The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-04-07
April 7, 1906

tanned with great difficulty. In late years the levee
has been strengthened by using large dredge
equipped with two-yard clam she'll bucket and
boom 1876 feet long, This was kept in constant ope-
ration for the purpose of raising the height of the
levee five feet above the highest flood yet known
This dredge is owned by the reclamation district
and is operated by force of eight men employed by
the management. The cost of operating has been as
low as FIVE CENTS per yard, though frequently
running where the excavation is difficult and
slower progress made. The interior drainage OF the
island is accomplished by few large bitches which
collect the water and lead it to pumping plants, one
of which is located at the lower end OF the island
and the other on side midway between its ex-
tremities. The pumps are of the centrifugal pat
tern, the smaller one having twenty'iour dis
charge and the larger fortyourinch, the former
being capable of discharging 10000 gallons per min
ute and the latter $4,000 gallons per minute, The
annual rainfall is ABOUT FOURTETEN INCHES,
most of which is preciptated during the winter
months, so that the drainage plants are operated
approximately ninety days during the year, the
pumping season ending about May Is. Not only
must this land be protected from overflow by ievees
and the interior drainage accomplished by bitches
and pumps but during the summer season IT must
be irrigated Florida does not have the six months
drouths of California. This is accomplished by
means of several siphons which may be opened and
river water back over the land when necessary.
In other parts this is not practicable and pumps
are installed by the several landowners to furnish
them with the necessary water
This island is shaped much like large oval plat
ter both in contour and in cross-section The land
is owned by thirty-fve different people, many OF
whom are non-residents, and the buildings are all
located upon the border of the island The outer
part is all planted to fruit the Bartlett pear being
produced in great perfection and is of the most
profitable productions of the island. This fruit land
can SCARCELY BE BOUGHT AT ANY PRICE. 1t
is reported that not infrequently FIVE HUNDRED
TO ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER ACRE are
realized each year. The subso of the interior is OF
a PEAT NATURE, and has not burned up, covered
with a rich river silt which produces certain held
crops in great luxurance Potatoes, BEANS and espe
ciaily asparagus are produced in great perfection
l was attracted by an asparagus field OF 5OO acres
and impressed with the of production when told
that it was planted upon the native soil without
special preparation or fertilization and grown on
about Sl2 an acre. the tenants apparently being sat
isfed and prosperous. This island is only forty
miles from the city of San Francisco and the produce
can be conveyed cheaply by boat every morning 10
the city, which gives to them a certain and remuner
ative market The entire amount expended in the
reclamation of this island to date is given as Sloo
OOO The annual charge for repairs pumping ana
maintenance of the levees varies from 81 to US an
acre, and yet it pays to do It,
The history of this project reveals some OF the
contingencies that may be expected in the reclama
ton OF land subject to overflow. This feature OF
the problem WILL NOT BE PRESENT in the drain
age works on the Everglades. l should not neglect
to saw in connection with the drainage OF this island
that the seepage through the levees and the SOIL Is
very considerable As before stated, the rainfall Is
about Ia inches. Taking into account the amount
of water pumped during the ninety days IN which
the plant is operated, we find that the entire ram
fail is removed so that all of the water required
for the soil and the growth of plants during that
time is supplied by seepage. We may safely say
that the amount of water coming to the land through
seepage in this case is about equal to that required
by the crops during the early part OF the season.
Fourteen thousand acres of Sherman Island, ad.
Joining the one Just described at one time leveed
and improved and very handsome results in the way
of production obtained Like the others, however, the
protecting banks were entirely destroyed by the
floods, but ARE NOW BEING REBUILT, and it is
quite probable that the island will in time become
as permanently reclaimed as Grand Island from which
such satisfactory results are now obtained. The
delta of the San Joaquin river contains seyeral
LAND is considered EXCELLENT PROPERTY. The
nayigable channel which reaches from the coast as
far as Stockton, gives most excellent transportation
facilities the name of "THE VENICE OF AMERl.
Io:ux. oil nliod In