The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-05
FLORIDA's NEW FIELD CROPS.
Hay and Tobacco Coming to the
FrOnt-CnstOr Bean and Cassava.

FrOnt-CastOF Bean and Cassava.
Sanford Fla, Oct. 4.-The recent frost
in Virginia and other tobacco growing
states have given a new impulse to the
agitation in favor of making tobacco a
standard field crop in Florida Already
the success Of previous movements has
carried the project beyond the realm of
experiment, and it is now a settled fact
that fine grades OF smoking tobacco can
be grown here to a profit. Since the first
experiments were made on a large scale
hundreds of new cigar factories have been
erected and put in operation in this state,
from Key West to Pensacola, and the
question of cheap transportation and d
nome market are now settled. Good Flor
ida raised tobacco can be sold here at
profitable prices. The troubles in Cuba
had started a more extensive movement in
favor of tobacco culture here, but the
loss of at least a third of the crop by
early frosts i'm u half dozen tobacco grow
ing states has given the movement
great impetus.
Mr.. r. J. Kerr of Houston, Tex, who
Is largely interested in growing cannigre
in that state has come to Florida to in
terest our people IN its culture. 1t may
do we'll for California, Arizona and
Texas, but we have here a native wild
plant, the scrub palmetto, which answers
the same purpose-that is, to furnish
fannie acid for tanning leather. our
Sanford .tAnnery has fully proved this
fact, and II. would be foolish to prepare
ground andtplant and cultivate cannigre
when we can dig plenty of palmetto roots
at no labor*of expense beyond getting
them outlof the ground
There w6Hid be a great deal more sense
in cultiVaung the castor bean and cas-
sava, as thafe is very little trouble or ex-
pense in the propagation of these plants.
The castor Bean makes a very pretty
tree or bush, as desired, in addition to the
yield of seed for the oil mill / have also
discovered at the Tampa Bay hotel that
Mr. Plant cultivates cassava on his
grounds as an ornamental plant Proper
~ fertilized and arranged in rows, circles
or groups, ii makes an attractive orna-
ment to lawn; The leaves are dark
green, with light center, and the twigs
Of a bright red color. with light shading
/ am now making ornamental plants out
of some of my best cassava, and find it
very easy Then in due time i get the
fine harvest of roots for cattle, poultry or
family food.
The steady rains have given many farm
ers ana trult growers second crop of
hay. In fact, the harvest is so unexpecu-
eddy large this year that even vacant
dwelling houses are being used tempo
to-day shipped new moving machine to
Sam NJ. Moseley, the negro grove con-
tractor at Maitland. who finds it impossi-
bic to cut all his grass in the old scythe
way Many groves have not been plowed
this year. and owing to heavy fertilizing
last fail have yielded big crop of fine
grass for hay. Mr.. Fernald saws the sale
of moving machines and horse rakes has
been most remarkable and shows that the
a
in farming in Florida, and one that is to
be of lasting benefit.
Col Thomas ]. Appleyard the general
manager of the proposed Jacksonville and
Tampa Bay Improved railway came here
last night from weeks stay in Cleveland
o., in consultation with the officials of
this electric road, and reports everything
now in readiness to begin operations at
Jacksonville and st. Augustine The lat
ter city, in granting a very liberal fran
chise, was firm in the demand that no time
should ha anti
and pushing it to final completion, so far
as that territory was concerned, so there
can be no delay there
The agricultural department at Wash
ington, D. G., has just published three
pamphlets that fruit growers in Florida
should send for at once. The pamphlet
on Fertilization of the Soil as Affecting
the Orange in Health and Disease" is by
II. j. Weber, of the division of padhoi-
ogy, who has given the subject the fullest
Investigation from every point of view
the Pacific Coast" will give Florida grape
growers much valuable information The
third pamphlet Water as a Factor in
Galloway and his assistant Albert r
Woods, of the division of pathology, is
one that every farmer and
fruit grower in Florida should
read-rather study-and be governed by its
valuable and timely hints Much of the
past failure in farming and fruit growileg
in our sandy soil has been owing to lack
of water. Few people have studied this
subject thoroughly, and. therefore this
pamphlet is most timely. We are now
starting anew with many plants and trees
that were cut down by the terrible freeze
of last winter, and Prof Galloway gives
US a large amount of much needed infor-
nation in regard to the absolute necessity
water to promote plant growth. Any per-
son can get these pamphlets free by send
ing postal card request to the Secretary
of Agriculture. at Washington, d. c.