The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-03-16
Our RSss SaSaP Lands.

The fertility OF akiuvial lands Is q
proverb the world over, and those of
Florida are no exception to the rule.
But an essential difference is to be no
ted Between the muck lands" Of this
State and the alluvial deposits of the
Mississippi and Nile valleys-here the
fertility il only half -baked" and il UNI
digeSted -unready for food for plant
life. There the river deposits on the
that needs only TO be plowed under to
become a part of the soil : in thirty
days the roots begin to feed upon it.
OF course our muck" lies on alluvial
land and is rich in the elements of plant
food-with time and natural decay it is
rich as the richest, but it takes time
and sun and air to prepare it.
On this point we have a statement
from Mr.. A. f. Phillips, of Sanford,
whose father was the expert sugar
maker for the plantations that were no
ted under the old regime for sugar-mak-
ing that of the Gulf Hammock and of
Marion county. Mr.. Phillips writes to
commend the strong and able fight the
Times-Union is making against the
Governors foolish scheme to drain the
Everglades" at the expense of better
lands--lands that are better because
they can be cultivated to better advan-
tage by real settlers who bring their
families with them, rather than an
army of dependents. Mr.. Phillips
makes these points based on personal
experience with studying results with
and under his father.
Muck lands are so friable and loose
that they cannot sustain the great
trunks Of the cane-these fall and take
root wherever they touch the ground,
and so the juice given out at the mill is
immature and watery. On the contrary,
stiff hammock or fortified pine lands
with clay subsoil hold the stalks erect,
the juice is matured at the proper sea-
son, and is much richer in saccharine
qualities than the same quantity taken
from muck lands especially such muck
lands as we find in the Everglades,
which are 'peaty" enough to burn.
Nor should it be forgotten that pine
or hammock lands can be selected for
sugar plantations near to trunk lines of
transportation or contiguous to the
sugar plant-of course there will be no
large planting of cane till the plants have
been secured or assured within reach.
Now cane planted in the Evergade
section will be distant from transpor-
tation except as special means are pro-
vided-these last must be costly since
they will depend upon cane alone for
generation to pay expenses.
Moreover, cane grown in the Ever
glades will be absolutely dependent on
the capitalist for market-a fall in the
price of cane at Disston mill was imme-
diately followed by the ruin of the in
dustry, and the small planter promptly
abandoned his house and fields
Considering all the facts and condi-
tions involved must il not be true that,
l. Sugar from the Everglades must
be managed by a great corporation7
2. Since the work is unfit for the
average citizen, and since the average
citizen does not need the land, why
should the average citizen be taxed TO
prepare this area for the big corpora
tions?'
If the Governor has yet recovered his
equilibrium, will he tell Us why the
friends of the average Floridian, the
little farmer and the poor man, should
desire to tax these to get something
they do not want, and which only the
rich man can utilize? If the State
drains the lands, the State should own
the lands; when the State sells the
lands at a profit to the rich man of the
plantation, will the little men who have
paid the money out get it back? If the
State needed lands they would by the
establishment of a great industry, but
since the State does not need the lands,
where would the profit of the little man
come in?-Times- Union