The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-09-28

An Inessantink Letter fkouA In. SAD
dIsF, Opposing DRaina6s o. tie

From Winter Garden RichoehstI
In view Of the drainage proposition
that Is now before the people TO be
passed on by them in the adoption or
rejection Of the drainage amendment
70 be voted on at the approaching cleo
tion, and owing to the Importance and
far-reaehing effect Of this amendment
If adopted, and having been q member
of the Apopka Canal Company, that
was organized some thirty years ago by
the late j. G. Speer 10 cut a canal from
Lake Apopka to Lake Dora and thence
into Lake Eustis, toreclaim some 20, 900
acres of the finest saw-grass lands in
the State, lying between Lakes Apopka
and Dora, and having been interested
in and experimenting with these lands
during this time, think it not amiss to
give result of my observation and ex-
perience, which may throw little light
on the subject.
Owing to the immense water supply
of the Everglades, large part of South
Florida, and the great flow of water in
the rainy season into them, requiring
such a large canal, that would cost
millions of dollarf. to cut to CARRY off
this water, its seems altogether inn
practicable. Some idea can be formed
as to the size of canal it would require
when the fact is considered that more
than twenty rivers and creeks run from
the district to be drained, beginning
with the st. Lucie river on the east
and extending to the Caloosahatchie
troll the water from the Kissimmee
Valley that flows into the Everglades, !
as only the highest lands along the
lower east coast are not covered by
the overflow from Okeechobee and the |
Everglades in the wet season, and how
much would one more outlet relieve the |
situation when the proposed canal is |
not as wide and deep as several Of the |
streams draining from this district?
But, waving the questions as to drain |
age cost and length of time it would |
take to Go it (cutting the Panama canal !
has been advocated as far back as can !
which is forty years, and no
one doubted that it could and would be
cut, but when and the cost of doing so
has been and is the question:, what
would these lands be worth or good Tor
even when drained? | believe they
would be veritable white elephant on
the hands of the people. l have seen
these reclaimed saw-grass lands tried
in several counties of the State in a
great many kinds of crops, and do not
know of but one instance where thew
have given profitable results, and sand
was hauled and mixed with the muck
in this case. In every other instance
disastrous failure and abandonment re-
suited, and in Dade county have seen
muck lands grow good tomatoes during
the dry springs and early summer be-
fore the wet season drowned them out,
but they put from $35 to $50 worth of
fertilizer per acre, and the same year
saw tomatoes on these lands from
about four thousand acres planted.
There was such a large crop grown
hat prices went so low as to make it
Improbable to gather and ship, and
many that were shipped did not pay ex-
oenses for gathering, packing, etc. so
hat to use these lands, if drained, to
o increase the vegetable output
would oVerstock the markets and
lill the business off. And again,
here is a large number of people in
)ade county who are doing well in the
vegetable business 1.-THE overhows and
'ther drawbacks keeping and supply
within the demand) who are greatly
'enefitted by the protection the water
n the Everglades gives them from the
old, and why injure those people, when
o do 80 would put the muck part of
hese lands in shape to be burned up
" the annual forest fires, which have
cen burn by the acre. believe sugar
ane is the crop the governor proposes
o use these lands for, but in all cases
oming under my observation where
ugar cane was grown on these lands it
vas failure, and abandoned because
be sugar cane was deficient in saccha-
inc matter, and was badly infested by
worms that did not bother the cane on
he higher lands and the black. rich
boxing lands that would grow dog fen
el twelve feet high and careless weeds
wo feet in diameter, would be left for
he poor sandy higher lands which, with
little fertilizer, gave satisfactory re-
ults. And the price it would cost to
eep labor in the Everglade section in
insect season would make sugar grow
" Improbable, if on the best sugar
snds in the world. / acquired several
undred acres Of the ApOpka saw grass
muck lands through the Apopka Canal
o., at q cost of $40 per acre, and after
eeing so many failures made on this
lass Of lands, and getting tired Of pay :
IL taxes and failing after several
ears effort to get better price, sold
hem at 81 per acre to q wide-awake
ian, who held them several years and
Did, barely getting his money back.
ill have some Of these lands which ,
ill gladly sell at S1.26 per acre. An
experienced, successful business man Z