The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-15
THE GROWTH OF FLORIDA.
Biennial Report of the state Com
missioner % Agriculture.


TAILAHAsSEE Fla. April I5--The
biennial report Of the Commissioner OF
Agriculture of Florida. just printed and
submitted 10 the Legislature, gives much
information concerning the Industrial
prosperity Of Florida
Comparing the last census with the one
taken by the State in 1895, says the report
It appears that during the five years be
tween 1880 and 1895 the increase in popu-
lation was ., Ell, and for the period of five
years between 1925 and 1900 there vas a
gain Of 6S,.IS. an apparent decrease IN
gain during the last half decade of 9,sl4-
The cause of this apparent loss IS directly
traccable to the gTeat freeze OF 1872 Whlch
brought the iumigF alton movement al
most to a standstilI for nearly two years
With the rahabHtau9n of the fruit in
dustry in eastern ana southern Florida
ana the increase IL tke@yalue of the staple
crops of The norm p1iddIe and western
parts of the State. large amounts of CAPT
tai have sought investment in industrial
enterprise ~ 4
orr resources for manufacturing pUT-
poses" continues the report, are varied
and practically without limit. Hundreds
of water powers are lying idle as on the
day Of their creation, awaiting utilization
prise These powers are sufficient to oper-
ate hundreds Of mills and factories, and
We have the material To supply their de-
Tuands Every pound of our upland and
sea island cotton Should be manufactured
within the States borders into some ma
teriaI demanded by either internal or eK-
teTnaI trade We have lands adapted to
sugar production equal to any and the
ability to compete with the world IN the
manufacture Of sugar. We produce hbre
plants unknown to any other portion OF
the United States. and these should be
manufactured at home into form fit
for commerce
The decrease in the proportion which aS
Florida is also rich in minerals IN
addition to phosphate, of which the world
already knows, We have immense deI'os-
its OF cIays OF every kind-kdOitn. OcfTe;
fire, and aluminium clays. GYPSUM ana
FulleTS sTth Of great extent and HneSt
quality. We have stone excellent Tor
building purposes and a soft magnetism
limestone that produces q cement N ey-
cry respect equal to the best imported
Iron Of high grade and value is known TO
exist in several lOCalitieSi 50 also are m
dications Of petroleum, natural gas, ana
soft coal, and asphalt to be found IN seN-
Grad portions of the State and yet with
one or two exceptions the fields contain
ing these ores are undeveloped.
Our vast forests are a grand store
house of almost iueShaustibie wealth ana
We should work them also into finished
products, instead OF shipping them IN the
crude form to be brought back to US IN
finished materials at a heavy advance in
cost. We should enjoy a greater share OF
the profit and less of the expense
our ports are rapidly becoming the
gateway for West Indian, Central and
South American commerce, and nanufac-
tured goods from horne products should
at least supply a great part of this trade,
and should the NiCaTag guam any other
isthTnian canal ever be completed Florida
VIII inevitably become the natural base
and outlet of untold millions of commerce,
whose objective point will be the opuIent
Orient.