The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-01
IRnIGArIoN IN FLORIDA.


We associate irrigation with that
section of the West that is arid aud
for the reclamation of which the first
steps were taken by the last Congress.
Irrigation is being practiced with great
success. however, in sections of the
country where there is a plentiful rain
fall but where the rain does not al
ways come at the time it is wanted. In
Florida for instance, there are many
irrigation plants, and the area that is
being subjected to irrigation is stead
lily increasing. 1t would probably sur
prise those who have not given the
subject attention to know the extent
to which irrigation has been carried
in that state.
The Washington correspondent of
the New York Commercial Bulletin
has summarized a recent report Of
census Office expert on irrigation who
made a thorough study of the subject
as 1t presents itself in Florida. The
land that is irrigated there is far
more productive than that which is
not, the yield is much greater per
acre and the returns are 50 large that
the number of acres that is being irri-
gated is increasing with great rapid
ity. AS a matter of fact Florida is a
state that can be easily irrigated be-
cause il is so nearly level. The irri-
cation is not. as a rule, by means of
bitches from the lakes and streams,
but from the. streams and lakes by
means of steam pumps and windmills,
and by artesian wells. 1t does not cost
a great deal to sink well, and one we'll
furnishes sufficient water to irrigate
five to ten acres. The artesian wells
flow naturally, and after they are sunk
it is only necessary to control the flow
from them.
Irrigation began in Florida soon aft
er the great freeze which destroyed
the orange groves. The people felt
they had to do something for a living
and so they turned their attention 10
truck growing They have had Won
derfuI success. OF course all the
truck farms are not irrigated. Only
a small percentage of them are, but,
owing to the results obtained, the num-
Der is increasing all the time-increas-
ing rapidly.
II would seem that there would be
no need for irrigation in Florida where
the rainfall is so heavy, but, as a
matter of fact, there are dry months,
and in some years during these months
actual drought prevails. Irrigation is
carried on extensively on the Island
of Terra Celia on the Gulf coast and In
Brevard county on the east coast. But
there are many localities in which it is
a success. At Sanford, particularly
it has been made immensely profitable
The following gives some idea of the
cost of it and the results:
The irrigation systems of Florida in
operation in 1902 cost $512, $685. an aver
age of 1886 per acre. There was also
reported twenty-five irrigation plants,
costing $26, 65S, that were not operated
in 1902. Since 1899 the number of irri-
gators has increased from $50 to 4O0,
or 1875 per cent. The area irrigated
has increase from 1888 acres to S,I72
acres. or las per cent The capital in
vested in irrigation systems has more
than doubled, while the total value of
irrigated crops has increased from
$500, $40 to 81, 432, 500 or 1913 per cent.
During the same period the average
value per acre of irrigated crops has
increased from 1904 to $432. The highest
value per acre of irrigated products is
reported from Manatee county, on
farms irrigated by windmills, steam
pumps and hydraulic rams. One OF
these systems is employed on two
acres of pot plants and nursery stock,
which are sold mainly to owners of
conseryatories in the North. The value
of the products in 1902 is reported as
$50, 900, or $4,000 per acre.