The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-25

Total =. ........,.. $144, 494, 154.OO
This is $12. 73O, sos less than the val
ne of sugar brought in from foreign
countries The same papers will say,
But what about it? We know that
statement is true. Everyone that
knows anything about sugarcane
knows that South Florida is the home
of the sugarcane in the United States.
A half million acres of the Florida
Everglades will produce cane enough
to supply the entire amount of sugar
imported here from foreign countries,
without being in competition with any
other cane growers in Florida, or in
fact, in competition with any other
cane growers in the United States
until we had produced more than the
total amount imported, which amount
exceeds by more than twelve million
dollars the amount now received by
the citizens of every state in the
Union for corn, -four, wheat, beef and
naval stores, and as is understood by
sugar experts and Others who have
investigated sugarcane growing and
manufacturing, to be able to economl-
cally produce sugar, the cane must
be near enough to the mill so that
il can be placed in cars by machinery,
run into the mill on one side as cane,
and go out at the other side as granu-
lated sugar, and the supply Of cane
must be great enough to furnish not
less than three hundred tons per day.
In the Everglades we have millions
of acres of land without a tree or root
upon it, that is as rich as any in the
world, and millions of acres suitable
for cane.
The newspapers may say, What
would it cost to drain half million
acres Of the Everglades" l would
say that 81 per acre would be a large
allowance for the expense. The news
papers would say, why not select a
half million acres of land that does
not require drainage, as a caneield?" l
will answer them, that they cannot
find a half million acres in one body
anywhere else in the United States,
suitable TO grow sugar cane, and If
half million acres of rich, hammock
land can be found, it would require
some thirty to sixty dollars an acre
to clear each acre of timber. scrub.
roots and prepare It for cultivation,
which would mean from fifteen TO thir-
ty million dollars. and as there are
not many farmers worth that sum, l
do not expect soon to see such a cane
field anyhere else.
BY way of explanation, I will say
consider the small cane field in the
northern portions of Florida and the
southern portions of Georgia in the
sugar problem. The lands in these
sections suitable for the cultivation
of sugarcane are not close enough to-
gether to warrant the establishment
of a sugar mill, therefore it has been
estimated by those who have given
the subject careful study, that they
must produce and sell syrup, rather
than undertake to make sugar for
the market.
Governor Bloxham took strong
ground in his message to the legisla-
ture of 1889 in support OF the reclama-
ton of the swamp and overfiowed lands
of the state, and aTrayed an impress
sive statement Of facts, opinions OF
experts and arguments favoring this
great project
Governor Mitchell was likewise a
great drainage enthusiast, and from
the persistent and devoted efforts OF
those two great Floridans, the people
are in possession Of reliable, scienti.
hc data bearing upon the question oil
soil. fertility and specie of crop for
which this vast region is adapted. We
learn from the data gathered by Gov
errors BIoxham and Mitchell that the
reclaimed lands offers new soil toI
agricultural development, samples
taken from numerous points through
cut the drainage district nave Deen