The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-27

any except special crops which yield
the largest returns. ~
The artesian basin of Florida which
is now being developed by wells is al
ready very important factor in in
tensive agriculture. The great extent
of the basin and the accessibility of
its waters presage a much greater
utilization of this method of irrigation
in the future. The water horizons vary
somewhat, but are nowhere at a great
depth, flowing wells being obtained by
boring from 20 to 800 feet, Many of the
deeper wells are reported on the is
land of Terra Celia on the Gulf coast
and in Brevard county on the east
coast The greatest variations in the
horizons are noted in the Gulf coast
area. In Hillsboro county, near Tampa,
the wells are from rs to 100 feet deep
In Manatee county, and particularly
on the island above mentioned, which
is sixty miles south of Tampa, the
wells are from 240 to $50 feet deep. A
large number of wells are reported
from Orange county with depths vary
! ing from so to 200 feet. In this county
considerable area near Sanford on
the ST. Johns river has been developed
by these wells. This district affords one
of the best concrete illustrations of the
DEMENT'S of irrigation in connection with
the cultivation of garden crops which
in the neighborhood of this place, has
become the principal industry of the
people.
/ The greatest utilization of the arte-
sian water within a given area is on
the island of Terra Celia, where the in
dividual areas under cultivation are
small, ranging from five to thirty
acres. A three-inch artesian well cost
ing about $3.50 frequently will irrigate
ten acres. At Sanford the capacity of
the average artesian we'll is five acres,
ana the cost varies from $50 to $125
Tor three and four-inch wells.
Among the humid states where irri-
| cation is practiced for general crops.
Florida continues to hold first place
in the number of irrigators amount
| invested in irrigation systems, acre
| age irrigated, and the total value and,
average value per acre of irrigated
crops. In the census of 1899 there were
reported 429 irrigated farms in all the
| humid states. These had an irrigated
area of 3,a55 acres, Which produced
| crops valued at $426,S05 In 1902 Flor
! da alone had 405 irrigators, and an ir-
| r1gated area of 3,772 acres, producing
crops valued at $1.432, $50. The average
value per acre of crops produced on
| irrigated land in 1902 was $4S2. A sim
llar average for all the arid states in
1899 was $14.S1 and for California. the
highest of any state, $28.47. The irri-
cation systems of Florida in operation
| in 1902 cost $512,S59, an average of S126
per acre. There were also reported *
irrigation plants, costing $26, 65S, that
were not operated in 1902 Since 1899
the number of irrigators has increased
from $50 to 4O5, or 125 per cent. The
area irrigated has increased from 538
acres to 3,772 acres, or 145 per cent
The capital invested in irrigation svs-
TENS has more than doubled, while the
total value of irrigated crops has in
creased from 1902, $40 to 81, 49,, $50. or 373
per cent. During the same period the
average value per acre of irrigated
crops has increased from 1904 to s432
Inc highest value per acre of irrigated
products is reported from Manatee
county on farms irrigated by windniIIs
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 ~
Conservatives in the North. The value
of the products in 1902 is reported as
$3O,OOO, or $4,000 per acre
In view of the very large increase IN
the use of irrigation in the cultivation
of general crops and the success which
seems to have uniformly followed tic
appicatlon, much greater develon-
inent IN the trucking industry of Flor
lua is TO be expected. In nearly every
sectlon OF the state possessing favor
able transportation facilities. the first
experiments with irrigated truck have
resulted in steady increase In tba
acreage mus cultivated.