The Florida agriculturist., 1905-11-15
The Winter Tomato Belt.

Florida, describes tomato growing In
that section of the state.
A portion of Florida, which lies
along the sea coast, is known as the
winter tomato belt.'' This is the
only spot in the United States where
tomatoes can be grown, without arti-
fetal protection, practically all win
ter.
The climate of this region is tenn
pered by the Gulf Stream, which flows
within few miles of the tomato
farms. We have no freezing weather,
although about two winters out of
three we get one light frost in jan
uary. On the other hand, it is never
excessively hot even in midsummer.
The highest temperature ever known
in Dade county is 80 in the shade,
while New York and other northern
states see the mercury above a hun
dred at some time practically every
summer
As a rule, the experienced tomato
grower, who has learned to eliminate
as much as possible the chalces of
failure, plants only two crops a year,
one in September on the high sandy
soil, and another in late January or
early February ON land known as
glade or prairie. This is heavy
soil, and it OverfiOws in the wet
months of September and October of
each year. The fall crop natures in
December, and the spring crop in
March, April and May. These are
months when no other growers in
the United States have any tomatoes
to sell, and the result is that high
prices are realized.
The tomato is a tropical plant, and
it thrives in this locality. 1t is easily
grown, and the money made from the
crop is almost beyond belief by the
northern farmer, who, as a rule, is
content with $40 to $40 an acre net
profit There are several men in Dade
County who are worth anywhere from
$4,000 to $4,000 who came to the
county penniless less than ten years
ago. In fact, this section was a will
derness then. The wealth of these
men has come almost exclusively
from tomato growing, and it is not
difficult to see how this is possible
We often read of an argument be-
tween the tomato Gamers and growers
of New Jersey as to whether the price
per ton delivered at the cannery shall
be $3.50 or $3.50 for the next season.
and when a Jersey farmer gets so
much as SO a ton, he thinks he is
making big money. The Dade County
growers who could figure his crop as
worth only $40 ton ON the vines
would think twice before picking them
at all. We get ON an average about
$50 ton, seldom less, and $1OO a ton
is frequently realized
Our tomatoes are not sold to can
ners. They are shipped to the cities
of the North, where in winter and
early spring the demand is always
greater than the supply. The standard
package is the siX-basket carrier,
which holds about tive-eighths of a
bushel- We sell largely at home to
the professional buyers, but the price
we get is based Oh the price obtain
able in the North. fair price, say
in New York City, for one of these
carriers is $3.50; out of this amount
we nave to figure about as follows
Freight, 45c.; commission, 25c.; dray-
age, &C.; cost of carrier and paper
wraps, Zoe; total, 95c. This leaves
us $1.55 for fve-eighths of a bushel
of tomatoes. L have frequently real
lied more than this; also at times
less. However, it is about the aver
age. 1t takes a very few acres of to-
matOeS under these conditions to run
into whole lot of money.
Dadp County is almost yvitbOut Iivo