now
almost unlimited. l have a profitable
offer for all L can possibly raise in
years to come, The nut will be used
green to a much larger extent than now
when people know how good it is; and
the water, which is then clear, and not
milky as when ripe, will be highly
relished as beverage. Why, we eat
the nut from the shell at the South. 1t
is soft and rich, Then the husk, which
is generally thrown away in America,
is a valuable part which is soon to be
utilized. Experiments to separate the
fiber by machinery are now in progress
and the device is nearly perfected. In
addition to this, there is not sufficient
land in Florida adapted to the growth
of the cocoanut to overstock the market
if all was planted to it. Perhaps not
over one million trees could be grown
there successfully"
Mr.. Field said that sufficient number
of cocoanut palms have been growing
in South Florida for forty years fully to
demonstrate the certainty of success.
And these trees compare most favorably
with the most successful in other
countries, both in quality and quantity
of product. But not until about six
years ago was any attention given to
this industry in that State. About that
time few thousand were planted at
Lake Worth, part of which are now
in bearing. Since then residents of
Key West have planted several thou
sand on the different keys, which are
nearly all composed of this coral sand,
varying in width from ten to hundred
feet; and it is thought these keys will
soon be devoted entirely to the growth
of the cocoanut. Messrs. Field & Os-
borne already have about eighty thou
sand growing on Key Biscayne. An
advantage which Florida possesses over
the West India Islands and other
tropical regions where the cocoanut is
grown is nearness to the United States
market. Those who visited the New
Orleans Exposition saw many fine
specimens of the cocoanut palm, some
of which were twenty or thirty feet
high. They grow to the height of one
hundred feet in their native region, and
the tree is an interesting object. 1t
bears both male and female flowers, the
leaves curving downward being from
F.