The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-27
IRRIGATION AIDING
FLORIDA FARMERS
1t Can Be Applied In That State to Very Large
Area

Washington, June 26.-It is rather
toned to associate irrigation in the
United States with the parched lands
of the arid region to note the extent to
which it is carried in the state of Flor
ida. A report on this subject just
completed by Mr.. Clarence j. Blanch-
ard. the irrigation expert of the agri-
cultural division of the Census Office,
under the direction of Chief Statisti-
clan L. G. Powers, shows that in the
year 1902, irrigation was practiced on
4O5 farms in the state of Florida, irri-
eating S,772 acres at a primary cost
for the installation of the system of
$512,S59. The total value of the prod
ucts grown on the irrigated land was
81, 452,53O, or an average value of 1892
per acre. The results that have been
obtained in Florida are interesting as
indicating the extent to which the
productiveness of land can be increas-
ed in the so-called humid states by in
surfing to the crops ample and regular
supplies of water in periods when the
rainfall may be deficient.
In Florida irrigation can be applied
to a relatively larger area than in any
other state in the Union. Practically
it's entire surface is level, nowhere
reaching an altitude of 500 feet, and
the water supply is readily available
and inexhaustible. Aside from the
surface waters of lakes and streams,
which comprise s per cent. of the en-
tire surface of the state, there appears
n O a ~
coast line, extending entirely around
the state and to areas adjacent to tidal
rivers and large lakes. Although the
state has heavy, mean annual rain
faIl, 1t is subject to severe drougths
during the growing period between
February and June. The soil is nat
urally non-retentive of moisture. and
owing to the great heat evaporation is
excessive. During the dry seasons the
need of irrigation is imperative, espe-
cially as the products of the truck
farms and groves are of great CONNER
cial value, rendering even a partial
loss OF crops very costly.
The history of irrigation and inten-
sive farming in Florida dates from the
two severe successive frosts of the
winter 1S94-'95, which destroyed all the
large groves of the state Previous
to that time irrigation was confined
to an occasional watering of orange
groves during the periods of spring
drought. The first trial of irrigation
in the growing of general crops gave
a hint of the possibilities of intensive
agriculture and awakened a wide in
terest in the industry With a bet
ter knowledge of the soil, fertilizers
and water requirements of certain veg
etables came improved yields and
greater profits, and irrigation and
truck farming began to extend all
over the state. The results are so gen.
orally satisfactory that much interest
and enthusiasm on the subject have
been aroused among the progressive
farmers, and among those interested
in farm investments in the state.
In comparison with the soil of West
ern states, that of Florida is very poor.
Successful farming requires large
amounts of fertilizer, and frequent and
careful cultivation. 1t is therefore
somewhat remarkable to find a state
which has been thought to require the
importation of a soil before it could
produce a crop holding such a promi-
nent place in the truck-producing re-
gion.
Florida streams, while large and of
great volume, have little fall, and irri-
cation by gravity bitches is not prac-
ticable, hence the water from the
streams and lakes is pumped into res
ervoirs on the higher lands and thence
diverted to the fields. The expense
of installing and operating a plant is
the only limitation on the growth of
irrigation, but the initial outlay is so
great as to prohibit its application to