The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-05-04

have twice camped on the borders of
the muck land of Lake Okeechobee on
the edge of what is known as the Big
Prairie, and seen the muck land burn
ing for square miles. have also seen
muck lands burning in Orange and other
counties considerably north Of Lake
DIFFERENCE IN MUCK LANDS.
There is in fact a great difference in
the quality of muck lands. My person
al experience in South Florida shows
that muck produced from clay or mari
bottom is quite tenacious. and is more
apt 70 bake than burn unless abnormal
~ dry; on the contrary muck produced
from a sand bottom is nothing but a
peat; take the water from ii and it will
burn as rapidly as paper The great
mass of the muck lands around Lake
and a considerable amount
of il i'm the kissimmee Valley are moth
ing but pure peat, and will require as
much fertlizing to make il productive
a. any ordinary pine lands in Florida.
DISASTROUS EXPERIMENT.
Going back 20 the necessity for a
proper survey, ! wish TO call your at
tention 20 the disastrous failure of the
experiment 10 drain what Is known a.
the Apopka muck lands. Lying partly
i'm Orange and partly in Lake counties,
wcdged poar-Shaped between what ar"
north of Lake Aporka. is a body of be-
tween T.. 600 and "a, 600 acres of niue.
lands. which do not hesitate 10 pro-
nounce among the richest lands of the
kind in the State, II has been produced
almost entirely from foundation OF
muck and mari II has an altitude o'
about - feet above the sea level, and n
ever muck lands offered temptation o.
capitalists 10 invest. this body Of land
does. Besides being
susceptible Of producing large crops,
with fertilizers, IL has railroad trans
along lr, entire length both
on the east and west side Of il. in add-
ton to water transportation through
the OcklaWaha river 20 the ocean.
In 1881 ! suggested to capitalist. IN
the advisability Of having
these lands surveyed and the cost Of
surveying ascertained, and then maxi
ing a contract with the Trustees Of the
Internal Improvement Fund to drain
these lands for a cerrain proportion Of
them. 4 thorough scientific survey of
the lands was made and the result was
a cost estimated at $50, 600, and yet
the drainage of these lands TO the mex
perienced would have appeared an easy
matter and the cost comparative
trihle.
THE FAILURE
Trst % We ,rara ready In anpIv to the
T,Y,.tee. of tho Internal INFRINGEMENT
Enrd fo, a contract IN drain these lands
tba Iato Sanotnr Spaer of Orange
cn,,rt,, ,,itb Tobn NJ Rrvan and one or
t,,n ~ be,.s associatad yitb them cot
in ahead of MS and made a contract TO
drain these lands for one-half recall
the old Senator chuckling at his sue
cess over me in getting this contract,
and | also very vlvldIy recoIlect when
! asked him If he had scientific sur
vey made as TO what 1t would coS''
his replying JOcuIarIy 70 me, 'Oh,
major, water will run down hill, and
it doesn require any science TO dlg
d ditch. he and his associates Dug
a ditch They spent all the money they
could raise. they got the trustees 10
sell them the remaining one-hali OF the
land Tor about 81 per acre, ana, a1ter
eXhaustng their means and borrowing
money. mad 20 turn the WhoIe over 20
the lender, ltremains today practlcaIly
unframed, save on ITS eastern ana west
EN- edges, and every etort made 10 I'M
pl owe It by cultivation has failed Inc
air castles ot its projectors have not
been realized. NO fields OF waving SUI
gar cane meet the eye; no miles OF veg
eiah.e farms are 10 be seen, ne muck