The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21
COLD FACTS IRON a FREEZE.
what the Over-sasgui~- People OF Florida
Learned In the Winter OF 1895.

fron tA< CA,oa0O Rscprd.
Thoughtful people now agree that the great
est freeze Of '95" was GOOD thing for Florida
q blessing In disguise. IL was costly lesson.
however. A hundred thousand citizens. more
or less paid $4,000 or 81. 600 900 to fnd ont
that the " frost line" that had been recognized
since the " cold winter OF 80" was not psrina-
neut. and was likely to be changed, like railway
time tables, without previous notice. They
were taught that it was not good policy to
put all their eggs In ono basket and that the
single-crop plan of farming wAsa failure. Many
were discouraged and left TIE state. Those who
had more courage and wisdom remained. and
while they were re>usci'ating th-!r frozen
groves they discovered that they could make
$500 or $500 AN acre by truck farming nv rats
ing peas. beans. cabhas-s. cau!.ilower. lettuce.
celery. onions, cucumbers. potatoes -trswh-r-
rier. ana other fruits and vegetables for The
Northern winter markets.
The demand for this sor, OF produce during
the winter months Is practically unlimited. and
the prices uhEaturaily .arse. IL costs no more
to raise u bush-i OF potatoes In this warm,
cam b. sold S IN and Is
only 40 cents in July. The supply OF unscAson-
aS os ss BsSs. ' ses,
the farmers ~ Florida that hey could hav. a
monopoly from December Ia March. when the
market.
So The wise ones stopped Boosting about profits
of $1,000 All acre from orange groves. They
stopped telling the fami ar story about Isl n
box for oranges ON the plantation. twenty hve
clear gain" aud began To plant and weed yege.
tables, which arc not 30 profitable a. oranges.
but are ressonsbl certain o: paying from $500
Town in the southern part OF the State the
cultivation Of pineapples was found TO be even
tho discovery that the best ones were grown
under shelter. 10 all tho pine h-lds are
enough D@ f0'f for tall man to walk under
without STOPPING. This lattice Is male OF rough
strips OF pine, three inches WIDE, nailed three
$500 an acre, II not only furnishes perfect
protection against all possible frosls. hut the
fruit thus protected from the hrat 81 the sun IL
more Juicy and OF inner fibre than that grown In
the open air. Industrious farG.ersare now rails
ing 5000 pinenpples to the acre. and selling
them on the plantations by the thousand at rs
cents apiece, while the shoots that are plucked
from the plants are worth from 81 10 50 a dozen
TO those who are starting in the business.
Another industry that can he attributed TO
the -" freeze and Is hound To be permanent and
profitable, Is the cultivation OF Cuban tobacco.
The scarcity and high price, caused by the
revolution have given II a decided stimulus for
generally destroyed, aud II the island should
ever be at peace again u VIII REQUIRE several
years to get back TO the magnitude and the
quality OF It's former product,
BEFORE tho war OF the rebellion, up in Gadsden
county. between the Gulf and the Georgia line,
where the people SIN hunt Wildcats for SPORT a
good deal OF tobacco was raised. At one time 1t
was considered the finest OF tho country and
the average value Of he crop WAS 100000, but
After the big plantations were broken up and
worked on shares by negroes. who formerly
worked thom slaves. tobacco coat too much
labor and was aba ndoned, until ii, X. DuyRl.
President OF the Florida Central. got
teod from the celebrated vueito Abnjo
district OF Cuba and distributed It FREQ
of charge To all tho farmers who were
willing TO make tho experiment. Many
failed, as IL always the case, but some arc spu-
cessful ana the result was the estAhli -hment Of
| u factory at Quincy by u New York irm TO con
sumo the local product, which is now the largest
in the state, and this firm annually plants II
large acreage on it's own account.
After the freeze" the public took up tobacco
generally. Mr.. Duyal again sent to cuba and
not only got seed, which he uistrinU,vd free. but
also brought over number of experienced
planters, who worked up and down the line Of
| his road, superintending the planting and In
| structng tho farmers In the art OF cultivation,
! for tobacco IL a good deal like children--its
| value depends upon tho manner in which II
is brought mp. Thus the industry has
| become general. SumRtra as well as
| Cuban seed has been introd lcsd With proper
| cultivation II Ia claimed that crops from 800 to
1000 pounds TO the acre can be raised anywhere
| In Florida. and there is steady demand for II
| from the cigar factories In the Slate at from
go TO 80 cents pound, according to the quality.
| II requires cIperienoe and u peculiar knack to
| raise good tobacco. There are come Cuban
| refugees down in this end of the State who
| produce n leaf that Is rated rs high as the beat
| that comes from Havana, but the ord lnary
| farmer doesn't seem 70 get the hang off There
| IL plenty OF Cuban labor TO be had this year,
| and much In cxpocted from the next QrOp.