The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-21
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Agricultural Department
CONDUCTED BY FULTON S. WHITE.

I thought that with my last weeks let
ter l would close up with what l had
to say regarding Florida, but I find that
there are a few more things which l
wish to mention of this wonderful sec
ton Travelling the other in company with
an eminent geologist who is in the Uni
ted States government service, and talk
ing of this country in general and Flori-
da in particular. he said that it was his
idea that some day by the action of an
earthquake that Florida would sink and
become sea of water. This theory has
been advocated for years and how well
1t is founded on scientific investigation 1
am unable to say.
But this leads me out to make men
ton of some things which have been
able to see and know and while the mem
ton of some of these may lead me from
Florida for while yet ] am sure that
the same conditions will apply generally
IS well to Florida as the sections which
III shall mention. Scholars and close OBJ
servers have discovered and agree that
the waters of the earth are diminishing
and that the land is giving and forming
and driving the waters back we have
ample proof of this by observing our
great lakes and rivers. The great Salt
lake furnishing one of the strongest
proofs as it's waters have been driven
back for nearly half a mile, within the
memory of one generation. The same
diminishing or falling back can be OBJ
served with nearly all our great lakes and
rivers | can well remember when large
steamboats, followed the Missouri river
up as far north as Sioux City, Iowa.
Now Kansas City several hundred miles
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. of river navigation for only very small
boats can now make safe trip far north
The same conditions are true of the great
Mississippi river only few years age
great boats were running up to st. PAU
now Davenport, Rock Island ana Du-
buque, Iowa are points about as FAR VI
the river as it is safe to navigate. ex-
cept in. times Of high water. The great
Mississippi river has been losing as wei
as the lakes and smaller rivers Not only
2 this l know of many quite large lakes
that have been drained out and farms
made Of their beds. Now the same pro-
cess of the lowering Of the water mas
been going with our southern lakes ane
rivers, out perhaps not so rapid nor sc
visible But as the country becomes more
settled and as the lands are cleared OF
Jour vast forests and are cultivated III
crops the more water will be required
and more taken up by evaporation, unu
in the future those who are living VIII
rec how that the land is on the increase
Nd the Water on the decrease, or In 9TH
words, fine farms will be found, pro-
cing fine crops of grain and vegetables
ere now only is to be found lakes
stagnant water. polluted with poison
or breeders of poisonous mosquitoes
is by no means impossible for these
rs to happen even in the life time OF
generation for once the work OF
tion is commenced and it becomes
In the great northwest men are
ne fine farms where their fathers
only move in boats. l know that in
nth we have at present what seems
great surplus of water. much OF
lis vet from under the control OF
ut these conditions will change as
ntry becomes more generally Gull
Passing as l have; the last week
the great drouth stricken Sec
Alabama, where they have had
bp failures in succession, caused
h and the past season the sever
il of all or ever known, visited
on and, crops of all kinds nearly
II view-c these facts 1t hay